Mome Winter 2010

MOME #17

by Gary Groth, Eric Reynolds (Editor)

The influence of Fantagraphics’ flagship anthology of new comic art and storytelling continues to grow with annual award nominations, a widely-acknowledged banner 2008 that found MOME on many year-end critics’ lists, increasing academic and library interest, several gallery exhibitions mounted nationwide, and an increasingly potent well of top-notch, known and unknown talent making every issue a surprising, dense and delightful read. With this season, the quarterly journal of comics will have brought over 2,000 pages of new comics to the world since its inception in 2005.


Upcoming contributors of short stories to MOME include: Lilli Carré, Laura Park, Olivier Schrauwen, Tom Kaczynski, Dash Shaw, Ray Fenwick, Émile Bravo, Andrice Arp, Al Columbia, Eleanor Davis, Nathan Neal, Conor O’Keefe, Jon Vermilyea, Jonathan Bennett, Robert Goodin, Sara Edward-Corbett, Derek Van Gieson, and many more.


2009 saw the end of three serials for MOME—legendary cartoonist Gilbert Shelton’s serialized graphic novel, “Last Gig in Shngrlig,” Paul Hornschemeier’s “Life with Mr. Dangerous,” and Tim Hensley’s “Wally Gropius”— and the launch of two more.


T. Edward Bak’s biography of German naturalist Georg Wilhelm Steller—who traveled with Vitus Bering on what is generally known as the Second Kamchatka Expedition in 1741—is certain to eventually become one of the most acclaimed graphic novels of the decade. In the hands of Bak, Steller’s narrative story transcends natural history, science and biography and becomes a riveting, beautifully illustrated drama.


Ted Stearn’s cult favorite characters have struck a chord with comic lovers over the years (Matt Groening declares them “why I love comics”) in two previous graphic novels, Fuzz & Pluck and Fuzz & Pluck: Splitsville. Stearn now graces MOME with a new, serialized adventure in which the hapless Fuzz & Pluck discover a literal money tree. The ensuing entanglement of intrigue and desire is a surrealist, picaresque tour de force of comics storytelling with strong thematical ties to America’s housing and financial meltdown, and the dreams that led to it. There’s also a pirate, and we all know that pirates sell.

Genres: Comics, Anthologies, Humor, Graphic Novels, Fiction

120 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Drew Canole]

Another fantastic volume of Mome. I've become quite the fan of this anthology series. It's a shame it couldn't have just kept going on forever. Not all of the stories are great, but I find every volume enjoyable enough to keep reading and discovering new creators. It seems like every few years there's a publisher willing to put together an alternative comics anthology, but they never really find a good sized audience.

Zap, Arcade in the 70s. Raw and Weirdo in the 80s. The 90s had Zero Zero. I guess Mome would be the 2000s.

Heavy Metal seems to have found a way to continuously publish books - but I think they have a heavy reliance on sexual imagery. The disposable magazine format probably helps their ability to find new audiences each month/quarter too.

Currently we have the irregularly published Kramer's Erogot and the very recent NOW! also by Fantagraphics which may be considered the successor of Mome. I wonder though if these anthologies will eventually be replaced with online resources such as studygroupcomics.com

[Bob Comparda]

Volume 17 of MOME included 17 comics. My favorite was the final part in Paul Hornschemeier's ongoing storyline, followed closely by the Tom Kaczynski & Dash Shaw collaboration and the one page inclusion by Josh Simmons.

Rick Froberg - Foresight ⭐
Paul Hornschemeier - Life with Mr. Dangerous, Part 11 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rick Froberg - Solidarity ⭐
Tom Kaczynski & Dash Shaw - Resolution ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Laura Park - On the Bus ⭐⭐
Olivier Schrauwen - Congo Chromo, Part 1 ⭐⭐⭐
Michael Jada & Derek Van Gieson - Devil Doll ⭐
Sara Edward-Corbett - Zzzzz ⭐⭐⭐
Rick Froberg - Privacy ⭐
Renée French - Almost Sound, Part 2 ⭐⭐⭐
Ted Stearn - Fuzz & Pluck in "The Moolah Tree," Part 2 ⭐⭐⭐
Kurt Wolfgang - Nothing Eve, Part 8 ⭐⭐
Derek Van Gieson - These Days I'm Not So Sure ⭐
T. Edward Bak - Wild Man, Chapter 2 - A Bavarian Botanist in St. Petersburg, Part 1 ⭐⭐
Josh Simmons - Head of a Dog ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Olivier Schrauwen - Congo Chromo, Part 2 ⭐⭐
Rick Froberg - Altruism ⭐

[Troy]

This is one of the more beautiful issues of MOME, but I found a lot of storytelling luke-warm. Out of all of the stories, I really like Laura Park's ruminations on a bus, and Olivier Schrauwen deeply strange and utterly fascinating story of two white explorers in the Congo.