Each year in the Shank, we ask
readers to submit lists of the best and worst of the year. Over the
next few weeks we'll be running these lists (from movies and music to
TV and other more, um, esoteric lists).
This is collection of lists for BOOKS, COMICS & MAGAZINES for 2006.
***FAVORITE READS IN 2006***
by Benn Ray
I think I read more books this year than any year in a long, long time. There is a lot of great publishing going on....
KING DORK by Frank Portman
Each generation shall have its own Holden Caulfield.
ODE TO KIRIHITO by OSAMU TEZUKA
An
epic graphic novel (does Tezuka do any other kind?) that is a medical
procedural looking at the politics of medicine and life with the backset of a disease that turns people into dogs and a major character who's a serial rapist.
AN ANTHOLOGY OF GRAPHIC FICTION, CATOONS AND TRUE STORIES by Ivan Brunetti (editor)
Examples
of the best work from the best comics creators makes this an easy
choice for a best of list. This one is a must for any bookshelf.
AREAS OF MY EXPERTISE by John Hodgman
A
work of fiction that is presented as a work of historical trivia,
except not really. Great humor from Hodgman, the Daily Show's resident
expert and the dude who makes you feel sorry for PCs in those Mac
commercials.
FUBAR: AMERICA'S RIGHT WING NIGHTMARE by Sam Seder/Stephen Sherrill
A witty mockery of the conservative American right by one of Air America's radio hosts. Some good laughs.
BEST AMERICAN COMICS 2006 by Harvey Pekar, Anne Elizabeth Moore (editors)
Examples
of the best current work from a lot of great talent, established and
new. If you're looking to get into new comics, but are unsure of where
to start - this book makes a great primer.
LET ME FINISH by UDO GRASHOFF
A collection of suicide notes. Yeah, I'm that morbid.
FART PARTY COMIX by Julia Wertz
Julia's
Fart Party caught me like a slap in the face. Funny, irreverent,
adorably lo-fi. Plus, you get to say you like something called "Fart
Party". Nice!
BLACKSTOCK'S COLLECTIONS by Gregory L. Blackstock
Okay,
admittedly, there isn't much to read in this collection of artistic
cataloging, but it's still a fascinating book. Blackstock is a savant
who draws pages of images, cataloging things from memory.
BUDDHA by Osamu Tezuka
This
will be the last year this is on my list, because the last of the books
in this 8 volume series was released in 2006. A wonderful epic that on
the life of The Buddha. While I am not a fan of manga, I can get lost
in Tezuka's artwork like I did with great illustrations when I was a
kid.
***FAVORITE GRAPHIC NOVELS***
by David, Largehearted Boy
1. FUN HOME: A FAMILY TRAGICOMIC by Alison Bechdel
2. ODE TO KIRIHITO by OSAMU TEZUKA
3. LOUIS RIEL by Chester Brown
4. WE ARE ON OUR OWN by Miriam Katin
5. LA PERDIDA by Jessica Abel
***BOOKS***
by Joseph Rybandt
THE ROAD by Cormac McCarthy
Bleak and brilliant, this one lived up to all the hype. Something I’d like to read over and over and over again…
THE RUINS by Scott Smith
Another one that lived up to the hype, though the
ending was slightly unsatisfying. I think fiction this year was best
served bleak.
WORLD WAR Z by Max Brooks
On the list because it was one of
the few things I read this year that didn’t have pictures (hey, that’s
every year!), but this had a great premise, though Brooks fails at
finding each unique voice. Still, this was the year of the Zombie and
this was a piece of research I didn’t mind reading.
I KEEE YOU!!: A COLLECTION OF OVERHEARDS by Various
Despite
the inclusion of the “bullshit” overheard, this was a great little
read. Bravo, Benn! Get a fact checker as this grows bigger!
DAYBREAK by Brian Ralph
Should
have been an OGN (original graphic novel), and hope I don’t have to wait too long for a second
issue, but I really, really liked this. Goes with the theme I suppose…
THE CHINATOWN DEATH CLOUD PERIL by Paul Malmont
A
nice bit of pseudo historic fiction starring pulp writers Lester Dent
and Walter Gibson (along with Hubbard, Lovecraft, Heinlein and other
period cameos) that, while not as smart as Kavalier and Clay, was more
breezy and fun.
THE LONE RANGER by Various
I work on this one, I’m biased, but I’ve always enjoyed a good western and I think that’s what’s being done here…
ACME NOVELTY LIBRARY #17 by Chris Ware
Feels
more like I should put this on the list than it earns being on the
list, but I still look forward to these as they come out and they’re
always wonderfully designed and that makes them
COMPLETE PEANUTS by Charles M. Schulz
Getting
closer to where I was reading the strip as a kid. Wonderful to see the
evolution of this, something later in life I though “overrated” but
later in life look forward to reading more than about anything.
