Just read Black Hole by Charles Burns. REALLY enjoyed every second of it.
Got this shelves, but read it so long ago, barely remember anything, except like the style of drawing.
Some recent reading:
Beyond couple swedish translations published decade ago, probably pretty much unknown artists outside Finland ( I assume!) :
Tiitu Takalo . Got her latest graphic novel recently, which is also published in English, so worth to mention.
https://www.amazon.com/Me-Mikko-Annikki-Community-Finnish/dp/1623173604/I read the Finnish version.
I have followed Tiitu's work since very early days when it was editing 'zines. As contemporary feminist comic artists, with punk & underground background, there is very strong ideological drive in most of things she does, but instead of that being the reason to success, I think it is actual merits that count in her case. First of all, excellent skills in drawing, especially human figures and facial expressions. She is also good in telling stories. Ideological motivations are pretty much always there, but like this new book, writing goes from ice age geological transformations, to history, and finally to level of author's autobiographical work. Involving artists life, human relationships, etc. Everything is tied together in nice way and also drawing style varies depending on chapter, it's theme etc. So anyone into feminism, punk, squatting, working class struggle, ecologo, localism, collective living, etc will probably relate to book easily. My only doubts is how the store opens to foreigners who know zero things about Tampere as city and Finnish history or culture in general.
Artists website offers some galleries :
http://www.tiitutakalo.net/galleries.htmFrom completely different, I was amazed to see
Shintaro Kago stuff has started to appear as English versions.
DEMENTIA 21 by Fantagraphics and
Super-Dimensional Love Gun by Denpa books. Latter one is better of these, but unfortunately neither of them are best of Kago's works! Of course one can't complain if you get at least some Kago in English, but comparing to many Japanese books I have from him, they have both vastly better illustrations and stories seem to be vastly more fierce. Grotesque, absurd, and often high level of scatology - something that almost defines Kago's career, and is pretty much absent in these translated works.
What's up western publishers? Can't handle scatological interests? I demand the most obscure Shintaro Kago in English so instead looking at pics, would know what stories are about!
I guess he is quite infamous globally:
Simon Hanselmann. New book "Bad Gateway" continues pretty much exactly what he is known for. Bizarre and odd stories involving heavy usage of various kinds of drugs. Colorful and naivistic drawing style and bizarre, stories and dialogue that probably either hits or misses depending on reader.
