Abstract Comics: The Blog: Ever Narrowing Zig Zags and Their Overlapped Reflections

The artists assembled by Andrei Molotiu for his anthology ABSTRACT COMICS (Fantagraphics, $39.99) push “cartooning” to its limits... It’s a fascinating book to stare at, and as with other kinds of abstract art, half the fun is observing your own reactions: anyone who’s used to reading more conventional sorts of comics is likely to reflexively impose narrative on these abstractions, to figure out just what each panel has to do with the next.

--Douglas Wolk, New York Times Book Review, Holiday Books edition, December 6, 2009

The collection has a wealth of rewarding material... it is a significant historical document that may jump-start an actual new genre.

--Doug Harvey, LA Weekly

It becomes a treat to take a page of art - or a simple panel - and consider how the shapes, texture, depth, and color interact with one another; to reflect on how, when one takes the time, the enjoyment one ordinarily finds in reading a purely textually-oriented, narrative-driven written story can - with the graphic form - be translated into something completely different.

--Adam Waterreus, Politics and Prose, "Favorite Graphic Literature of the Year."

...this arresting book is like a scoop of primordial narrative, representational mud. Which is to say, it has vitaminic powers.

--Design Observer

For years, comics (at least American ones) have doggedly refused for one reason or another, to consider other schools of art and beyond mere representation. It's only now we see artists attempting to branch out and try to push at the edge's of the medium's definition. As such I found Abstract Comics to be a revealing, thought-provoking and genuinely lovely book that I'll be sure to be rereading in the months to come.

--Chris Mautner, Comic Book Resources

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ANTHOLOGY LINKS

Previews:

20-page preview at Fantagraphics Books

Fanta preview on Flickr

Anthology preview on this very blog

Features and interviews:

Comic Book Resources interview with Anthology editor Andrei Molotiu

Artforum.com interview

Multi-part abstract comics feature at Action Yes online quarterly

Catherine Spaeth interviews Andrei Molotiu

Reviews:

First review of Abstract Comics: The Anthology at Comic Book Jesus

Blurb on list of "The Hottest Graphic Novels of Summer 2009" (Graphic Novel Reporter)

Review at The Walrus, "Canada's Best Magazine."

Jog's brief review

Douglas Wolk's brief review

Comicsgirl's review

Chris Mautner's review at CBR

Our first Spanish-language review

Review at Graphic Novel Reporter

Review at Comic Book Galaxy/ADD's blog

Review by Sara Cole at PopMatters

Review in Berlin daily newspaper Der Tagesspiegel and Iffy Google translation of same

Further blog post by writer of Der Tagesspiegel review

Review by Pedro Moura, in Portuguese

English translation of Moura at Succo Acido

Douglas Wolk in the NY Times Book Review

Book Soup blog

Thierry Groensteen at Neuvieme Art (January 19, 2010)

Charles Hatfield at Thought Ballonists

Craig Fischer and Derik Badman discuss the Anthology at Madinkbeard

Best of lists:

Eisner Award 2010 nominee for best anthology

Politics and Prose

Doug Harvey in LA Weekly

Design Observer

Reviews of "Silent Pictures" exhibition:

Review at Dart: Design Art Daily

Review on SVA Continuing Education blog

Japanese-language review of "Silent Pictures" and Google translation of same

Buy:

Order Abstract Comics: The Anthology from Amazon.

Buy Abstract Comics: The Anthology directly from Fantagraphics Books

Monday, April 26, 2010

Ever Narrowing Zig Zags and Their Overlapped Reflections

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