Summer of Minis 2010 – Part II

(Continuing my look at the minis I’ve been reading from this summer’s comics events. Earlier installment(s): Part I)

33 Beasties – Drew Weing

This fantastic little book combines two things I dig: Drew Weing’s art and bestiaries. Each page here features a different beast and the centerfold page folds out to a full 8.5 x 11 in “mini poster.” If you’ve just gotten hip to Drew’s work via his amazing Set to Sea from Fantagraphics,  I definitely recommend tracking down his minis. There’re a ton of them out there. You can find a few for sale here, but for 33 Beasties, you’ll have to track him down at a convention.

Robot Teenager Goes to a Barn Show – Chris Schweizer

Guess what the premise of this mini is? You’re right: A robot teenager goes to see a band playing in a barn. Chris Schweizer is a cartoonist who seems to have appeared on the scene “fully-formed” and doing his great historically-themed Crogan series. This mini is a rare chance to see him working with more everyday situations–albeit, one with a robotic teenager. As far as I can tell, you can’t purchase these from his site, so you’ll just have to pester him in person. (That pink brain is showing through a die cut hole in the cover–cool!)

Everyday – Joe Lambert

If you don’t know Joe Lambert’s work, you need to get hip, daddy-O.  For starters, feast your eyes on this photoset. Everyday is maybe a close second to my absolute favorite mini from Joe Lambert, Food/Fall.  Everyday depicts seven days that all begin the same–with a couple of roughhousing kids kicked outside by their mom. Each day’s end though, is different–and each is as surreal and celestial as you’d expect if you’ve read any of his other work. One thing that really stood out to me when I read this was some of the really cool stuff Joe’s done with the typography that begins each day’s adventure.

You can get Everyday (and Food/Fall as well) here.

Dharbin #2 – Dustin Harbin

I picked up Dustin’s great-looking new Diary Comics as well this summer, but I think I’m partial to his Dharbin series. I’d actually read most of this stuff on his website (and you can too) but I really like having a physical copy of it.  The pieces in here are thematically pretty scatter-shot, but I really like that; it reminds me of the bygone days of the “one man anthology” a la Eightball. These pieces are a bit more polished than his diary stuff and you can really dig in and admire Dustin’s formidable skills with the dip pen. This mini includes the “Warren Ellis: King of the Internet” strip that was making the rounds a while back.

You can purchase Dharbin #2 here.

A Rabbit in King Arthur’s Food Court – Josh Latta

I don’t think I’m going out on a limb when I say that most animators that try to make comics don’t do so very well.  Josh is the exception to the rule. His background in animation really shows through in things like character design, great gestures/expressions, and a wonderful sense of timing–and it all works great on the printed page.  In this latest installment of the Rashy Rabbit series (the 6th, I think, if you count the first one that’s called something other than Rashy Rabbit) Rashy is working in one of those dopey medieval-themed restaurants. The story’s typically madcap and involves a van full of purloined dope, gangsters trying to retrieve said dope, and a big potential life change for Rashy at the very end.

You can buy it here.