Issue Description

Acclaimed Mage and Grendel creator Matt Wagner receives his first substantial, heavily-illustrated, career-spanning interview in January 1994's Comics Journal. Only here will you find out the whys and hows of Wagner's success — from his first Comico Primer work to feature projects such as Doctor Mid-Nite and... Mage II?!? You've met Tom Tomorrow through his strip This Modern World — which appears in alternative weeklies throughout America — but you haven't really gotten to know him until you've read him interviewed by Journal editor Gary Groth. Plus, meet the artist who drew the critically-acclaimed Kings in Disguise comic book for Kitchen Sink Press, Dan Burr; his sketchbook appears in this issue, with a selection of images both profound and witty. And as usual, The Comics Journal features virtually the only investigative news source in comic books; the only critical, in-depth reviews; the controversial letters column "Blood and Thunder"; and "Hit List" and "Cool Comics Shops," the guide to the best comics and comic shops out there.

The Comics Journal (1976)

Publisher

Fantagraphics

Volume Description

The Comics Journal is a magazine that covers the comics medium from an arts-first perspective, and one of the nation's most respected single-arts magazines, providing its readers with an eclectic mix of industry news, commentary, professional interviews, classic comics sections and reviews of current work on a regular basis. Due to its reputation as the American magazine with an interest in comics as an art form, the Journal has subscribers worldwide, and in this country serves as an important window into the world of comics for several general arts and news magazines.

Despite a contentious relationship with the rest of the North American comics industry, due in no small part to its investigative news stories and uncompromising review section, the Journal has won several industry awards, most notably the Utne Reader, Eisner and Harvey trophies.

In October 2009, we announced the next phase of the evolution of The Comics Journal, beginning in 2010 as a uniquely sized and formatted, evocatively visual and tactile semi-annual event, with expanded content at The Comics Journal website TCJ.com.

A comics magazine, which originally began as the New Nostalgia Journal, started in 1976 by Gary Groth and Mike Catron after the Nostalgia Journal (which ran 26 issues) lost their battle against the competing adzine, The Buyer's Guide. Gary and Mike, both in their twenties, had no plan, but somehow convinced the maker of the Nostalgia Journal to give them the paper.

As Gary Groth recalls:

I can’t remember how we talked them into this, but I suspect they were on their last legs and decided to hell with it, let’s give it to these two kids. Shortly thereafter, a box arrived in the mail with some back issues, a list of advertisers and a mailing list, and we were the proud new owners of Journal.

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Status: Not in Collection