New York Review Comics – serie

A new edition of Beetle Bailey creator Mort Walker’s riotous and immensely influential handbook for drawing and reading cartoons—a book that’s both a parody of humorless how-to guides and a genuine (and genuinely instructive) ode to the art of making comics.In a cartoon, what do you call the sweat drops shooting off a character’s head? Those are “Plewds.” What about when you see a character wagging their tongue out of their mouth? Oh, that’s a “Protusilation.” How about the lines coming off a freshly baked pie? That’s “Waftarom.” This sort of playful comics nomenclature abounds in The Lexicon of Comicana, the revered 1980 cartooning handbook authored by Mort Walker, creator of the legendary daily comic strip Beetle Bailey.Both a send-up of lofty how-to-draw books and a sincere and hilarious love letter to the art of drawing cartoons, the Lexicon is a joyously exhaustive cheat sheet to key comics visuals that has been referenced and treasured by generations of cartoonists. This new edition includes an introduction by Chris Ware—who keeps a copy of the Lexicon next to his desk—and a meticulous appendix by Mort’s son Brian Walker, who delves deep into the visual language of comics.With the help of The Lexicon of Comicana, you’ll come away a better, wiser, richer, and funnier artist. Plus, you’ll learn what a “Morf” is—Mort’s favorite part.

“Hothead is the backlash to the backlash.” —Alison BechdelHothead Paisan, a murderous icon of the ’90s lesbian comics scene, comes roaring back into print in this fresh edition (including a new interview and supplemental materials) of one of the funniest, sharpest, and most unexpectedly warm comics of the late twentieth century, still as shocking today as it was more than two decades ago.Hothead Paisan is an icon of the ’90s lesbian DIY scene, a patron saint of those who wonder if going off the deep end is the only sane response to life in modern America.Diane DiMassa’s Hothead starts out in a murderous frenzy—taking out a variety of chauvinists and creeps—but soon deepens into a reflection on oppression, self-destruction, and living it up outside the conservative norms of the ’90s. Hothead’s rage is sometimes tempered with the help of Personality #2, her defensive inner demon; Roz, her friend who offers Zen wisdom and tough love; and Chicken, her cat and constant companion. At long last, the most thoughtful homicidal maniac is back in print.