THE ART OF BRIAN BOLLAND by Brian Bolland
Known
mostly for his covers, he’s also a gifted narrator in this journey
through his body of work; well put together and filled with lots of
great stuff, this was a perfect “art of” book, pending you like the
artist of course…
Things I got in 2006 to read, but haven’t yet
but am sure are going to be great: The Complete Dick Tracy, Segar’s
Popeye, and Disney by Neal Gabler
***TOP POST-APOCALYPTIC BOOKS***
by Benn Ray
THE ROAD by Cormac McCarthy
A father and son trek through a devastated American landscape. In a future devoid of hope, does all action become futile? McCarthy turns in, by all accounts, a masterwork.
DAYBREAK by Brian Ralph
Brian Ralph's first installment of this post-apocalyptic story is a great fusing of engaging narrative (it's a first-person reading experience in this graphic novel) with Brian's awesome subterranean and claustrophobic art.
CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL by Chris Adrian
The earth is flooded, but this one hospital is left afloat. Strange forces come to play within the story, and recollections of a world lost abound.
MONSTER ISLAND by David Wellington
Zombie fiction! Wellington's take of a post-zombie world order (this is set a month after the zombie apocalypse) is surprisingly credible. Plus, he works mummies into the equation.
MONSTER NATION by David Wellington
The second installment of Wellington's zombie trilogy. Here he explains how the dead began to rise.
WORLD WAR Z by Max Brooks
Brooks, son of Mel and author of Zombie Survival Guide, may not be the best writer in the world, but his weapons research and the level of military detail he goes into here is nothing short of impressive.
MARVEL ZOMBIES by Robert Kirkman & Sean Phillips
How long, do you suppose, it would take to destroy the world if superheros like Captain America, Spider-Man and Wolverine became infected with the zombie virus? Not long. And the joy Kirkman & Phillips seem to take in destroying the Marvel superheroes here is contagious.
APOCALYPSE NERD by Peter Bagge
Sure Bagge is painfully slow in completing this story, but it's some of his post work since Hate ended. I just can't help the nagging suspicion that this is limited comic series will just devolve into a bunch of libertarian porn.
***TOP READS ***
by Sarah Pinsker
THE WORST HARD TIME by Tim Egan
I heard the author on NPR
talking about his book, and he said something that made me scramble for
my pen and notebook... the book is brilliant, and devastating, and
paints a vivid picture of the Dust Bowl. I never realized the scope of
those storms.
FRAGILE THINGS by Neil Gaiman
Admittedly, I'm still reading it. Savoring the stories. Gaiman has never let me down.
FUN HOME: A FAMILY TRAGICOMIC by Alison Bechdel
I
like bio-comics, and I've always liked Alison Bechdel too. It was
interesting to read something of hers other than Dykes to Watch Out For.
FABLES by Bill Willingham
Revisionist fairy tale comic from Vertigo. Great writing.
Y: THE LAST MAN by Brian K. Vaughan
One of the quotes on the back says "the best movie of the year is a comic book" or something like that.
RUNAWAYS by Brian K. Vaughan
Written for teenyagers. Clever and fun, and dark in a Joss Whedon-y way.
TOP TEN/SMAX by Alan Moore
I
can't remember which ones came out in 2006, but I read them all this
year in any case. How can anyone write as much as Alan Moore and still
have so much of it be good? Top Ten & its sub-series are novel and
fun. Perhaps best of all, every frame is packed full of references to
classic sci fi and pop culture. Gaiman's Death & Asterix will be
waiting for cabs, while ads for Soylent Green flash on the billboards.
***BOOKS***
by Jamie Watson
After 3 years of serving on a committee that required me to read 200+
books a year, I was a little tired of reading this year, and a lot of
what I read was old stuff. However, I did like:
1. THE BOOK THIEF by Marcus Zusak
Knowing what I've shared with you (that I've probably read 1,000 books
in the last 5 years) to say that this was the best book I've read in
TEN years is high praise indeed. The story of a German orphan living in
WWII Germany, and narrated by Death, wins this praise because it is
just so... satisfactory. I never felt as if I was being manipulated, or
that the prose was showing off. I just felt in the presence of
something creative and wonderful.
2. NICK AND NORAH'S INFINITE PLAYLIST by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn
2 young adult authors wrote this in the alternating voices of our
protaganists - the straight member of a queercore band, and the cynical
daughter of a NY record exec. I loved this book so much I actually
wrote both authors to ask them a question, and they both answered back
within 24 hours.
Levithan: Is there really a strip club in NY in
which the strippers wear nuns habits and strip to Climb Ev'ry Mountain?
Answer: No, only in my imagination.
Cohn: Did you read Please Kill Me? Because your hatred for Patti Smith mirrors mine after I read that book. Answer: Yes!
3. RIP IT UP AND START AGAIN by Simon Reynolds
Postpunk music from 1978-1984 is probably my favorite genre anyway, but
I learned an immense amount about the time period from this READABLE
book. And gained a new appreciation for PIL.
