The Shit Witch – Warmth, Nostalgia and Poop Humour… Lis Xu’s ShortBox Fair Comic Has Got it All!
There are lots of things I wouldn’t want to stand in my way if I were looking for a missing pet. A hoard of chimpanzees for instance. Or that troll…
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In Fair Verona – Val Wise Creates a Twisted World of Tragedy in this ShortBox Comics Fair Offering
“Two households, both alike in dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.” To literary…
The Road – Manu Larcenet’s Abrams Graphic Novel Adaptation is as Harrowing and Unforgettable as Cormac McCarthy’s Novel
There is a little detail on the first page of this graphic adaptation, a blink-and-miss-it silhouette of a man holding a child’s hand. That it says so much is testament…
Aglæca – A Wonderfully Gothic Tale from Mohnfisch
If you’re in the mood for something gothic and gloomy, Aglæca by Mohnfisch will be right up your street. Artist and writer Mohnfisch, aka Michèle Fisch, draws heavy inspiration from…
Hibernation Guide for Rabbits and Hares – L. Adassovsky Gives Us a Cosy Read to Be Treasured
Of the range of comics and zines from the 2024 ShortBox Comics Fair, the art style of Hibernation Guide for Rabbits and Hares grabbed my attention the most. Written by…
Positive Worlds, Negative Spaces – Kristina Stipetic’s Comics Collection Acts as a Print Portfolio for 15 Years of Creativity
Positive Worlds, Negative Spaces presents selected self-published and online comics from the practice of Kristina Stipetic between the years 2010-2024. It’s an interesting project in intent given that it acts…
Story About a Duck – A Delightful Short Comic About Acceptance from Boya Sun
Picture the scene; the full moon illuminates a softly lit forest with mountains in the peripheral, as it transforms from day to night, the remnants of the day’s pink hues…
Aquatic Lives – Pepe Reyes Intricately Imagines What Surviving Underwater Might Look Like in His ShortBox Comics Fair Debut
Haven’t we all wished we could take a glimpse of what life is like under the sea? Pepe Reyes’ ShortBox Comics Fair debut Aquatic Lives is an intricate imagining of…
Coppélia et Swanilda – A Dark Take on a Tale of Mistaken Identity from Hana Chatani and ShortBox Comics Fair
Based on the enchanting ballet Coppélia, Coppélia et Swanilda from this year’s ShortBox Comics Fair is a story focused on protagonist Swanilda, who is suspicious that her fiance’s heart may…
Customer Service Eternity – C A Strike Provides a Hilarious, Deadpan and Mischievous Offering at ShortBox Comics Fair
I was already a fan of C A Strike’s work, having reviewed their lovely minicomic Meryl for Broken Frontier’s upcoming Thought Bubble coverage in November (stay tuned!), so was delighted…
Goodbye Apple Island – ShortBox Comics Fair Offers a Soft, Warm Nostalgia Trip from Artist C.R. Chua to its Readers
One of the offerings from this year’s ShortBox Comics Fair that I was most excited about was Goodbye Apple Island, from artist C.R. Chua. I didn’t know a huge amount…
Nightmare Factory – John Kenn Mortensen’s Melodic Wordplay is Just as Nuanced as His Illustrations in this New Picture Book from Fantagraphics
A pale drummer boy mindlessly plays on as a candle drips wax over his head. A grimy man cocks his trumpet like a gun, the canister on his back ready…
Final Cut – Charles Burns Gives Fabulous New Life to Old Preoccupations
Charles Burns offers his readers no clues. There is no subtitle hinting towards a plot, no description or biography, and nothing to give one an indication of what they are…
Mothballs – Sole Otero’s Vivid Family Saga Highlights the Impact of Generational Trauma
Translated by the fantastic Andrea Rosenberg (of Ocultos and Totem acclaim), Mothballs from Sole Otero and Fantagraphics is set in Buenos Aires in the year 2001. The gorgeous Argentinian landscape…
Robot Archie and the Time Machine – The Cult British Comics Character Gets a Welcome Collection from the Treasury of British Comics
One of the most recognisable of the 1960s line-up of IPC heroes – in part because of his memorable later appearances in Grant Morrison and Steve Yeowell’s Zenith series –…
Kommix – Charles Burns Asks Us to Consider 80 Comics Covers that Never Were in this Haunting Fantagraphics Release
There’s a certain irony in the way a collection of imaginary comics covers can evoke such evocative feelings of nostalgia considering that, obviously, they never existed in the first place….
Memories: Ruins – Sam Hart Takes Us Back to Our Childhoods in this Tale of Family Holidays, Pirates and Angels
There’s something incredibly evocative about the way Sam Hart’s Memories: Ruins captures a universally recognisable period of our lives with its wistful reflection on childhood. A fusion of autobiography and…
PeePee PooPoo #1 – Caroline Cash Reflects on the Pandemic, Tattoos and Poop Doughnuts in Another Excellent Collection of Slice-of-Life Work
Four issues in and Caroline Cash’s PeePee PooPoo finally gets its #1 “first” issue and loses that titular hyphen too. The Broken Frontier Award-winning title from Silver Sprocket continues to…
Broken Frontier Anthology
312 pages • 27 stories • 50 star creators
Limited copies available!Recommended Reads!
Six Small Press Creators to Watch in 2026 – Spotlighting the Work of Daisy Crouch, Francis Todd, Jua OK!, Shri Gunasekara, Skai Campbell AKA Skhoshbell and Yu-Ching ChiuJanuary 15, 2026
Celebrating 2025 – Ten UK Small Press Comics You Need to Own!January 5, 2026
“I Wanted to Change the Narrative as I Believe Comic Art Deserves the Same Respect!” – Dominica Claribelle on Experimentation, Representing Southeast Asian Culture in Her Work, and Her Debut Graphic Novel ‘Finding Home’December 3, 2025
“You Laugh to Keep from Crying” — A Conversation with Pascal Girard and Cathon on Their New Comic Strip Collections ‘Pastimes’ and ‘Fruit Salad’November 19, 2025
“I Think it’s Really Important to Follow Your Dreams!” – Sarah Graley Talks Working on ‘Pizza Witch’ with Stef Purenins and the Pleasures of Rewarding Audience InteractionsNovember 13, 2025