HOMETOWN HEROES INDY SPOTLIGHT!

Here at Zanadu, we believe that Independent comics are the backbone of the comic book industry. Since 1975, Zanadu has provided a stage upon which the burgeoning local talent can perform through our consignment program and today our local and indy section is larger than ever. In fact, it may very well be the largest local comix section in the city, but hey, who's counting? All we know is that comic creators need all the help they can get because let's face it, they spend countless hours toiling in the darkness to bring forth some soul tormenting story that dwells within them for absolutely zero money and usually little to no acclaim, but where would the industry be today if not for the tireless efforts of the visionary creators who braved the hellish onslaught of personal and professional struggle? So get in on the ground floor of the next big thing in comics or just sample the local flavor, there is always something unique to find on the racks of Zanadu.

This week's spotlighted Seattle creator is MARK FALKEY, writer/artist/stapler of the one-man anthology AUTOFAC! A true holdover of the indie zine revolution, AUTOFAC tells raw tales of human folly spliced with a mutated metaphysicality worthy of Cronenberg. Unnerving, edgy, and all too human, the black and white ultra-DIY series is a real underground gem.

Mark's work can also be found online at auto-fac.blogspot.com, and he can be reached by email at mfalkey@gmail.com

NEW LOCAL COMICS!!!

PURPLE PEOPLE EATER #1

(W) (A) Andrew Shons

The threat of the Purple People Eater has long been the subject of childhood nightmares. Andrew Shons has taken the classic myth and given this boogieman a history and motivations for his gastronomical predilections. Presented in sharp chiaroscuro with a 2-color screen printed cover, Shons presents the gory story in near-rhyme and staccato non-meter. Also includes activity pages and a very disturbing cookbook.

2-Color screen print cover by Andrew Shons

NEW INDY COMICS!!!

DEATH SAVES: FALLEN HEROES OF THE KITCHEN TABLE HC

(W) Various, (A) Various, Josh Trujillo, editor
Introduction by Adam Koebel (co-creator Dungeon World, RPG Game of the Year - 2012)

Some tales are funny, others tragic, others something else entirely. No matter what the adventure, real relationships between players often impact a fantasy characters fate as much as the dice.

Featuring 2d20+3 creators from around the world, Death Saves collects 17 all-new comic book stories about what happens when fantasy tabletop gaming characters run out of hit points.

"The human imagination is still the most powerful tool we have as a people, and fictional worlds challenge us to think in new ways and to discover different ways to understand each other" - President Barack Obama.

Death Saves cover design by Jared Morgan, Love Machines cover by Levi Hastings

LOVE MACHINES HC

(W) Josh Trujillo (A) Various
At the intersection of romance and technology lies the Love Machines. This hardcover collects the first 6 issues of this blockbuster independent anthology, now in Full Color. Featuring the art of 20 indy creators, including Colin Anderson, Ben Bishop, Kevin Castaniero, JT Cole, Kate Glasheen, Ryo Kawakami, Marissa Louise, Adam Pruett, Kendra Wells and many, many more. Copies available at Zanadu Comics are autographed by Ben Bishop!

"Josh's machines have as much soul as their human counterparts." Ed Luce (Wuvable Oaf)

"These stories never take the conventional route. Their inventiveness, heart and lack of cynicism reveal a searching thoughtfulness and genuine humanism." - Joshua Dysart (Harbinger)

NEW LOCAL COMIX!!

From highly prolific creator BEN HORAK (Grump Toast) comes not one, not two, but THREE new comics guaranteed to be weird and awesome!!

THE OLD LADY'S SKIN

(W) Anne Bean (A) Ben Horak

A darkly funny retelling of a forgotten fairy tale. A young princess is unfairly exiled from her family's castle. Along with her trusty servant she concocts a scheme that involves a very grisly costume.

BULLHOOK ALLEY AND FIENDS

(W/A) Ben Horak

BULLHOOK ALLEY! Serialized on the back page of 'Intruder Comix Newspaper' from 2014 to 2016, now completely collected into one volume with an all new epilogue! This collection also contains comic shorts and sketchbook pages from the mind of Ben Horak! The fun awaits!

THANKS FOR THE SOUR PERSIMMONS, COUSIN

(W/A) Ben Horak & Pat Barrett

It’s another miserable day on a full-ass bus when an Angel descends bearing the gift of Unity! That’s when things really get ugly. Thanks for the Sour Persimmons, Cousin spins from slice-of-life comedy, through gruesome body horror, and into an examination of the pressures of the lifestyle angelic.

The comic is also the first team-up of CCS alumni Ben Horak & Pat Barrett. Haven’t heard of em? They make Grump Toast and Oak & Linden comics, respectively. Never seen those? Well they’ve also both been in Irene, if that helps. Still not ringing a bell? Awww that’s OK, I haven’t heard of em either, and I’m one of em!

