Of course you haven’t sir!
Chapter 162: Holiday Giveaways and Movie Takeaways...
Seeing Yourself in Movies About Weirdos!
A Holiday Giveaway!
My New Books Out This Week!
Not My New Books Out This Week!
The Mixtape!
Hello again.
Hope your week is going well. I just watched the film SOUND IT OUT by Jeanie Finlay last night. It’s a very sweet documentary about an independent record store in northern England. As someone who has worked in record shops, put out records, worked in comic shops, put out comics, and frequented those places my whole life, there was something so familiar and comforting in it all. The owner, the employees, the customers, it all felt so wonderfully universal. It’s very easy to look at these things we do from a distance, the collecting and obsessing, and see the flaws. It is so often shown through the lens of compulsion and obsession, and people who just don’t quite fit right in the world. But a great record shop, like a great comic shop, is actually a celebration of those things. A place for those who care about specificity, the experience, the feel, the minutiae. They are places for all of the oddballs to find themselves and their kind. And the movie does a great job of showing how powerful that can all be. There is a great moment when they interview a pair of young metalhead/punk kids who talk about how there are no judgements inside the shop. And you see it in action. The 80’s fans, the EDM DJs, the indie rockers, the punks, all of them are treated as kindred spirits because thats what they are.
I think a lot about the comic shop I grew up going to and how it shaped the man I am today, and how I hope there are thousands of others out there right now finding the same home among the longboxes and crowded shelves. SOUND IT OUT did a great job reminding me that there are places like that all over the world, and we’re lucky to have them. Check out the movie if you get a chance. And support indie shops this holiday season (and always).
For the last bunch of years* I’ve done a comic giveaway around the holidays. The idea is simple. Lots of folks are having a rough time and can’t afford gifts for loved ones. I have a lot of comics in my house. These two things can maybe cancel each other out. So I offer to have people shoot me an email and I’ll try to mail them some signed comics. Not the craziest contest, but it’s fun in it’s simplicity.
The rules are pretty simple.
1) Please only email if you're having a hard time affording gifts and have someone who might like some comics. I only have so many comics to give out and so much money for shipping. I wish I could give to everyone, but I can't. Thanks for being understanding.
2) Are you having a rough time and can't afford to get yourself anything? That's fine! You deserve gifts too. Just email me. But again, this isn't for collectors who just want signed books. It's for those who can't afford right now.
3) All you have to do is email me your name, mailing address, and what comic you might like (or age of the person you're giving to if not sure.) -
Matthew.Rosenberg.Comics@gmail.com
I don't need essays or explanations of why you can't afford comics or need these. I trust you.
4) Oh, and it stinks to have to do, but I can probably only send stuff to people in the United States. International shipping costs means I could send like 1/5 as many packages out. I'm sorry.
I have issues and collected editions of WHAT’S THE FURTHEST PLACE FROM HERE?, 4 KIDS WALK INTO A BANK, WE CAN NEVER GO HOME, and random issues of my DC and Marvel stuff like THE JOKER, WILDC.A.T.S., PUNISHER, DC VS VAMPIRES, and X-MEN. Even some variants. Let me know if there is something specific you want and I'll do my best. I am hoping to mail out around 50 packages in time for the holidays. So if more than 50 people email me I will be picking at random. I'm sorry I can't do more. But if you'd be cool with digital comics let me know. That helps ensure that another person can get a comic from me.
That’s basically it.
I posted this on twitter and facebook and had a lot of very kind people reach out and offer to send me money or do things to support me. That’s very kind, and I really appreciate it. But I have money and comics. If you want to do something nice yourself please feel free to donate some comics to those less fortunate.
And if you really want to help me out in this, feel free to buy WHAT’S THE FURTHEST PLACE FROM HERE? from your local comic shop or directly from us if they don’t have it. Read ‘em, give ‘em as gifts, donate ‘em to the library. Whatever. People buying my books is what allows me to do this every year. But again, there are many people who could use your kindness far more than me.
*I took a year off after I sent a person some comics for the holiday and then he emailed me told me he was going to “put me down” because I support “gay stuff” and “the China virus hoax.” Which, in his defense, he was half right.
I have two books I am very excited about in comic shops this week.
WHAT’S THE FURTHEST PLACE FROM HERE? #16 is a big, pivotal moment in our story. And it’s a bit sad. But so pretty.
BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #7 has a Batman: Black & White story from me, Matteo Scalera, and Clayton Cowles.
I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say that Matteo is one of the best artists in comics, and this was such an honor for me to get to ride his coattails. If you’ve never read his stuff you owe it to yourself to go BLACK SCIENCE and KING OF SPIES. And then watch the excellent youtube show he is on with the also brilliant Eric Canete and Shawn Krystal- Inkpulp.
