Issue Description

The latest issue of the recently revamped magazine turns its attention to one of the greatest cartoonists of the 20th century: the legendary William Steig, creator of Shrek! Since 1930, Steig produced over 1,600 cartoons and 117 covers for The New Yorker. The tribute to Steig opens with a critical essay by Donald Phelps, and includes an historical essay as well as short tributes from his peers and fellow cartoonists and a gallery of Steig's most significant work. This issue also features an interview with the cartoonist Eric Shanower, creator of the Image series Age of Bronze, conducted by Managing Editor Dirk Deppey. The comic strip reprint this issue is Garret Price's rarely seen, critically lauded White Boy — 35 Sunday pages printed in full color! A profile of cult-favorite British cartoonist Chris Reynolds, written by famed graphic novelist Seth! Add in acerbic industry commentary and the celebrated news and critical coverage that has won the magazine countless awards, and you've got another fine issue of the most essential magazine about comics available today.

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