***TOP RELIGIOUS READS***
by Benn Ray
THE GOD DELUSION by Richard Dawkins
With humor, wit, science, and logic, Dawkins dismantles religion. Seriously. Just about every argument posted for religion, Dawkins manages to take apart and turn back on itself.
THE GOSPEL OF THE FLYING SPAGHETTI MONSTER by Bobby Henderson
Collecting the good stuff from the Flying Spaghetti Monster website, Bobby Henderson creates a religion just as credible as any other exiting world religion. In this one, the great creator is an invisible flying spaghetti monster. Sound ridiculous? Okay, PROVE it doesn't exist. See, you can't. Which is exactly how Henderson dismantles modern day creationism (now answering to "intelligent design").
THE QUOTABLE ATHEIST by Jack Huberman
Fun bathroom reading/ammunition for non-believers and other hell-bound types.
***FAVORITE MEMOIRS***
by David, Largehearted Boy
1. REVENGE OF THE ODDBALLS by Hilary Carlip
2. PERISHABLE by Dirk Jamison
3. HEAT by Bill Buford
4. OEDIUPS WRECKED by Kevin Keck
***WELCOME RETURNS FROM OLD FRIENDS IN 2006***
by Benn Ray
THE SUBGENIUS PSYCHLOPAEDIA OF SLACK: THE BOBLIOGRAPHON by J.R. 'Bob' Dobbs, Reverend Ivan Stang
A new installment from the Church of the Subgenius.
PRANKS 2 by V. Vale
A new installment in the Re/Search books series! More stories of great pranks and pranksters.
SPY: THE FUNNY YEARS by editors of Spy Magazine
I didn't realize just how much I missed the antics of SPY magazine until this book came out to celebrate the now-defunct magazines 20th anniversary.
CRAP HOUND #6 by Sean Tejaratchi
Sure, Crap Hound returned with 2005's issue, but I didn't do one of these type of lists then. These last 2 issues have been basically redesigned reprints of the legendary clip-art zine with some brand new pages added.
ANSWER ME: THE FIRST THREE by Jim Goad
Collecting the first 3 of the 4 issues of Goad's extremely controversial zine. Beautiful production from the gang at Scapegoat Publishing. Fun reading.
***FAVORITE YOUNG ADULT NOVELS**
by David, Largehearted Boy
1. ROSE OF NO MAN'S LAND by Michelle Tea
2. IT'S KIND OF A FUNNY STORY by Ned Vizzini
3. KING DORK by Frank Portman
4. MANSTEALING FOR FAT GIRLS by Michelle Embree
5. WOLF BOY by Evan Kuhlman
***TOP MAGAZINES/ZINES***
by Benn Ray
HI-FRUCTOSE by Various
Incredible art toy magazine.
SUPER7 by Various
Designer vinyl with a Japanse focus.
JUXTAPOZ by Various
Lowbrow art zine that only improves with age.
CLUTTER by Various
A UK art toy zine - photos are eye-candy.
MOJO by Various
British music magazine. Fun to thumb through even though most reviews tend to be slightly off since they, y'know, come from a British aesthetic.
BIZARRE MAGAZINE by Various
A very guilty pleasure. Fun with photoshop!
CINEMA SEWER by Robin Bougie
Addictive zine about sleaziod cinema.
GENERATION EXPLOITATION by Various
A good old-fashioned pop-culture ziney zine.
CRAFT MAGAZINE by Various
Craft porn.
MAKE: MAGAZINE by Various
DIY porn.
***TOP READS***
by Michael Tully
THE MAN WHO HEARD VOICES: OR, HOW M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN RISKED HIS CAREER ON A FAIRY TALE by Michael Bamberger
Read this book first, then watch LADY IN THE WATER to officially
blow your mind. Ego and paranoia gone so embarrassingly unchecked that
it is almost impossible to be believed. Funniest book of the year,
hands down!
***FAVORITE THINGS I CONTRIBUTED TO IN 2006***
by Benn Ray
I KEEE YOU!!: A COLLECTION OF OVERHEARDS by Various
Yes,
we published this book, but do you see the title of this category? It's
a self-congratulatory category! Anyway, if it wasn't for the
contributions of dozens of Shank readers (as well as comic artists)
this book wouldn't exist.
THE OVERRATED BOOK by Henry H. Owings & The Chunklet Editors
Compiling
several issues of Chunklet Magazine, plus a lot of new stuff written
specifically for the book (with contributions by several Shank
readers), this book exists to take the piss out of things that need the
piss taken out of. I was one of the saps who helped Henry edit a bunch
of this book, plus wrote some new articles as well. This is not my
book, but I feel very proud to be a part of it. That sounds so freakin'
corny, I know.
NOT MY SMALL DIARY #13 by Deliane Derry Green
A
collection of diary entry comics, focusing around the theme of
Lucky/Unlucky. I have a 1 page comic story in here, as does Brian
Dubin! The production values of NMSD are fantastic for a handmade zine.