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Eight comic books you need to read before you die
I've never been a comics fan, so I'll pass on reading these. But I figure some of you will be interested in the list. (San Francisco Chronicle)
February 22, 2008 | Permalink
Comments
Well, I've read half of those. Where does that put me on the nerd-o-meter?
Posted by: elchampino | Feb 22, 2008 7:06:57 AM
It should be, eight things to do to get laid before you die.
Posted by: Dbl J | Feb 22, 2008 7:07:41 AM
elchamp is a slacker. I read 6 of these.
Posted by: jupiterjim | Feb 22, 2008 7:10:58 AM
i like comic books ok i guess, and by that i mean i read alot of them when i was a kid. but i really can't stand Frank Miller's cheeseball work, so i've read none of these. In a quick perusal, he was author of at least 2.
Posted by: The_Overdog | Feb 22, 2008 7:19:04 AM
Never read a comic book in my life. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems like a "guy thing". I have seen plenty of movies based off comic books and liked them however.
Posted by: Cherie | Feb 22, 2008 7:22:40 AM
When I used to collect baseball cards I would buy comics sometimes hoping they'd be worth something one day. Never read one of them. I'm sure they're still worth whatever I bought them for too.
Posted by: G-Man | Feb 22, 2008 7:23:41 AM
Cherie, I've never read a comic book either.
Posted by: Lois Lane | Feb 22, 2008 7:25:52 AM
Guilty as charged, jupiterjim :)
Cherie - You might want to try some of the independent/alternative comics, which are more about real life than costumes and capes. 'Persepolis' is supposed to be great, and has a female author.
But you're right - most comic book shops and are sausage-fests.
Posted by: elchampino | Feb 22, 2008 7:30:37 AM
el champ is correct. Nothing more annoying than taking your spouse/girlfriend to a comic book shop and having its workers pause and having a wave of silence overcome the store. The next thing that would most likely happen would be someone muttering "boobies" and they all start to giggle
Posted by: jupiterjim | Feb 22, 2008 7:34:19 AM
I think I've read 4 of them (I've read some Sandman, but I don't know if I read that volume or not). And I'm female.
I would agree about independents; they aren't all "tights & capes;" a lot of them have strong fantasy elements (Aria, Elfquest, Castle Waiting are 3 of my favs); and some are serious. Persepolis is an auto-biographical tale (being made into a movie, I think), and Maus I & II is a moving tale of survival in the Holocaust as depicted by the man's son.
Posted by: Dee | Feb 22, 2008 7:36:34 AM
move into the big city, JJ & el champ. :-P The only people staring at me are 10 year old boys who have just all the coolness sucked out of reading comics. And while I was in a distinct minority at the last con I went to, I certainly wasn't gawked at!
Or maybe I just know the better comic shops...
Posted by: Dee | Feb 22, 2008 7:39:25 AM
No spiderman? C'mon, he's the best super hereo ever.
Posted by: lawdog | Feb 22, 2008 7:54:31 AM
Harvey Pekar all the way.
Posted by: vksjk | Feb 22, 2008 8:00:30 AM
I wish we had good shops around here. Until Hurricane Francis gave our roof a haircut I used an online service that rocked. Great service, good discounts and you got what you ordered. The shops here in FL (as well as CT) use what I call "lets use your order list to speculate" where you order something three months in advance, it arrives at the shop and the owner puts your copy on the shelf marked up 100% plus. and you never get yours because they didnt order enough of a hot item. The nearest shop to me actually charges kids for comics on free comic day. My online service sent me a boat load for free and I gave them out at Halloween. I can't really see comics lasting much longer. Too pricey and they really dont aim for kids. That and the last few comic based movies have really been eh....
Posted by: jupiterjim | Feb 22, 2008 8:04:45 AM
I agree about the changing industry, jupiterjim. As it I don't buy comics anymore, individual issues are too expensive (and I'm a grown up with a salary) - a few times a year, I'll buy a couple of the best graphic novels I can find, but that's about it.
