#Alternative/Indie Comics

[savage-kult-of-gorthaur]

THE FACES, FIGURES, & FASHION STYLES OF ALTERNATIVE COMICS -- VERTIGO BRANCH.

PIC(S) INFO: Resolution at 1500x2266 -- Spotlight on textless & published cover art to "The Invisibles" Vol. 2 #1. February, 1997. Vertigo (an imprint of DC Comics). Artwork by Brian Bolland.

Roll call -- L to R: Jack Frost, Lord Fanny, Boy, Ragged Robin, & King Mob.

Source: http://sardinianconnection.blogspot.com/2012/11/brian-bolland-interview.html.

[urban-lad]

ᴊᴀɪᴍᴇ ʜᴇʀɴᴀɴᴅᴇᴢ Artwork - 1987 - for Love & Rockets No. 24.

[crownedinkcomix]

Johnny the Homicidal Maniac attempts to walk a fine line between satirizing revenge fantasies and indulging in them, but this duality often leaves the book feeling muddled. Vasquez introduces us to Johnny, the titular homicidal maniac, as a socially alienated, self-pitying character whose violent outbursts are triggered by trivial slights or perceived offenses. His victims are exaggeratedly vile, unrepentant individuals, seemingly crafted to evoke a sense of dark catharsis. Yet this makes it difficult to discern if Vasquez is critiquing Johnny’s outlook or, rather, inviting us to revel in the violence he enacts. The satire is further muddied by the fact that Johnny’s perspective and violent tirades aren’t challenged or balanced by the narrative; instead, they risk validating his nihilism.

Although Johnny briefly expresses disgust at a rapist’s crime and hints at awareness of his own monstrous nature, his moments of reflection come across as self-pity rather than genuine remorse. These half-hearted attempts at self-awareness fall short, making it difficult to sympathize with him. In other stories about morally flawed or self-deluded protagonists—like Taxi Driver’s Travis Bickle or American Psycho’s Patrick Bateman—there are layers to the characters’ actions and motivations, often tied to social or psychological commentary. For instance, Bickle’s flawed quest to "save" Iris is revealed as self-serving, and Bateman’s violent fantasies serve as outlets for his existential torment. In contrast, Johnny’s killing spree feels more like a visceral but empty reaction to everyday irritations, lacking depth or nuance.

Vasquez seems at least somewhat aware of the protagonist’s lack of appeal and attempts to inject self-parody through liner notes that poke fun at Johnny's self-aggrandizing tendencies. However, the satire is undermined when even supposedly sympathetic characters, like Devi (Johnny's ex-girlfriend) or Tess (a victim Johnny encounters), display the same arrogant contempt for others that Johnny does. Lines like Devi's, “I think it’s so sad when monkeys don’t know that they are the simple ones,” reveal a similar smug superiority. Tess, who is rescued from certain death by a stereotypical “jock” character, Krik, offers nothing but disdain for him, even as he risks his life to save her. Rather than fostering complexity, these characters’ shallow hostility only reinforces the comic’s bleak view of humanity, failing to provide any contrasting perspectives or empathy that might deepen the satire.

Visually, the art style leans on exaggerated grotesque imagery reminiscent of Ren and Stimpy with a dash of H.R. Giger, but lacks the craft of either. Characters are often drawn as claw-handed semi-stick figures, and the over-the-top grotesqueness feels like a cover for weak composition and inconsistent line work. This style occasionally suits the manic tone of the book but detracts from the visual storytelling, making it hard to take the violence or characters seriously.

Despite these issues, there are moments in Johnny the Homicidal Maniac that hint at an intriguing horror premise: Johnny, as a former artist whose creativity has been drained by a supernatural force, killing in a desperate attempt to regain inspiration. This concept, if further explored, might have lent more depth to Johnny’s motivations, creating a compelling horror story about the consequences of lost artistry and self-destruction.

Additionally, Vasquez shines in the one-page newspaper-style strips, where the comic’s dark humor and over-the-top violence are distilled into short, self-contained gags. These segments play to Vasquez’s strengths in absurdist humor and quick punchlines, making it clear that Johnny’s rants are overreactions to trivialities, rather than statements on society.

Ultimately, Johnny the Homicidal Maniac struggles to reconcile its satire of revenge fantasies with its indulgence in them. The comic has moments of humor and originality, especially in its shorter gag strips, but as a whole, it lacks the coherence and character complexity necessary to deliver a satisfying satire. Vasquez may have created a more engaging experience if he had leaned fully into a twisted comic strip format, focusing on humor over inconsistent attempts at social commentary.

[michaelfurler]

BARK BARK GIRL is back in print! The 2nd edition of my graphic novel is out now, published a second time by the mighty PEOW! The cover is slightly different now.

«Sweary young-adult Jolanda struggles with herself, school and her dog’s off leash training. A math test is destined to change her entire life, she is destined to repeat a grade. Unless maybe, her dog…? If she’d have a couple more days, maybe this time she would study really, really, really hard? Probably.»

