Dear Friends: Some of you have been asking what will happen to Sparkplug now that my husband, Dylan Williams, is no longer with us. This is to let you know that Virginia Paine, Tom Neely and I will be continuing to run things as best we can. Our immediate plans are to continue online...
Read moreMeet The Artists of Adventure Time
In October 2011 a whole crew of comic book artists descended on APE, The Alternative Press Expo in San Francisco. I bring you a tour of the art crew among them that designed the mad world of Finn and Jake. APE 2011 – The Alternative Press Expo – took place on October 1-2, 2011 at...
Read moreThrowing Muses Tour Dates
Just received this dispatch from Kristin Hersh. Folks, if you are in the US, you’ve got just two chances to see the Muses this month. Western Europe, your prospects are much greater. This is not something we get to say every day! We finally have the opportunity to share some...
Read moreNew in the Shop: Drag Bandits from Retrofit Comics
Retrofit Comics is throwing down and putting it’s money where the presses are on the good old fashioned business of publishing floppy 32-page comic books. Ignatz Award winner Box Brown is the human behind this mad effort. It’s a program of 12 comics by 12 artists in 12 months...
Read moreShipping and Orders Update
I’ve been emailing people today whose orders are still waiting to be filled. If you haven’t heard from me, it’s because I’m expecting your books within the next week! Please feel free to contact me with any questions – virginia (at) sparkplugcomicbooks (dot) com...
Read moreR.I.P. Steve Jobs 1955-2011
The Stupid Pages 30: King Andy Comics
Back in 1994, while on zine tour for Andy’s Chair #3, I crashed on John Porcellino’s couch when he was living in Denver, Colorado. Shortly after that, while still on the road, I did this strip, in a crude imitation of the King Cat style. It was printed in my tour zine puppydoglove...
Read moreWow Cool Official Twitter
The official Wow Cool Twitter account is now a go! Follow @WowCool for the latest news, new arrivals, backroom dealings, office playchart, rush hour traffic reports on CA Route 85, special offers and more.
Read moreOccupy Wall Street: The General Assembly
I was just sent this by Scott Beibin, who worked on it, and am sharing it. I’m a little behind on what is going on in New York at the moment, so playing catchup now. Whatever your view, this is pretty major and you should stay informed. This video makes an interesting gateway into the
Read moreThe New Wow Cool Shop Is Officially Open
Wow Cool has relaunched it’s comics, zines and music mail order shop. All the fun is at: https://wowcool.com/. There are still at least a hundred books in stock that have not yet been posted to the store, but will be very soon. That includes all the in-print issues of Zap, Weirdo and...
Read morePete Von Petrin at NorCal Noisefest Day 2 – Wm. J. Geery Theater – Sacramento, CA – 09/29/11
Sparkplug at APE!
Sparkplug will be at APE in San Francisco this weekend! Please stop by to say hi, buy books and chat with our artists! APE takes place at the Concourse Exhibition Center on Saturday, October 1st and Sunday October 2nd. Also, Tom Neely, Landry Walker and others will be participating in the panel...
Read morePete Von Petrin at Unclear Cabaret – The Stud – San Francisco, CA – 09/22/11
The Nostalgia Zone: Comic Relief Zine Buyer Flyer
I was looking for something else and found this. Since I and many other of the 90s Berkeley zine and mini-comics scene have been deep in the nostalgia zone for not the best reasons lately, this seemed a little more interesting than the last five times I found it instead of what I was looking
Read moreThanks for your continued patience.
Hello friends of Sparkplug, I am just writing to check in, and thank everyone who has ordered something for their continued patience. Sparkplug has always been a small company – I have been Dylan’s only employee for the last year. I have a lot of help right now, but things are still...
Read moreSun Worship X – BUOY Gallery – Kittery, ME – 09/17/11
Gary Lucas Profiled at the Grammy Museum
Songwriter/guitarist Gary Lucas was the featured guest for a recent installment of the GRAMMY Museum’s Great Guitars series. In an intimate interview setting, Lucas discussed his musical influences, meeting and collaborating with Captain Beefheart and his solo career, among other topics...
Read moreJosh Baker with Grau Garten – 119 Gallery – Lowell, MA – 09/16/11
Go Read: Mark Martin Comic Marky Mark Britches
I don’t get it either. I have no idea when this was done. Maybe it was started in the 90’s and completed now. Maybe it’s old, maybe it’s new. I have no idea when it was posted (although I’m pretty sure it was in the last couple of weeks) I do know that Mark Martin...
Read moreThis is What you Want, This is Psychic Life
Having covered the one-off PiL reunion of Jah Wobble and Keith Levene – sans their well-known ginger-out-of-the-bottle singer last year – I’d be amiss to not point you to their much more official reunion on an upcoming release on Cherry Red Records and in the promo clip for the...
Read moreAndys Chair #4 Video Zine 1993
From 1993. Never before seen! Punk zine goes video with live performances by Doc Hopper, Nuisance, Drop Dead, Slave State and Lumpen Proletariat (Ottawa)! Pay a visit to Reconstruction Records with Peter Ventantonio of Sticks & Stones! Tour Albany, New York’s Tulip Fest with Andy, Paul...
Read moreSteven Cerio’s Atlantic Drone 2nd LP Re-released Today
Available digitally for the first time ever and re-released with wide distribution today on 180g vinyl is Steven Cerio’s Atlantic Drone LP “A Vivified Sugar Cube Explains the Universe” on Circadia Records. Founded in upstate New York by Steven Cerio, ATLANTIC DRONE have...
Read moreDylan
I have been having a lot of trouble articulating what I’ve been feeling the last couple days, but I’m going to try. Many, many people have written beautiful things about Dylan’s passing. I urge you to read their loving tributes; everyone’s perspective is slightly...
Read moreIan Lynam “Space is the Place” Exhibit & Lecture Tour
Our esteemed colleague Mr. Ian Lynam, hotshot graphic designer and former proprietor of Migraine Publications, is going to be returning to the homeland from his adopted Nippon to show some art and flap his gums. “Space Is The Place” – Graphic Design by Ian Lynam will be on show at Land...
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