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JESSICA ABEL – Artbabe, Soundtrack: Short Stories 1989-1996 & La Perdida

Jaime Hernandez: Starting with “death of Speedy” through “Chester Square,” including unfinished Maggie material in Penny Century & new Love & Rockets W Gary Panter: Jimbo: Adventures in Paradise, Jimbo (the series) and Cola Madnes(spelled just like that. I know . . . he’s a genius) W Blutch (Christian Hincker): Mitchum, Peplum, Blotch W Joe Sacco: Palestine, Safe Area Gorazde W David B.: L’Ascension du Haut Mal parts 1-5 (so far)

BOB CALLAHAN – writes The Dark Hotel & upcoming L.A. Weekly comic Dickyland (w/ artist Harry S. Robbins) & teaches Introduction to Comics at New College of California & UC Extension Berkeley

Best artists this year: Peter Blegvad, The Book of Leviathan (Overlook Press) and Tony Millionaire, who I find in the Weekly

Reprint of the year: Jack Cole and Plastic Man,by Spiegelman & Kidd, Chronicle Books (2001)

Best essays on comics: Reading the Funnies, by Donald Phelps (Fantagraphics)

Most impressive serial of the year: Eightball #22, by Dan Clowes (Fantagraphics)

Best comic culture: A tie between Michael Chabon’s novel The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay (Picador/USA), and the ongoing nightly serial of “Red White & Blue Super Boy versus the Monsters in Afghanistan” (Unocal). Jack Kirby lives!

DAME DARCY – Meatcake

Suehiro Maruo: e.g., Mr. Arashi’s Amazing Freak Show, Blast Books (1992) & Ultra-Gash Inferno, Creation Books (2001) W Tony Millionaire: e.g., Maakies, Fantagraphics Books (2000) & The Adventures of Tony Millionaire’s Sock Monkey, Dark Horse Comics (2000) W Peter Bagge: e.g., Buddy’s Got Three Moms!, Fantagraphics Books (1999) W Archer Prewitt: e.g., Sof’ Boy Econo Combo, Drawn & Quarterly (2000) W Winsor McCay: e.g., Dream of the Rarebit Fiend(introduced 1904) & Little Nemo in Slumberland(introduced 1905) W Illustrator Bonus: Granville (Jean-Ignace-Isidore Gérard), Aubrey Beardsley & Edward Gorey

ELLEN FORNEY – I Was Seven in ’75 & Monkey Food

Weasel, Dave Cooper, Fantagraphics Books (introduced 1999) W A Child’s Life, Phoebe Gloekner, Frog Ltd. (2000) W Underworld (+ Ink Punk+ Bare Bulbs+ Duh), Kaz, Fantagraphics Books (1997) W MAD, The Usual Gang of Idiots (introduced 1952) W Black Hole, Charles Burns, Kitchen Sink Press & now Fantagraphics Books (introduced 1995)

RENEE FRENCH – Marbles in My Underpants & The Soap Lady

Weasel, Dave Cooper, Fantagraphics Books (introduced 1999) W The Sketchbook Diaries, James Kochalka, Top Shelf Productions (2001) W Frank, Jim Woodring, Fantagraphics Books (introduced 1994) W Somnambule, Anke Feuchtenberger, Jochen Enterprises (1998) W Turbulence: A Log Book, Henrik Drescher, Chronicle Books (2001)

JOHN GALLAGHER – Buzzboy

Magic Pickle, Scott Morse, Oni Press (2001) W Opposable Thumbs, Dean Haspiel, Alternative Comics (2001) W Catwoman, Brubaker, Cooke & Allred, DC Comics (2001) W Powers, Bendis & Oeming, Image Comics (2001) W Spirit Archives, Will Eisner, DC Comics (introduced 2000) W Bonus Track: Hicksville, Dylan Horrocks, Black Eye Books (1998)

GILBERT HERNANDEZ – Love & Rockets(w/ Jaime Hernandez), Girl Crazy, New Love & upcoming Luba in America

