I barely noticed.
I was having way too much fun catching up with several creators and other industry types I've met over the years, and was also trying to hand out as many copies of my own mini-comic, The Red Stiletto, as possible.
Sadly, I missed my opportunity to pick up David Mazzucchelli's book, as Pantheon sold out pretty quickly, but I did get plenty of other great comics to keep me going for months.
Here's what I got:
It's a Good Life If You Don't Weaken - I already own the individual issues of Palookaville that this story was reprinted from (#s 4-9), but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to get a sketch from Seth (who I found to be incredibly friendly and likable in our brief convesation) Why didn't I buy George Sprott instead? Too big to carry around.
Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow? - If Asterios Polyp was the buzz book of the show, a strong case could be made for this book as a runner up. Brian Fies second book from Abrams ComicArts (the follow-up to the Eisner-winning Mom's Cancer) is a visual smorgasbord of various styles and storytelling techniques. The story (which I haven't read yet) apparently focuses on Fies relationship with his father. I can't wait to read this one.
Zen Ties - I actually justified getting this beautifully painted children's book by Jon J. Muth as a gift for my son, and while I do expect he'll enjoy it when he's old enough, I admit I really wanted it for myself. It's a sweet little story about bridging the gap between elderly and youth, and finding common ground in even the most strained relationships. Oh, and it's also jaw-droppingly gorgeous!
Swallow Me Whole - I had been considering getting this book for a while and after meeting Nate Powell and trading some minis (Cakewalk is fantastic!), I decided I had to have this book.
The Ice Wanderer and Other Stories - I wasn't really planning on buying this collection of Jiro Taniguchi's adaptations of Jack London's short nature stories, but Steve at the Fanfare Ponent Mon booth put on the hard sell and the book itself is so strikingly rich in visual detail, I couldn't resist (the discount also didn't hurt).
Syncopated Volume 4 - I'm a huge fan of Brendan Burford's three previous non-fiction comics anthologies, so I was definitely looking forward to picking up this fourth volume, the longest and most impressive to date (as well as the first published through Villard Books, an imprint of Random House). I'm already more than halfway through it and have learned how and why to bail hay (thanks to Nick Bertozzi) and the history of collecting postcards (thanks to Rina Piccolo). The standout piece, however, is Alex Holden's "West Side Improvements," a retelling of the history of mural paintings in the underground railroad tunnels underneath Riverside park on the west side of Manhattan. Holden's meticulous and comprehensive research of these fascinating events is unforgettable, and this piece is worth the price of the book alone. Of course, I'm still not finished, but this is sure to be one of my favorite books of the year and Brendan was also kind enough to do a great little sketch for me.
The First and Second Books of Hope - These were total impulse buys. Bries, the Dutch art comix publisher who always displays some of the most gorgeous looking books year after year, finally won me over with these two English language editions by Tommi Musturi. I haven't a clue what they're about yet, but the colors and artwork are amazing.
Uptight #3 - I was trying to avoid buying any Fanta books since I can get them for cheaper at Midtown, but who can resist new Jordan Crane? Plus, this might be one of the best covers ever to grace a comic book.
That's it for the indie-mainstream books I bought, but like everyone, I also picked up a ton of great-looking mini-comics, mostly through trades, including (in no particular order):
- Pope Hats #1 by Ethan Rilly
- Casual Comics #1-2 & Walking Through Red Hook by Paul Hoppe
- Morning E-mails by G.B. Tran
- Long Tail Kitty by Lark Pien
- Bowl & Opal by Conor Hughes - a truly amazing artist who I'm collaborating with on another project as I write.
- The Tiny Little Tale of Spaceboy Sam by Patricia Burgess - a great little children's fable about following one's dreams.
- The Last and Gzorg Is Free by Dan Mazur - Highly recommended!
- Cake Walk/Bets Are Off - a good, old-fashioned flipbook by Nate Powell and Rachel Bormann
- Fantastic Life #1-2 by Kevin Mutch
- Cragmore Book One by Pat Lewis
- Geraniums and Bacon #5 by Cathy Leamy
- Chrome Fetus Comics #5-7 by Hans Rickheit
- Real Bad #1 by Conner Willumsen
- Satisfactory Comics VIII by Isaac Cates and Mike Wenthe - this is actually a set of 10 postcards that tell a sequential tale.
- Snake Oil #1 by Charles Forsman
- Freddy by Melissa Mendes (+ another untitled mini)
- Freewheel #1-2 by Liz Baille
- Let's Do This #1 & 4 by Jeremy Arambulo
- Your Disease Spread Quick by Tom Neely - based on the music of The Melvins
- Hickee #4 by Various
- Mauled #1 by Various
- Gotcha! #1-2 by Pete Friedrich
- Cartoon Dialectics vol. 1 by Tom Kaczynski
- Tear-Stained Makeup #7 and Carl's Large Story #4 by Marcos Perez
- 21st Century Depression Comics #1-2 by Justin Fox
- I Dreamed of You and Mr. Eybyaninch Books 1 & 2 also by Justin Fox
- Reich #5-6 by Elijah Brubaker
- Windy Corner Magazine #2 by Various (edited by Austin English)
- Pinokio #1-2 by Kurt Wolfgang - according to the artist, this is eventually going to be a silent adaptation of the classic children's story.
- Counter Attack #1-2 by Alisa Harris
- Melt Me Comics by Nick Sumida
- Fubar #1-2 by Colin Walton
- The Trial of Sweetie Snake by Steve Seck
- Red Sparrow by Steve Fuentes
- So...Buttons by Jonathan Baylis
- Teatime Part 2 by Stef Lenk
- Dumb Jersey White Boy #4 by Mark McMurray
- Two Pages, Two Comics, One Abstraction: Selections by Derik Badman
- Infandum! #3 by Molly Lawless
- Bury Me Knot by Luisa Fox
- Free Student Anthologies (Inkstains and The Bad and the Beautiful) from the School of Visual Arts
- Free Comic Book Day offerings from NBM, Fantagraphics, DC Vertigo, Adhouse Books and Sparkplug Comics (Bird Hurdler)
That's about it. Despite the heat, it was a truly great show.
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