Another Wednesday, another bunch of new comic recommendations.
A bunch of you were very excited last week when I mentioned the Ryan Cady and Morgan Beem’s WOLFSBANE Kickstarter, so I’m going to shout out another one I’m excited about. Don’t get used to it.
This book is incredibly up my alley, but I think will be up a lot of yours too. THE HISTORY OF HARDCORE graphic novel by Hunter Delaney has a few days left.
It looks super fun and informative. I hope he dedicates at least 100 pages to explaining all the lineup changes in Black Flag. If you are into music comics or punk rock check it out.
Onto some cool stuff in comic shops this week-
ALL EIGHT EYES collected edition by Steve Foxe, Piotr Kowalski, Brad Simpson, & Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou. I loved this one. The overlooked corners of NYC are the hunting ground of giant spiders and the people who hunt them. It’s funny, creepy, and a smart update of classic B movie ideas and tone for the 21st century audience. Grab a copy.
CRAVE #1 by Maria Llovet. Maria is one of those artists who I will buy whatever they do, and Crave is a good showcase of why. Her gorgeous art handles her balance of erotic and horrifying so perfectly. This story of a new hookup app that starts to become something far more sinister is off to a great start.
BARBARIC: WRONG KIND OF RIGHTEOUS One Shot by Michael Moreci, Nicholas Eames, Nathan Gooden, and Julius Ohta. I’ve talked before about my love for the Barbaric series. They’ve built a rich fantasy world that isn’t afraid to take itself too seriously. A great mix of sword & sorcery and comedic violence makes it always feel fresh. And this one shot keeps that tradition up perfectly.
NEMESIS THE WARLOCK vol. 1 by Pat Mills and Kevin O’Neill. One of the legendary 2000AD series from the minds behind books like MARSHAL LAW and LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN, if you’ve ever read their stuff you know what to expect. Beautiful art, wild characters, brilliant world-building, and a story that never goes where you expect in the best way. If you’ve never read any of their stuff you owe it to yourself to change that. This is a good place to start.
DIRTY PANTIES byMaybelline Skvortzoff. The story of a young woman who decides to sell her underpants online that begins her discovery and understanding of a world of boundaries, sex work, and the relationships between economics and sex. If you’re a fan of creators like Chester Brown or Joe Matt this should definitely be on your radar.
I guess that’s it for this week. Now go buy some comics.
Geordie Walker did it as well as anyone, for longer than almost everyone, and was cool as hell doing it the whole time. Rest in peace to one of the best.
That’s it.
Stay safe. Take care of each other. When was the last time you bought something at a record store?
-Matthew Rosenberg
NYC 11/29/23
Ah the ol’ “thanks for doing that nice thing, I’M COMING FOR YOU”.
Hurts the soul.
So, once a couple years back, Bad Idea did a thing where they sent us a comic we had to sell for $1 at most, and it could only be sold on that day. (Originally, they said we had to technically ship any mail order that day too, but quietly walked that back).
We decided to take that ask, and raise money for an LGBTQIA2S+ organization, by “giving the book away” with a donation. One of our mail orders was LIVID. We couldn’t “use his money in that way”. A quick search of his name turned out a bunch of horrible garbage opinions.
We told him we can actually do whatever we want in these types of situations. We were breaking no rules. The decision was made to send him the items he preordered, and he’d look elsewhere to get his Bad Idea books. This, after some threats from him.
So. When we got the last book he had prepaid for, and sent off his books with a note thanking him for his time purchasing from us, and notifying him that we had donated 100% of the money he spent with us to the LGBTQIA2S+ organization, and did so. Seemed like the thing to do.
There’s been some scary moments over the years, but kindness above all. This is what we choose. But I will admit, it is also fun to be a bit petty about it when the opportunity arrives.
Happy Holidays!!!
Love Ashcan Press and all the awesomeness!!!
Reflecting on the best stories and panels ever created:
1. Multiple Man in Uncanny X-Men (2018) where Legion made a ton of him and took over his body (sorry if this is a spoiler for anyone), this story made me fall in love with X-Men all over again
2. In one of the early issues of WITFPFH someone gets punched and their bowtie spins (I hope my kids grow up to appreciate these kind of moments)
I made the connection today that they both involve people being punched (not sure how that reflects on me), and also the Rosenberg factor (so thank you for these moments in comic history) - I was going to tell you outside the convention hall at NYCC, but I was eating a rice bowl and then realized I lost my window of opportunity. Got to say what's up to Mr. Boss and got an amazing remarq, and he told me about how you didn't want his dog coming to the city.
*Side quest(ion): did the packages ship for the founders or super friends or whatever substacks calls us?