Lo Scaffale” (The Shelf) goes to States to discover what Noah Van Sciver (Fante Bukowski, Saint Cole, Youth is Wasted) has to recommend among his latest readings.
Today Is The Last Day Of The Rest Of Your Life, di Ulli Lust (Fantagraphics)
When I read this book I just kept saying out loud «Go home Ulli! Go home!» I’m sure you are aware of this book but just in case you aren’t it’s about the young, punk author in 1984 traveling across Italy and being a bum basically. I won’t ruin it for you, but goddamn, it get’s stressful. The art and writing are terrific. The storytelling is solid.
Curses, by Kevin Huizenga (Fantagraphics Books)
Kevin’s work is so inspiring to me. It makes me want to stop drawing my comics and rethink the way I’m going about my own work. Curses is a collection of stories (that read together tell one story) with his character Glenn Ganges. This book is on my “annual reading list.” It’s a continual source of inspiration.
Dori Stories, di Dori Seda (Last Gasp)
This is a collection of all of the comics of underground cartoonist Dori Seda that was published by Last Gasp in 1999. I first discovered her work in Robert Crumb’s Weirdo magazine and last week I found a copy of this book in the Center For Cartoon Studies library. Dori passed away in 1988 but people still talk about her! I love autobio comics especially if they’re exaggerated and funny like these. She was a wild girl with an awful dog, and this collection is incredibly entertaining. I wish a publisher somewhere would reprint this collection.
Moose, by Max De Radigues (Conundrum Press):
I wish I could do what Max does. His art is always balanced just right and his writing is subtle but effective. Moose is about a teen boy who is bullied and has a couple of interesting twists. Find a copy and buy it.
Soldier’s Heart, by Carol Tyler (Fantagraphics Press)
Carol Tyler doesn’t need me saying how great her work is, but I’ll do it anyway. She’s one of the best cartoonists ever. This book, about her father’s WWII experiences intertwined with Tyler’s own personal drama, is her magnum opus. It’s really, really beautiful and powerful.