LOCAL COMICBOOK SPOTLIGHT!!

STARGAZERS #1-3

(W) Aaron Swetnam (A) Sarah Russell

In September, 2010, a spooky and celestial incident at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station forever alters the lives of five people. Stargazers follows each one of their journeys after the incident as they traverse their extraterrestrial evolutions. This sprawling tale takes our characters across the globe and far away from it to fantastical places in which realities and beings exist that were only supposed to be the stuff of make-believe. Even though their paths diverge, our characters are eventually thrust back together in order to better understand their freaky origins and to maybe even just save their very existence. The series draws inspiration from: Bronze Age cosmic comics, Sci-Fi films of the 80's and 90's, video games, Rick and Morty, Aaron's insane and evil cat, Post It, and countless other things that happen to inspire.
Stargazers is the debut comic book series from Seattle based creators Aaron Swetnam and Sarah Russell.

All three issues are available for purchase in our "Hometown Heroes" section featuring independently crafted comics from the PNW as well across the country! So put down that Batman comic and broaden your horizon with some homemade masterpieces!

More info at bullyghostcomics.com

HOMETOWN HEROES - A SPOTLIGHT ON THE SEATTLE COMIC BOOK SCENE!

Here at Zanadu, we have always prided ourselves on stocking independent and small press comic books that you won't find anywhere else. It is our continuing goal to highlight the vibrant comic book scene that exists here in the Pacific Northwest and across the country.
Our newly expanded local section, dubbed, "Hometown Heroes" is overflowing with energetic, exotic and exciting new creations from the best and brightest of Seattle's comic book underground.

Over the next few weeks, we will be highlighting different books and their creators, so keep checking back for the latest in local comix!!

This week's feature--

ROBERT TRITTHARDT
ARTIST/WRITER

Robert Tritthardt makes comics and illustrations using mainly traditional Pen & Ink tools. He has two weekly webcomics, Writhe and Shine and Overcast With A Chance Of DOOM! Both strips are centered around characters in the dark alternative subculture. Robert is based in Seattle, WA and is truly one of the most hardworking cartoonists to live in this town.

Check out a preview of the books we have in stock below and make sure to peruse the local section next time you visit the store!
https://www.patreon.com/tritthardt
http://www.roberttritthardt.com/

OVERCAST WITH A CHANCE OF DOOM! TP

(W/A) Robert Tritthardt

Chance of Doom is about Doomie, a creepy girl followed by the demons of her past and she finds herself living in a haunted house with four other weird roommates in Seattle. When a group of gamers use a Ouija board and accidentally open a trans-dimensional portal, Doomie finds it harder to escape her mysterious past. The ghost that haunts her room may be able to help, but only if she can find a way to communicate with him.

This 56 page book collects the first 158 comic strips of your favorite haunted house IN FULL COLOR!

Features 11 pages of fan art by Aaron Alexovich, Jordan Kotzebue, Carrie Potter, Bill Holbrook, Tedd Walley, Michael Yakutis, Abigail Larson, Courtney Huddleston and James Taylor, Dimi Macheras, cd poe, and Karl Christian Krumpholz.

WRITHE AND SHINE IN "TONIGHT ONLY"

(W/A) Robert Tritthardt

A further look into the lives of the people running the show in the New Orleans Goth scene. The gang promotes a show of Writhe's favorite band as Shine's ex, Demona, attempts to undermine it with her own event. Catch a glimpse of Shine's past, witness bizarre outfit choices, and see how Writhe deals with a stalker right before meeting the girl of his dreams! Special guest appearance by Bella Morte! Bonus stories by Rain Polsky and Karl Christian Krumpholz!

Issue #2 "Tonight Only" is a complete Writhe and Shine story in itself! If you've only read the stuff on the website then you haven't seen any of this! The material would fall before comic strip #175.

EMPLOYEE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR 7/20!!

ONCE OUR LAND #1

(W/A/CA) Peter Ricq

An amazing debut comic from a visionary new creator! Once Our Land is a post-apocalyptic tale set in 1830s Germany. It is the tale of two survivors, Ingrid and Fritz, as they battle each day against mysterious invaders that have surfaced and wiped out everything they once knew. A fantasy, sci-fi, period, and action story rolled into one epic package, Once Our Land is destined to be an all-ages classic!

RECOMMENDED BY CASEY!!

NEW INDY COMICS!!

LOW LIGHT #1

(W/A) Tristan Wright

32 page comic about strange trains and puddles and people.

Contains story: Late Night Special

8.5x11 Black and White

Drawn in Oakland, California

Printed in Berkeley in December of 2015

More comics and cool stuffs at tristanwright.com!

EMPLOYEE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR 4/1!!

