Boyish girl Max and girly boy Lily crack wise on anything and everything in their comic strips by Kris Dresen. The newer ones that ran online (link no longer available) are three horizontal panels, while the ones I started reading, originally in print collections, are based on a 12-panel grid. These two good friends (who would be awfully neat people to meet) discuss current events, including society’s skewed priorities, sexuality, politics, and perceptions, as well as their personal lives. The […]

Rachel Hartman’s Amy Unbounded is one of the most charming series in comics. Amy is an imaginative, rambunctious nine-year-old, the daughter of a weaver and a barbarian ex-warrior clockbuilder living in the queendom of Goredd. Until now, she’s been independent, but as she becomes aware that she’s growing up, she has hints that becoming an adult might not be a completely pleasant experience. Previously, she’d get carried away in her fantasies about living lives more interesting than her own. Although […]

Jen Sorensen is deeply concerned about the mismatch between the crazy behavior we’ve come to accept as normal and what America should stand for. She’s mad about the distractions government serves up in lieu of handling real problems. She’s disturbed by how odd our popular culture can be. So she draws cartoons, because making fun is her catharsis. Her primary warning is that “fighting terrorism” should not be a blanket “get out of jail free” card. We need to examine […]

In his introduction, Mark Schultz places this original full-color graphic novel firmly in the thoughtful adventure tradition, where exciting heroes engage in daring action that tests their core values. It’s a good analysis. Van Meach, a normal man with extraordinary abilities, was created as part of a cold war CIA program. His body is able to adapt as needed to extreme situations, so he can survive any environment by growing gills or changing his cell structure subconsciously. Now he’s a […]

This collection of weekly alternative newspaper strips by Jen Sorensen won the Xeric Grant. The name “Slowpoke” comes from an appreciation of the need to slow down to appreciate life. Slowpokes, according to the author, “value quality over quickness” and so don’t always fit into the modern world. The four-panel strips elaborate on that theme, whether presenting personal character insights or larger cultural commentary. Café Pompous is, of course, located at the corner of Malaise and Ennui. The strips deal […]