Here are some books and comics that I’ve recently enjoyed. I’m not writing reviews anymore–just vainly posting about stuff I like.

Two East Bay Area comics stalwarts here! A true joy to see Andy Hartzell’s Monday completed. He started this story a couple decades ago with a few minicomics, set it aside, and then came back to complete it during pandemic lockdown. And any new comic from Eric Haven is an unexpected gift of hilarity. Both brilliant artists who a better world would elevate.

I look forward to every new issue of Thomas Campbell’s Comics Blogger. This one has a thoughtful interview with Michael Deforge and tons of reviews of avant garde publications that I hadn’t heard of and will now seek out. Before After by Tana Oshima defies my ability to describe but checks the crucial boxes of interesting, unique, and challenging. She’s not an artist I’ve seen much from, but between this book and an entertaining interview on Miami Review of Comics podcast I’m determined to seek out more of her work.

I’m 66% through my leisurely re-read of the first 50 issues of Love & Rockets. Smack in the middle of Wigwam Bam and Poison River. Just as mind-blowing as ever.

Maybe it is old age that I am now doing all this re-reading? Anyway, le Carré’s Karla trilogy is a real comfort re-read, done under a heavy blanket with a cup of tea, to restore life after long day enduring our contemporary horrors.

Not a cover-to-cover read but I love a good field guide and this one is intensely thorough, packed with detailed photos, and encouraging me to get out there and poke around in the dirt.

That’s all I got for now. Not sure how often I’ll do this, if ever again. Just keeping the blog machinery going.