Best comics / publications of 2017
This last year at Gridlords we didn’t make a 2016 Best of the Year post. The four of us all had various life alterations, things pulling us in other directions and time was thin. There certainly was a heavy amount of great books in 2016 and we regret not shining light on them.
We were maybe not going to put the time in this year either, but I, “the Sean part” of Gridlords, am inspired. I perused the other lists online, at first for the general selfish reasons, i.e. "Did my little graphic novel get in anywhere?" and "Did any Gridlords books get praise?" (Our own Dylan Jones got mention is the Best American comics anthology)
Everyone's lists I saw were nearly identical: almost no self-published material on any of the lists, and even small press had almost no representation.
In the worst case I saw Vice's list. I shouldn't have even looked. It's my assumption that the comics “editor” of Vice is insecure and deflecting the reality that they are a slow reader or read little at all despite working for a magazine. It could also be that their reputation has caught up with them and they are not getting comics submitted to them so often anymore, so all that are listed are those few alumni that parted on good terms and a few superhero rags of old. I doubt they go out of their way for material past what is put under their noses for free.
Either way leave it to them to be needlessly offensive with their defensive personalities. Calling them anything else would only get them off. Boring.
This brought me to remember what it's all about for Gridlords. We like to show love for all the great artists out there doing their own thing and making wild beauty and throwing the cookie cutter out the window. We like artists who make passionate works that are personal and aren’t looking for some commercial responsibility. We at Gridlords also like to shine a light on exciting work that maybe didn’t make much noise beyond its home origin or didn’t have a print run of more than 10 and we got lucky and nabbed one.
I am not solely covering comics and never have in previous years as comics isn't solely what Gridlords is about. Some are art books, zines, and art objects and an occasional music release that if you look into it you’ll see it all makes sense. But I’ll start with comics just to correct the wrong of Vice. A side note: there are so many publications from 2017 that I wish I'd gotten my hands on that I haven’t yet. These are the best of what I got.
I implore that you copy and search for these artists for future releases and get what you can of these. Many are online via the various channels. Support those you love.
- Jazz comics - Jason T. Miles (goat comics)
- Marcie is still worried - Liz Yerby (self published)
- Sleepy thoughts (words and drawings forced out before sleep. Never intended to be seen by other eyes) all 5 issues - Spencer Scudder (self published)
- Drifter - Anna Haifisch (perfectly acceptable press)
- Farmer Ned’s Comics Barn - Gerald Jablonski (FU comics)
- Wet Earth - Lala Albert (Sonatina)
- Tears of the Toad - Nick Norman (self published)
- Journal of Smack - Andrea Lukic (I don't have issue 1 and if any of you have an extra or know where I can get one let me know :) )
- Ne’er - Do - Wellers - by Mark Beyer
- Cecil’s Riddles - Jason Murphy (STiLLiFE)
- Easy Rider - Jaakko Pallasvuo
- Wrestling - Johanna’s comics (Colorama)
- Gaylord Pheonix 7&8 - Edie Fake (Perfectly Acceptable / Pegacorn Press)
- Mr. Colostomy - Matthew Thurber (self published)
- Locals only - Ian Sundahl (self published)
- Art comic issues 4&5 - Matthew Thurber
- Super Towers - edited by Vincent Fritz (self published)
- Give and take - Milena Bassen (Colorama)
- The Nearest Sea - Scott Longo
- Town - Chou Yi (self Published)
- Garbage Can Faerie - Wure (Bred Press)
- Songy of Paradise - Gary Panter (Fantagraphics)
- Freakers unltd issue 3 vol1 (Ddoogg)
- Held - Spencer Scudder (self Published)
- Should I enjoy my life or not - Jon Michael Frank (self published)
- Tack Piano Heaven one - Christopher Adams (self published)
- Spine - Noel Friebert (Bred Press)
- An Exorcism - Theo Ellsworth (Kus)
- Soft city - Hariton Pushwagner
- The whole year subscription from Ron Rege! Absolute delight!!! Especially reprints of Andy Remembers. (self published)
Susias - a screen printed art anthology of Queer, Latinx, and womxn artists curated by Chloe Perkis
Cragslist Free - an art zine of cragslist free photos curated with a mindful eye by Maura Campbell Balkits
Suburban Lawns - collected print material about the band by artist Justine Reyes (a brilliant zine publisher making some if the best stuff)
Bathtime - art by Brie Moreno
Life is a fucking scam - an anxiety freakout zine by Karissa Sakumoto
Yung Zine volume #1 issues 1-6 2013-2015 by Kenna Jean (love these so much)
Best is man’s breath quality - book made of performance by Sara Magenheimer. (A real inspiration)
Love wins (2017 issue un-numbered. Tim Goodyear writes a letter in it that got me in tears and Jason Miles’s art is really phenomenal & life affirming here)
Sleep Walk - Yasuke Nagaoka (so beautiful)
Cafe Avatar - essay & graphic art by Sonnenzommer, Nick Butcher & Nadine Nakanishi with Perfectly Acceptable Press (super thoughtful with breathtaking print)
Reference Material - Lasse Wandschneider ( a dreamy collection of Lasse’s hand in pencil)
Eat me to become you - Jeffrey Kriksciun published with Slow Editions (one of my favorite pink art zines ever)
Vanity of Vanities, all is vanity - Adrienne Kammerer published with Color Code. (One of my new favorite glamorous artists and one of my favorite ever publications)
Visions of the Future - Stefhany Y. Lozano publushed by Colorama (I still can’t believe this is real!)
Accursed - Daria Tessler published with Perfectly Acceptable press (easily one of the most insane print productions of the year. Bells on spine/die-cut metallic ink cover/ riso multi-color madness)
Kat Rose untitled hand drawn & colored zine edition of 1 each (cutest ever)
Raw Velocity - Matt Lock published with Woodchips Books ( tattered futurism, an incredible ride)
Broken Trash Angel - x by Wure published by Justine Reyes (yes the same one who made the Suburban Lawns zine I KNoW INCREDIBLE!!!)
Nezha was here - Yusuke Nagaoka (delicious art)
Eileen Chavez - untitled comics & painting sketchbook collection. (A real dream!)
Out The Window - by Jess Scott ( million drawings in Jess’s hand busting through and occasionally lounging in windows. A real passionate inspiration to take control of one’s life)
Okay these 2 are from 2016 but are important art books!!!
Suellen Rocca - retrospective via Mathew Marks Gallary (I am madly in love with her work. So madly!)
The Drawings of Susan te Kahurangi King - published with the Institute of Contemporary Art Miami (got some words from Gary Panter about Susan’s great work)
some music that has ties to visual art I love:
https://room40.bandcamp.com/album/raft
