BAD ATTITUDE: The Art of Spain Rodriguez is an intimate documentary film portrait; and a personal and work biography of the late underground comics legend and San Francisco Mission District hero Manuel “Spain” Rodriguez. Spain was a co-founder (with Robert Crumb) of the United Cartoon...
Read moreWarehouse Finds and Inventory Surprises
A deep dive into the Wow Cool warehouse has unearthed many not-previously-offered-on-this-site comic books and graphic novels that are now available for the first time outside of our old brink and mortar shop. So, you can now stock up on many otherwise hard to get comics by John Allison, Brian...
Read moreJean Teulé, we wish you a rapid transit to the Xerox paradise you depicted like no other
There are many artists in Franco/Belgian bande dessinée that are still beyond obscure to American readers. Despite their few opportunities to leak through the existent methods of exposure they have managed to seep through in other ways. Author and artist Jean Teulé excelled in an open...
Read moreJoel Orff’s Lost 9-11 Emergency Relief Comic
In early 2002, Alternative Comics published a benefit book for the American Red Cross as part of the relief effort after the events of 9/11/01 in New York City, Washington D.C. and Pennsylvania, where many people lost their lives for reasons that for most still remain obscure. The book, 9-11...
Read moreWill Eisner Sequential Art at SVA
Introduction to The Course. This was the 1988 version of the handout given to new students in Will Eisner’s Sequential Art class at The School of Visual Arts (SVA) on 23rd Street in New York City . This happens to be scanned from Sam Henderson’s copy. Not sure how I ended up with it. This...
Read moreROM Spaceknight is Here
ROM is real. He has arrived. You cannot evade his Analyzer! You cannot escape his Neutralizer! If you are a Dire Wraith he will find you and banish your ass into Limbo! Galador will be free! Visual Merchandising & Store Design. December 1984. Image is presumably of a display at...
Read moreReview: The Strange Tale of Panorama Island
The Strange Tale of Panorama Island (Panorama-tou Kitan) — Last Gasp, 2013 Now-classic manga novel from Mr. Arashi’s Amazing Freak Show creator Suehiro Maruo echoes the decadent era in which its source story by Hirai Taro (aka ‘Edogawa Rampo’) was originally written, while anticipating one of...
Read moreY: The Last Man Official Trailer Released for FX Series on Hulu
After waiting for society to collapse for so very long, it finally did, and a proper screen adaptation for the beloved graphic novel series Y: The Last Man is only a couple years late to the (after)party. Only one remained… The question is why? Y: The Last Man premieres September 13...
Read moreGates of Heck Retrospective Exhibition at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery
Small, but influential publisher Gates of Heck (1992–2000) is having a retrospective exhibit from Saturday, July 31 through August 11. Gates of Heck was the brainchild of publisher Katharine Gates. Throughout the 90’s, this adventurous imprint produced idiosyncratic projects by artists...
Read moreGo Kickstart This New Graphic Novel by Trevor Alixopulos
Sparkplug Books cornerstone author Trevor Alixopulos is branching out on his own and needs your help with his new book Lipstick Traces. Go get on that right now. We say those were the days but the night is when everything happens! A big collection of after-midnight comics. Much of my work...
Read moreAdHouse Books Prepares to Close its Doors
It was announced last week that the landlord Chris Pitzer would be closing the doors on his AdHouse Books press after 20 years of operation and 100 books. Well… 101… News on that to come. Wow Cool has been excited to stock their books for over a dozen of those years, and the latest...
Read morePlay for It: Down the Gerbil Hole with Chester Brown in Videos
Chester Brown thrilled and shocked indie comics audiences when he emerged from the English-speaking slums of Montreal in the mid-1980s. He has left behind him a slimy ink trail like few others. Travel with us back in time through the video legacy of his reign of carnage. Paying For It Cartoonist...
Read moreCMY OK – Eclipse Comics Color Chart 1983
Inspired by a series of posts by the artist José Villarrubia under the title “From a colorist’s perspective,” I promised myself I would scan and post some vintage comic coloring-related artifacts that I have. The first, and possibly most interesting, is this four page color...
Read moreThe Stupid Pages 49: Recent Work
Guest artist: Steve Lafler Check out Steve Lafler’s comics on Wow Cool
Read more2019 Year In Review
It has certainly been a tumultuous year here at Wow Cool. Not least of all because the physical “here” has changed. Sadly the Wow Cool Alternative Comics physical shop in Cupertino, California closed its doors after six great years. We also left the offices that we had been in for...
Read moreGraphic Content – Alan Moore and Neil Gaiman on BBC 6Music
The British titans of graphic novel writing in our time will be mixing it up on the ones and twos for digital radio station BBC 6Music this month. Alan Moore will be sitting in for Iggy Pop on the Confidential show, Friday October 4; and, Neil Gaiman will be a guest on the Paperback Writers show...
Read moreAustin English’s Windy Corner Magazine, Volume 1 Review
(This review was originally published in 2007.) Reading Windy Corner Magazine #1 was a special pleasure because I’ve always found Austin English’s taste to be impeccable as a critic and now as an editor. It was a bonus to see so much of his new work as an artist as well. What makes...
Read moreDerf’s True Stories Volumes 3 and 4
In his True Stories comics, Derf has been going further back in time with each issue. In volume three, he covers 1996-2001, which was the height of alt-weekly newspapers. This is years before his career-defining comic My Friend Dahmer and his switch over to long-form storytelling. His stock in...
Read moreAlternative Comics’ Book Debuts at SPX Small Press Expo 2019
The exhibitor list is now live for SPX Small Press Expo 2019. Go meet Joel Orff and Robin Enrico at A2 – the Alternative Comics table! Joel will debut his new book Twice Shy. Robin will be hawking copies of the new collection of his classic mini comic series Life of Vice. Other Alternative...
Read moreTrevor Alixopulos’ Mine Tonight
Those that follow the minicomics scene will observe that geography plays a large part in forming artist support groups. These groups provide encouragement and critique for young artists and play a part in their development. The recent development of a sustained book publishing beachhead in the...
Read moreNew Reads at the Wow Cool Shop
Recent posts on Wow Cool Katriona Chapman’s Follow Me In – Reviewed by Rob Clough You’ve Seen Love Death And Robots, Right? Editorial comment moment here. It was OK. About three episodes were pretty memorable. Yeah, I’d totally watch another season. Celebrate [St. Patrick’s Day] With...
Read moreKatriona Chapman’s Follow Me In – Review
Follow Me In is Katriona Chapman’s debut book from UK publisher Avery Hill. It details a transformative trip to Mexico with her then-boyfriend and focuses on the details of the trip as well as her ambivalence toward her boyfriend thanks to his alcoholism. Best known for her autobio...
Read moreThe Amazing Spider-Man Comic Strip Says Goodnight
Sunday March 17 2019, saw the last Sunday installment of the 42-year long run of the syndicated Marvel Comics’ Amazing Spider-Man comic strip. The last daily strip was published on Saturday, March 23. Creators Alex Saviuk and ghost writer Roy Thomas make cameo appearances in the first...
Read moreNew Beans In Wow Cool Land
Recent posts on Wow Cool Good Omens Official Trailer Released Steven Cerio’s ABC Book – A Drug Primer The Stupid Pages The Stupid Pages 47 – The Walrus Zippy The Pinhead Read the last two weeks of strips – right. now! New Books, Comics, Zines & Video New Backlist Titles
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