Top Ten Mini-Comics of 2008
Man, what a year. Personally, this was an eventful year that both good and bad made me grow as a person. I’m not sure I want to repeat this kind of year again, but I have to admit that I’m better for it. I’m hopeful. Globally and nationally, I’d say the same thing applies - good and bad events of epic proportions - yet we’re still standing and dare I say it, hopeful. Here’s to growth and moving on to 2009.

But before we move on, there are the mini-comics of 2008. I didn’t read as many mini-comics this year as in years past. I didn’t go to MoCCA, SPX, or APE. For the first three quarters of the year, I only reviewed minis sporadically. Still, a ton of mini-comics found their way to the SIZE MATTERS office. I’ve read a stack that I haven’t reviewed yet and there are still several minis in the review pile that I haven’t opened. But when I think back over the year, there are several minis that stand out. Here, in no particular order, are the ten minis that I enjoyed the most in 2008.

Jessica by Jason Overby I hadn’t heard of Jason before this year, but I really, really dig his style and fresh way of communicating with the reader. I don’t think you can get any copies of Jessica, but SOLIPSIST'S DOODLES should still be available from Jason’s blog.

Wigger Haircut by Zach Hazard Vaupen Same thing with Zach. Who the hell is this guy? I enjoyed Wigger Haircut and The Diary of Lisa Frank, but the former gets the nod here because of Zach’s use of color.

Shitbeams on the Loose by Various Artists through Tender Loving Empire was a standout anthology in 2008. House Party by Lane Milburn Everything looks good from ClosedCaption Comics, but I really loved Lane’s House Party.

Nurse Nurse 2 by Katie Skelly I love Nurse Nurse! What a great character. Katie’s playful and sexy style perfectly suits this interplanetary story of a nurse/hero/adventurer. The Legend of Countess Saddenbrau is nothing to sneeze at either.

Selected Comics by James McShane

Over the last few years I’ve always made sure to grab James McShane’s tiny books masquerading as mini-comics. His cramped one panel pages are glued into an impossibly thick binding and they make irresistible objects. Now, James has published a larger format mini that collects selected minis from the period 2003 to 2008. Here are a few images from James’ blog that show the format.
Are You Man Enough by Phil McAndrew A felt mustache on the cover and a 5-page drum solo within? Yeah, that’s a 10 Best Mini.

Rabbit Shadows by Jason Viola

I haven’t reviewed this yet, but it’s a beautiful little mini-comic. Each page features one panel of gorgeously shaded and crosshatched art. Rabbit Shadows is the story of a rabbit mired in the day to day routine of work and TV. Suddenly, while walking, he discovers his shadow and begins to interact with and manipulate it. Jason’s mini clocks in at 44 pages for only $3 and it has a striking brown cover with a Rabbit Shadows sticker pasted in the upper center.

Tegne Issue Two by Various Artists I discovered Tegne through David Birchall (Extricate)

There’s too much going on inside this densely packed collaboration to mention here, but look for a full review in a few weeks.

My Life in Records by Grant Thomas This is still in the review stack, but I’ve enjoyed reading it and can’t wait to share some images with you next week. Stand by for a review of this during Christmas week.

That’s it, the ten mini-comics that stood out for me in 2008. Please give these folks some love and consider purchasing their work. If you are reading this and you read SIZE MATTERS regularly, thank you for sticking around. I’m so grateful that there are people out there who love making mini-comics and I’m grateful that you love to read them.

Have a wonderful holiday, travel safe, and take care of each other. Kate, Chloe, and I are off to Michigan for Christmas this year. I’ll probably squeeze a review of My Life in Records in next week, but other than that the SIZE MATTERS offices will be shut down for the holidays.

Peace, Cheers, and Best Wishes!

Wigger Haircut and The Diary of Lisa Frank by Zach Hazard Vaupen Wigger Haircut #1 is subtitled “The House that Ska Built.” Joe and Jim discover an obscenely large mansion and Jim tells Joe the house is owned by some guy who got paid tons of money after being discovered skanking at shows. They go to a show at the mansion and Jim instantly takes a dislike to the owner. He tags the mansion and then wakes up the next morning to find his own house tagged by the owner of the mansion. Meanwhile Joe tries to decide whether or not to dump his long distance girlfriend.

This sounds pretty pedestrian, but it’s standard mini-comic fare that obviously means something to the artist. What interests me in Zach’s work is the art. He has an instantly likable style, for me anyway, that lands somewhere in the middle of Frank Santoro’s Cold Heat work and C.F. ‘s style of figure drawing, just a little more thickly lined in this mini. In Wigger Haircut, Zach uses a bright fuschia color that gives the pages a manic, overwhelming atmosphere. Backgrounds are either absent or simple representations. Word balloons are haphazardly placed, but never confusing. The overall effect is one that matches the tone of the story – rushed at times, perplexing, and vital – just like life feels sometimes. You can check out Zach’s work at his blog or Flickr pages. The Diary of Lisa Frank is a 12-page large format mini-comic with eye catching silkscreen covers. Twelve-year old Lisa Frank, who at one point goes to the attic to channel her Grandma Anne, keeps running into a strange guy who works for Mad Magazine and admires her drawings of ponies. After poking through Lisa’s diary and discovering references to a “strange man,” her mother thinks that Lisa has been molested and sends her to a psychiatrist.

Throughout Diary, Zach sprinkles snippets of Lisa’s diary pages on the page: “Dear Diary, PONYS ARE FUCKING AWESOME! i hope Mom doesn’t READ this.” The art in this mini is much lighter than Wigger Haircut.” Zach doesn’t use huge swaths of color, just thinly sketched figures against minimal backgrounds. Occasionally, a character will turn their heads quickly or move unexpectedly and Zach will superimpose the character’s face in a slightly different position overlapping the first face and the third face. It’s a nice touch that lends a sense of movement and uncertainty. Grab your copy of The Diary of Lisa Frank at Zach’s blog. It will set you back $5.