Favorite all-around comic book: The Adventures of Little Archie #20, Giant Comics (1961) W Favorite grown-up (?!) comic books: The Complete Crumb Comics, R. Crumb, Fantagraphics Books (introduced 1987) W Favorite comic strip: Dick Tracy, Chester Gould, First printed in New York Daily News and Detroit Mirror (1931) W Favorite comic book series by a sibling:Locas (Maggie and Hopey), Jaime Hernandez, Fantagraphics Books (2000) W Favorite superhero comic books:The Fantastic Four, Kirby & Lee, Marvel Comics (introduced 1961)

DYLAN HORROCKS – Hicksville & Atlas

King Cat, B.u.L.B. Comix (1998) & Perfect Example, Highwater Books (2000), John Porcellino W Acme Novelty Library, Chris Ware, Fantagraphics Books (introduced 1993) W Tintin, Hergé (Georges Remi), originally published in Le Petit Vingtiéme (introduced 1929) W Skibber Bee Bye, Ron Rege Jr., Highwater Books (2000) W Silly Daddy: A Death in the Family, Joe Chiappetta, self-published (1999)

CAROL LAY – Story Minute, Joy Ride and Other Stories & Strip Joint

The Komplete Kolor “Krazy Kat,” George Herriman, edited by Rick Marschall, Slumberland Productions (1996) W Addams and Evil(or any album of cartoons) Charles Addams (Addams Family introduced 1937) W Uncle Scrooge and Donald Duck comics, Carl Barks, Disney Productions (introduced 1954) W “Pee Dog” by the Shit Generation, Jay Condom (Cotton) & Gary Panter (c. 1985) W The Smithsonian Collection of Newspaper Comics, Blackbeard & Williams, Smithsonian Institution Press (1977)

TONY MILLIONAIRE – Sock Monkey & Maakies

Snake ‘N’ Bacon’s Cartoon Cabaret, Michael Kupperman, Avon books (2000) W Strip Joint, Carol Lay, Kitchen Sink Press (1998) W Duh: Underworld 4, Kaz, Fantagraphics Books (2001) W Meatcake, Dame Darcy, Fantagraphics Books (introduced 1989) W The Magic Whistle, Sam Henderson, Alternative Comics (introduced 1998) W “You may notice that these are all friends of mine . . . that’s why I chose them.” —T.M.

RAFEAL NAVARRO – Sonambulo

Kirby’s Fourth World, Jack Kirby, DC Comics (1970-1973) W 1970s Captain America, Jack Kirby creator, Marvel Comics (introduced 1941) W Popeye, E.C. Segar, first appeared in Evening Journal in 1929 W Brother Voodoo,Wein, Colan & Giordano, Marvel Comics (introduced 1973) W Jack Chick’s comics, Chick Publications (introduced in 1960s), modern-day morality tales in fun comic format!

DAVID REES – “Get Your War On” & “My New Fighting Technique Is Unstoppable”

Ben Jones’ work, “Alfe,” “Thaz” & “Horace,” Contemporary Boston-based comic artist W Ten Ever-Lovin’ Blue-Eyed Years With Pogo, Walt Kelly, Simon & Schuster (1959) W Krazy Kat books, George Herriman W Saul Steinberg’s books, e.g., The Passport,Random House (1979) W Edward Gorey’s books, e.g., Amphigorey,Perigee (1980)

JOHNNY RYAN – Angry Youth Comix

Haw!, Ivan Brunetti, Fantagraphics Books (2001) W Duh: Underworld 4, Kaz, Fantagraphics Books (2001) W Eightball, Daniel Clowes, Fantagraphics Books (introduced 1989) W Hate Annual #2, Peter Bagge, Fantagraphics Books (2001) W Lowjinx #3, Kurt Wolfgang, Noe-Fie Mono-Media (2001) W Fuzz & Pluck: Splitsville, Ted Stearn, Fantagraphics Books (2001)