Highlighting some great small press comics criticism being published, as well as other random things that have caught my eye over the past week.

 COMICS CRITICISM


 * Alex Hoffman reviews Thu Tran’s DUST PAM, which he describes as “a fever dream, a surreal experiment in color, and a fractured burst of manic light.”

 * Hoffman then takes apart the book adaptation and design flaws in ICELAND by Yuichi Yokyama by Retrofit Comics.

 * Tom Baker pens this interesting take on PERFECT HAIR by Tommi Parrish, where the “recurring themes of loneliness, self-preservation, and the complications of adulthood come through loud and clear.”

 * Alenka Figa on Keren Katz’s THE ACADEMIC HOUR. This is a book about which I have continuously linked some great writing (Figa’s take is no exception), yet I still haven’t read. I don’t know what this is all about or why I’m even mentioning it, though. Sorry.

 * Alex Thomas does a quick round-up review of three books — BAKING WITH KAFKA by Tom Gauld, GOOD NEWS BIBLE from Shaky Kane, and BOAT VOLUME 3 by David Lumsden — in his INDIE COMICS ROUND-UP.

 * Emily Gosling on Charlotte Salomon’s LIFE? OR THEATRE? in a feature titled “The Tale of Nazi Persecution, Suicide, and Beautifully Wrought Image-Making the Prefigures Today’s Graphic Novels“. (Thanks for the heads up on this one, Dominic Umile!)

 * Andy Oliver points out that Josh Hicks is set to release the second issue of his GLORIOUS WRESTLING ALLIANCE series at Thought Bubble on September 23rd.

 * Hillary Brown takes a look at the implications of panel layouts in Seth’s PALOOKAVILLE 23.

 * Rob Kirby presents an excerpt from Mimi Pond’s THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS WRONG.

 * While not particularly about a small press comic, Alex Mansfield‘s WHY SAGA IS SUCH AN EFFECTIVE GATEWAY COMIC is still a pretty damn good read.

* Finally, Some Guy has been writing reviews for Comicon.com. First, AN INTRODUCTION TO ALCOHOL by Karl Christian Krumpholz. Then HOT SUMMER NIGHTS by Freddy Carrasco (shhhhhhh…. that guy was me).
WHATNOT


 * Rob McMonigal is filling Panel Patter with posts called SPX SPOTLIGHT which, interestingly enough, spotlights things about this year’s upcoming SPX. SEE YOU THERE!

 * If you haven’t read it yet, your MUST READ this week is Ta-Nehisi Coates‘ THE FIRST WHITE PRESIDENT.

 * Katy Waldman‘s JOHN ASHBERY’S CONVEX MIRROR.