As for the stores - I like going to stores. Most of the workers/other patrons there are more than willing to geek out with you about the typical fanboy debates - Moore or Miller? DC or Marvel? Etc.
But the prospect of finding a date at one of these stores is slim to none, at least at the stores I've been to.
Hey Dee, do you have any hot, comic book reading gal pals in the DC area?
Posted by: elchampino | Feb 22, 2008 8:18:29 AM
I didn't read the article. Why only these eight?
Some great stuff there, but kind of a mainstream slant. Some of the selections also, while wonderfully written, are marred by pedestrian artwork. Good to see Dave Mazuchelli on the list, by the way, but I prefer his self-published Rubber Blanket.
If we're talking essential stuff, I personally would lean more towards the independent stuff. Jim Woodring's work (Frank, Jim, Tantalizing Stories) should be at the top of the list. Also Daniel Clowes' Eightball (from whence Ghost World and Art School Confidential came) and Chester Brown's Yummy Fur (soon to be a film) should be on the essential reading list.
Posted by: Dave | Feb 22, 2008 8:19:56 AM
I skimmed the list, and when I didn't see "We3" on it, I knew it was a load of bollocks.
Posted by: Howie Feltersnatch | Feb 22, 2008 8:25:48 AM
Also, if we're talking Alan Moore, I would've chosen From Hell over Watchmen or Swamp Thing.
Posted by: Dave | Feb 22, 2008 8:26:57 AM
What is this crap?
The 8 comic books you *should* read are
1) HOWARD THE DUCK (forget the abomination that George Lucas perpetrated, read the comic book)
2)REID FLEMING, WORLD'S TOUGHEST MILKMAN!
3) Anything whatever you can find by Vaughn Bode (you'll have to buy a ton of ancient NatLamps 1971 and 1975 to get the Cheech Wizard series). No knock on his kid Mark, but Vaughn was the one true genius.
4) Idyll by Jeff Jones
5) "I paint what I see, child" Gahan Wilson
6) Trots and Bonnie by Shary Flenniken
7) The Cartoon History of the Universe by Larry Gonick (and everything else he ever wrote)
8) Little Annie Fanny by Harvey Kurtzman and Will Elder (other artist contributed)--call me old fasioned I like naked ladies in satire.
Posted by: nellagain | Feb 22, 2008 8:31:41 AM
And EDMUND GOREY (Anything whatever, but perhaps the "The Curious Sofa" and "The Gashleycrumb Tinyies" if you are short on time.
Posted by: nellagain | Feb 22, 2008 8:34:06 AM
I've only read three. I'm boycotting the list, they did not include Hellblazer.
*miffed*
Posted by: LooseyGoosey | Feb 22, 2008 8:40:25 AM
Cherie - not just a guy thing. I hated them because I don't do "super heroes"... until a friend turned me on to Gaiman's Sandman. Then I found Hellblazer, Swamp Thing, Watchmen... and a host of other wonderful 'anti-hero' books in the Vertigo line. There is some really good literature, although it's a bit hard to switch to reading the picture & text format.
I'm not currently reading comics, but I'll make sure my son reads them as he grows up - Small Boy Friendly ones at first, then I'll introduce him to Mama's favorite darker titles.
Posted by: LooseyGoosey | Feb 22, 2008 8:42:59 AM
vksjk
Harvey Pekar - I saw him on television the other day.
Posted by: Nicole | Feb 22, 2008 8:46:32 AM
NellAgain, I've already proposed to Soo. But I've changed my mind. Would you consider...?
Posted by: Dave | Feb 22, 2008 8:51:19 AM
I read "Sandman," "Daredevil," "Watchmen," and "Dark Knight," so I guess that makes me 5/8 of a geek.
I also wondered why "Persepolis" didn't make the "Must read" list. It's fantastic and a lot more female-friendly than the other graphic novels on the list.
"Maus" also should have been on the list.
Posted by: Phranqlin | Feb 22, 2008 8:51:57 AM