[elliwiny]

Today on Opportunities! (7.05)

Signing a book about aliens FOR one of those aliens has gotta be on Stone's bucket list, I'd think.

Read Opportunities as it updates with commentary: First || Latest

Or grab the whole Book from my shop! Patreon || Ko-Fi

[windowshards]

[hockeywebcomics]

Girl next door

Watch out! I predict trouble!

Ferda Boys is a webcomic series about hockey. It follows the lives of junior hockey players in countryside Ontario.

Ferda Boys also has its very own soundtrack, a music composed by @gunwallace, to whom I’m forever grateful. You can check it in my Soundcloud account.

[adventuresclosetohomecomic]

Five years ago, when I was a lonely teenager with a punk fixation, I started writing a comic called Adventures Close to Home. It was an outlet for all my teen angst and a patchwork of my biggest influences at the time, intended to be an early testing ground for my growing interest in comics. I wrote about Al and Carl, two aimless 22 year-olds re-evaluating life with high school in the rear view. And then a weird thing happened: I kept writing more episodes, and slowly I started catching up to the characters in age. Today, Al and Carl are no longer twisted models of adulthood, but my peers, and I feel even closer to them as a result. I feel like we grew up together.

Today, I’m ending this chapter in the lives of both Al and Carl and myself. This will be the last Adventures Close to Home for the foreseeable future. It’s possible I’ll pick the story up again in time (I still have plenty of ideas), but it felt right to end it now. I’ve had this conclusion in mind for years, and it was time to put it to paper. As it stands, I’ve written 12 chapters and 73 pages of ACTH. They vary in quality, but I’m proud of them. I’m exploring the possibility of printing or publishing the series (under the title “Adventures Close to Home: Hold My Hair, I Think I’m Gonna Puke”), but for now you can read all of them on my website at https://www.vomitparty.com/adventuresclosetohome.

Thank you to anyone who has ever read a page of this comic, whether you were following along or reading casually on social media. I hope this story connects with you and provides a couple of laughs.

The image below is the first time I ever drew Al and Carl, circa 2018. I’ve grown a lot as a person and an artist since then, and I’m still growing up. I like to think this story is a reminder that we all are.

[naiamaree]

GOD SATAN NEMU! 4th ISSUE OF BYOE AND NEMU, OUT NOW!!! 68 PAGES OF FAMILY FUN, VERBAL ABUSE, IRONIC INFLATION PORN, BEATINGS WITH A BASEBALL BAT, AND A ONE-WAY TICKET TO HEAVEN!!!

[digitab-m]

I finally finished that comic! hey hey! Check it out: MangaDex GlobalComix NamiComi

[figcatlists]

Alternative comics and literary graphic novels chart

This chart is a selection from my list of 200 alternative, art, and experimental comic books, as well as graphic novels with a literary bent. I arranged the chart in reverse order of publication to highlight the more recent titles; I also excluded some of the obvious big-name classics to make it somewhat more interesting than your standard "comic books aren't just for kids starter pack".

[savage-kult-of-gorthaur]

"...A DIFFERENT TYPE OF LONELY, NAIVE, URBAN MISFIT-GIRL ..."

NOTE: ^I skew more towards indie-vintage-boho type girls, personally (definitely indie), but an "urban misfit-girl" sounds perfectly fine with me.

PIC INFO: Spotlight on a panel of the ideal girl for me, personally, from the graphic novel "David Boring," originally serialized in the American indie comics anthology "Eightball," conceived, written, & illustrated by Daniel Clowes, published by Pantheon Books in 2000.

""A different type of lonely, naïve urban misfit-girl’. I knew this girl! I knew many of her English, 1990s counterparts. This was real to me. And "they saved" his life! Who knew we were that significant? We sure weren’t feeling appreciated at the time. But I digress. Here’s a sentiment we hear repeated over and over in Clowes’s fiction. The women save, rescue and redeem the men. And just the idea of them will do it!"

-- COMICS WORK BOOK, "On Being a Woman in the Manly World of Daniel Clowes," posted on November 14, 2016 by "Mardou"

Source: https://comicsworkbook.com/on-being-a-woman-in-the-manly-world-of-daniel-clowes.

[ieattoastt]

Scouts of the Titan Comic

[bravetrvllr]

whenever i’m in the midwest it always feels like this.

[elliwiny]

Today on Opportunities! (7.25)

GET IT, CORTEZ!!!!! Not a bad way to spend what might be your last night alive. :)

That's a wrap on chapter 7!! STAY TUNED! Chapter 8 is where we cut the brake lines, throw away our burner phones, and get our aliases sorted! It's a great time to catch up, or even binge the entire third act in a convenient PDF format!

Leave us a comment & follow our commentary on our home site: First || Latest

Or grab the whole Book from my shop! Patreon || Ko-Fi

[corruptedgem]

hey hey! I’ll be tabling at CAKE this weekend! Table 122A, on the first floor! come by and say hi, I’ve got all kinds of comics, new stickers, and a general good vibe! see ya there!!!