"There's something thrilling about seeing people invent new ways to tell their story. To me, it's proof that the art form of comics is healthy: it lives and grows and reinvents itself. It's alive!"
-Roz Chast, from the Introduction FEATURING Lynda Barry, Kate Beaton, Cece Bell, Geneviève Elverum, Ben Katchor, John Porcellino, Joe Sacco, Adrian Tomine, Chris Ware, Julia Wertz, and others
Roz Chast, guest editor, was born in Brooklyn, New York. Her cartoons began appearing in The New Yorker in 1978. Since then she has published hundreds of cartoons and written or illustrated more than a dozen books. Her memoir Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? was a #1 New York Times bestseller and a 2014 National Book Award Finalist.
Bill Kartalopoulos, series editor, is a comics critic, educator, curator, and editor. He teaches courses about comics at Parsons and at the School of Visual Arts. He lives in Brooklyn, New York. For more information please visit: on-panel.com.
About the Author :
ROZ CHAST, a New Yorker cartoonist since 1978, has published hundreds of cartoons and written or illustrated more than a dozen books. BILL KARTALOPOULOS is a comics critic, educator, curator, and editor. He teaches comics history at the School of Visual Arts.
Review :
"Every piece in this anthology is worthy of attention." --COMICS ALTERNATIVE "The incomparable Roz Chast puts her unique, delightful stamp on this book right up front... She's rounded up a delicious diversity of talent, particularly women.... the printing quality is excellent. The color is rich and the transitions are delicate."--Etelka Lehoczky, NPR
"Female artists and slice-of-life tales make up the best of the Best comics of the year on Roz Chast's watch....There's quite a bit of entertaining and emotional heft...But there's some time for fun, too." --USA TODAY
"A wonderful collection of the top notch from the old stars'n'strips. The comics contained here range from the down-and-out to the psychedelic and back again, each carefully chosen by the great Roz Chast." --LARGEHEARTED BOY BLOG
"Every last page is worth a look." --BUSTLE
"Best American Comics proves to be an essential and inspiring guidebook... You'll definitely want to read this year's edition and make it a habit to keep up with this most distinctive collection." --COMICS GRINDER
"We are living in a time of AMAZING COMICS. There's so much work, and so much of it is good, and we don't even know how lucky we are. Bill Kartalopoulos does." --HYPERALLERGIC
"Kartalopoulos has demonstrated since taking over the reins with the 2014 book, [that] setting the high bar is merely a going-in given... the strongest jolts of joy come with the leveled playing field for lesser-known artists and the coronation of new(-to-you) talents... Judging by Kartalopoulos and Chast's 400-page assemblage of illustrated work from print and online, mainstream and underground, the Best American Comics brand is poised to enjoy a killer second decade." --BOOKGASM
"Compelling... Many of the stories within are beautifully drawn... [Roz's] introduction and series editor Bill Kartalopoulos' foreword on what 'mainstream' could mean in comics these days are both fine essays on their own, and substantive works that enrich the book... Marc Bell's cover art-- an anthropomorphized building reading a book with its side sliced off so we can see its six rooms arranged like panels and the strange critters therein--is completely delightful." --PASTE
"[For] the comics savant... The current golden age of comics is reflected in a particularly rich edition of the yearly anthology... a great sampler for a wide range of material and introduction to some fine talents." --PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY
"Editors Kartalopoulos (comics history, Sch. of Visual Arts, New York) and Chast (Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?) capture the heart of comic art today, both how it got here and where it's going; it's a treat to dive into the various styles represented here... A great introduction to the current scene for those wondering where to begin, this volume surprises and satisfies active comics readers as well." --LIBRARY JOURNAL
"This solid framework does what it does best: showcase a rich variety of comics... The series... [introduces] more readers to the rich variety in the field." --BOOKLIST
