It’s payday for many today! So why not splash out in celebration by treating yourself to some fantastic comics material from the worlds of self and micropublishing? Here’s eight recommended and available small press books covered in ‘Small Pressganged’ in the recent past that you may have overlooked…
Hotel World
Becca Tobin’s bizarre fantasy one-shot set in a dystopian future after society has collapsed and a sprawling corporate hotel-centred civilisation has sprung up in its wake. Published by Comic Book Slumber Party.
Small Pressganged review here
Small Pressganged soundbite: “There’s a distinctive appeal in the way in which Tobin integrates dark humour with vibrant hues – the mildly menacing and the borderline malignant dressed up in a hallucinogenic swirl of colour.”
Buy copies online here priced £6.00
Lovers Only #1
The risographed romance comics anthology spotlighting tales of teen love by creators Mickey Zacchilli, Cathy G. Johnson and Sophia Foster-Dimino. Published by Youth in Decline and Price Tapes it contains three tales of young female protagonists realising their feelings for other women in an often hostile, heteronormative environment.
Small Pressganged review here
Small Pressganged soundbite: “Lovers Only is not so much a subverting of those twee, melodramatic and saccharine romance comics of yesteryear but a reclaiming and reappropriation of them as something relatable, relevant and vital.”
Buy copies online here priced $5.95
Hangover Farm
Danny Noble’s tale of three slackers living a life of reckless abandon is both painfully funny and touchingly poignant. If you’re only aware of her work from the far more overtly comedic Was it… Too Much for You? or Monday Morning then Hangover Farm will open your eyes to the true versatility of her storytelling.
Small Pressganged review here
Small Pressganged soundbite: “Acutely observed and painfully funny, there’s an emotional complexity to Hangover Farm that is proof positive that Noble’s repertoire consists of far, far more than simply jokes about knobs, booze and passing out.”
Buy copies online here for just £4.00 for 50-ish pages
Miseryland
Keiler Roberts’s beautifully observed piece of autobio focuses on her relationship with her young daughter Xia in a series of seemingly isolated, snapshot moments that coalesce into a greater narrative whole.
Small Pressganged review here
Small Pressganged soundbite: “This is autobiographical comics at their absorbing best – frank, blunt and forthright on the one hand but engaging, inspiring and utterly genuine on the other. A standout offering for those who love accessible slice-of-life comics work.”
Buy copies online here priced $10.00
Reads
Possibly Avery Hill Publishing’s most overlooked project, the anthology Reads is a fantastically eclectic collection of one-offs and serials. Join creators EdieOP, Owen D. Pomery, Tim Bird, Ricky Miller, Luke J. Halsall and cover artist Eleni Kalorkoti as they chronicle the life of Alfred Hitchcock, the inner workings of a fictional but recognisable comics company, the misadventures of a group of drunken 19th century scientific explorers, and introduce a cute but sinister childhood friend. You can buy a discounted bundle of all three issues to date from the AHP store.
Small Pressganged review here
Small Pressganged soundbite: “An essential platform for a healthy representation of the creative voices that make up the AHP stable, and a true testament to the continuing evolution of this important micropublishing presence on the UK scene.”
Buy copies online here
Vortex
William Cardini’s tale of the twisting realms of the Hyperverse follows the cosmic wizard the Miizzzard on his quest to release a community of sentient super-weapons known as the Vortex from their creators, the Empire of Tolx. Cardini creates a melting fictional reality with its own mesmerising internal logic.
Small Pressganged review here
Small Pressganged soundbite: “Kirby in terms of concepts, Ditko in the sheer otherness of its confines, and yet quite unlike either in delivery, Vortex is a mesmerising conceptual triumph. This is a book that will buckle and warp your perceptions.”
Buy copies online here
A Bit of Undigested Potato
Editor Keara Stewart’s “dreams and nightmares” anthology is a zine-like collection of comic strips along with single page illustrations. An incredible synthesis of some of the top movers and shakers of UK indie comics alongside brand new names the line-up of creators documenting their slumbertime fantasies includes Karrie Fransman, Danny Noble, Rozi Hathaway (all below) alongside the likes of Gareth Brookes, Andy Poyiadgi, SJ Harris, Rachael Ball, Kim Clements, EdieOP, Wallis Eates, Ruth Collingwood, Matilda Tristram, Alex Potts, Mike Medaglia and many more.
Small Pressganged review here
Small Pressganged soundbite: “Not just a testament to the strength of UK small press comics A Bit of Undigested Potato is also a celebration of UK small press comics community.”
Buy copies online here
Baggywrinkles
The Baggywrinkles collection hasn’t actually been published yet but the Kickstarter blazed through its target within a couple of days and there’s still plenty of time to back this compilation of Lucy Bellwood’s infectiously enthusiastic minicomics about her love for the world of tall ships. Read my interview with Lucy here at Broken Frontier.
Small Pressganged review of the original minicomics here
Small Pressganged soundbite: “We all know that comics as a medium have a unique facility for sharing and communicating personal experience with their readership but you’ll find few series that do it with such a sheer and unremitting sense of joy than Lucy Bellwood’s Baggywrinkles.”
Back the Kickstarter here
For regular updates on all things small press follow Andy Oliver on Twitter here.
[…] Minicomics | Andy Oliver suggests eight worthy minicomics to spend your hard-earned paycheck on. [Broken Frontier] […]