Sammy Harkham is an incredible cartoonist and he curates the ongoing comic anthology Kramers Ergot. Since I was never into super-hero stories, I didnāt think the comic book medium was for me - until I read āLike a Velvet Glove Cast in Ironā by Daniel Clowes and was blown away and introduced to the alt-comic genre. Kramers Ergot is a perfect collection of some of the best artists and alt-comics working in the medium today and a great primer if you want to get into that strange world.
heās an independent comic legend from the 90s and is still active today. most people know his book āghostworldā and the film adaptation. i highly recommend reading everything of his. no superheroes, no bullshit, real slice of life, bizzaro stuff, absurdist neo-noir, great commentary and clearly a dude who likes to people watch and then draw the weirdos he sees. huge inspo to me. reading his books and shorts feel like youāre watching a movie, the beautifully drawn and hilarious and full of emotion. favs:
- LIKE A VELVET GLOVE CAST IN IRON
- PATIENCE
- THE COMPLETE EIGHTBALL
Grant Morrisonās 80s comic book series has everything. Outsider freak heroes, meditations on art as magic, a hermaphroditic mystical being made of radiationā¦
Dino Stamatopoulos is one of the great comedic geniuses of our time (seriously, look up this guyās credits) and a great man, at that. Moral Orel is his incredible stop-motion opus and the greatest thing Adult Swim ever aired (though special honorable mentions to Xavier Renegade Angel, Million Dollar Extreme, and Off the Air as followup Adult Swim bangers.)
Although I have lived in Los Angeles for the past 11 years, Houston is and always will be my home. From the fat & low hanging clouds, perfectly caramelized sunsets, deep-fried queso-drenched tex-mex, and good olā fashioned southern hospitality, itās quite possibly the best city on Earth. In the wise words of the great Lilā Keke the Don from the original Screwed Up Click - āHouston, Texas, is the home of the players and pimps.ā RIP DJ Screw.
LiFER is a handmade DIY cut-and-sew clothing company based out of LA, exclusively made from thrifted and recycled clothing, and run by my incredibly talented girlfriend. I enjoy helping out with these garments as much as Iām allowed, and find the fabric cutting process extremely meditative. Traveling and thrifting for these projects with my girlfriend in far-off forgotten corners of the country is one of the great joys of my life. Follow @lifershop on Instagram and support a great artist!