The Ones That Fell From The Vine

There are lots of good comics out there. Award winning graphic novels like From Hell, Maus and Sandman. There are even plenty of innovative ongoing monthly titles like Saga, Lumberjanes and Paper Girls.

Those books get plenty of well deserved attention in the comics world and their creators have lots of awards sitting on their mantles. And they should. They've made some great comics.

There are, however, some other comics out there that deserve our attention. Comics that will never win any awards. Comics by creators whose names we'll probably never hear in a favorable review.

But these comics tickle a spot deep within me that no National Book Award winner ever could.

These are comics so weird and offbeat, comics by amateur writers and artists clearly working without the hindrance of an editor... comics that are pure rabid creativity and unchecked passion for a medium not yet mastered.

And, luckily for us all, I have a ton of them.

Usually when I go to a comic book convention the first thing I do is plunge into the dollar boxes looking for these peculiar gems. Books like Dark Assassin and The One-Arm Swordsman (the two background images on this blog) that never fail to fill me with joy upon unearthing one.

So, why don't you join me in paying respect to these malformed masterpieces that have slipped through the cracks for months, years, or even decades?

Who knows, the next time you're at a comics convention you just might find yourself scouring the dollar bins. Not to look for an under priced first appearance... not to look for that issue of Batman you need to finish a story line... but for something... a bit more bewildering.