DALLAS MERCHANT AND THE KEEPERS OF THE BLOOD MANDALA #1

(A/W) Dimi Macheras and Casey Silver

Delve into the unknown with 80% Studios’ newest adventure—DALLAS MERCHANT and the KEEPERS of the BLOOD MANDALA!
Trained in the ancient art of Mandala Magicks, Dallas must use all of her occult knowledge to rescue her Grandfather from the depths of the reality web itself—a journey that will take her from the radiated shores of America to the sprawling Megazaars of Nu-Delhi! Accompanied by the secretive SYD VIGIL and her ever faithful pug, Atilla the Tongue, Dallas will discover that every secret has a price and some are more costly than others…

Cover art by Dimi Macheras

Recommended by Casey (natch)

NEW INDY COMIC

STILL GN

Kat Tuesday (w/a)

Based on a Japanese Noh drama, Still tells the story of a young man who needs a change of scenery. On an excursion to the seaside he meets a pair of sisters whose co-dependency draws him into an emotional whirlpool. A slightly disturbing look at the artistic temperment and the human need for companionship. 64 pages. B&W.

STILL cover art by kat tuesday

NEW LOCAL COMIX!!!

KILL THE WIZARD #3
(W/A) Mark Allender

The third installment of Allender's epic quest is now available. This mostly wordless fantasy adventure is really heating up, with our valiant hero facing off against zombie bridge guards and a giant bat and getting a few steps closer to finding his missing wife and child. We also discover the advantages of magical armor and having a sentient dragon for your left-arm prosthetic.

NEW INDY COMIX!!

From long time cartoonist and creator of the Horror of Collier County, Rich Tommaso, comes three new books filled with Vikings, tigers and Zoloft that spans the genres of historical fiction, crime and horror! Check out Tommaso's website for more cool stuff!!

DRY COUNTY

(W/A) Rich Tommaso

To place danger, mystery and excitement into the humdrum life of a slacker Miami youth is what really gives this crime novel the punch it needs to deliver not only a slice of life piece, but an honest-to-God crime story told in the classic sense.

24 pages, 5.5 X 8.5", B&W with Color cover

 

VIKING'S END

(W/A) Rich Tommaso

Gunnar is a Viking warrior of the old order, a true pagan who rejects the new ways of the Christian faith, a religion that is quickly spreading throughout Europe and throughout his homeland. After severing an engagement to a Christian Scandinavian girl--a union that would have quelled a war between two families--he's sent to England to war again with his family's enemies overseas.

20 pages, 7.25" X 11", B&W with color covers.

 

DON'T LOOK BACK!

(W/A) Rich Tommaso

A one-shot comic about the horrors of reuniting with an old flame... however, the difference in this case is that Fran (The Horror Of Collier County) DeCarlo's ex hubby just happens to be Vlad Dracula!

32-pages, 7.25 X 11", B&W.

NEW INDY COMIX!!

THE REACH OF THE MIND #1

(W/A) Sam Bell

Like a deranged man driven to compulsions beyond his own control, Howard unearthed this artifact of the arcane from Seattle's premiere small press festival, Short Run, now in its third year. Direct from the UK, Sam Bell is a name that may not be on your radar now, but for anyone interested in the darkly surreal netherworlds of nightmares rendered with an all too familiar clarity, this book will be sure to engrave his name upon your consciousness!! Follow the downward spiral into the depths of darkness with this gorgeously illustrated Lovecraftian-esque comic!!

BEAT THE HEAT WITH COPRA!!

COPRA #9

(W/A) Michel Fiffe

Emerald crime empresses from alternate dimensions. Plus, a lot of pink. These are all good things.

INDY COMIX SPOTLIGHT

Direct from Edinburgh, UK, via New Orleans comes TOASTY CATS #6 by Magda Boreysza. This wordless comic tells a story of survival amidst a colony of shrews threatened by a snake. Also includes several one-page studies of mythical beasts, and a back-up story about a fox who falls in love with a comet. Of course, being a wordless comic, my pitiful attempt to capture the haunting beauty of this book pales in comparison to the actual comic. Come on in and see it for yourself.

Toasty Cats #6 Cover by Magda Boreysza

Toasty Cats #6 interior

EMPLOYEE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR 5/15!!

REMIND HC VOL 02

(W/A) Jason Brubaker

The search for the truth about his mysterious transformation has led Victuals back home, where he finds his old body inhabited by King Erzatz of the Lizard men. But an even greater and more ancient danger lurks still deeper beneath them, one whose rise could spell the doom of their underwater world. Foreword by Skottie Young.

Also receiving volume 1 as well--
All Sonja wanted was to find her missing cat, Victuals, but when he washes up on the shore of her sleepy coastal town several days later with a head full of stitches and the startling ability to speak her quiet life is forever changed. Together they set out to solve the mystery of his disappearance, embarking on a journey that leads to a strange kingdom under the waves and into the heart of a royal power struggle!!

Proud to say we stocked the first volume of this book about a year ago and happy to see it being offered on a national level! Find it at Zanadu first!

RECOMMENDED BY PERRY!!