Who needs titles, anyway? It's comics time.

Internet Darlings, I must admit, I have been slacking with my posts. Mea Culpa, Mea Culpa. I solemnly swear to attempt to do better. Today I will be taking you on a whirlwind tour of one of my favorite pastimes: comic books. I know, I can hear you now, in your squeaky little voices, "But comics aren't art, Kate. I thought this blog was about art. Blah blah blah." If you think that, my lovelies, you have obviously been reading the wrong comics. There are some gorgeous illustrations, and extremely sophisticated story lines out there. Here is a list of some of my favorite books/series, in no particular order.

Ghostopolis -Doug TenNapel

Ghostopolis is a whimsical story about the afterlife, centered around a youg boy mistakenly sent to the land of the dead, and the efforts of those still on “the other side” to retrieve him. Everybody from my roommate to my father enjoys this story.

Y: The Last Man - Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra

Y is an interesting variation on the idea of the last man on earth. And by man, I mean literal Y chromosome, not human.

Oh, and it pays tribute to Mary Shelley. So read it.

V for Vendetta - Alan Moore

People should not fear their governments; governments should fear their people. As with most of Alan Moore’s work, V for Vendetta is deeply political, and has a complex storyline.

Also, Guy Fawkes is a major theme. And Guy Fawkes Day is my favorite holiday. So it gives me another reason to love it.

The Sandman - Neil Gaiman

Oh, The Sandman. At the tender age of twelve or so, I stumbled across the Sandman series in my older brothers room, and have been hooked since. Set in the DC universe, The Sandman blends mythology, folklore, and a few familiar comic characters in a way that is impossible not to like.

Arkham Asylum - Grant Morrison

Since the 1980’s, Batman has been one of DC Comic’s darker heroes. He is also one of the few who does not possess superpowers of any sort. Arkham Asylum is an extremely dark psychological thriller, with amazing artwork (once again by Dave McKean). Read it, love it, have nightmares.

Pictures That Tick - Dave McKean

Pictures That Tick is brilliant series of short narratives with a very heavy emphasis on aesthetics. IT'S FREAKING DAVE MCKEAN, JUST READ IT.

Flink - Doug TenNapel

A young boy is stranded after the plane he is on crashes in the forest, and he is helped out by a Sasquatch named Flink.

Maus – Art Spiegelman

The story of the Holocaust retold with mice. It is heartbreaking.

It was also the first comic book to win a Pulitzer Prize.

Watchmen – Alan Moore

I know Watchmen is on everybody’s favorite comics list, but there is a reason for that. It revolutionized the way that comics were made, and was one of the first mainstream comics to employ dark and overtly political themes.

Power Up - Doug TenNapel

A charming story about a man who discovers a video game that lets him affect the real word. And it has this really fat cat named Moby in it.

I know I have mentioned Doug TenNapel a lot, but the man is a genius. And he created Earthworm Jim!

I could go on for hours about all the comic books I have read, but I feel like that might overwhelm you. So start with these and I promise to post another list eventually.