12/09/08
Text: Bryan Hood
At this point it's obvious that we here at Anthem know how to appreciate a good comic book when we see one. Because of this we wanted to take a minute to shine a light on one of our favorite publishers, Buenaventura Press. In our opinion the Oakland-based publisher has released some of the most exciting art comics of the last few years.
Any talk about Buenaventura Press―and art comics in general―has to start with Kramers Ergot 7. The Sammy Harkham edited anthology is one of the most eagerly anticipated comic releases in recent memory and with good reason. The gorgeous full colored tome measures a massive 21" X 16," affording its all star roster of creators (Dan Clowes, Chris Ware, and Jaime Hernandez, just to name a few) more room to play with than any cartoonists have had since the full page Sunday comic strips of early 20th century newspapers.
There's a lot more to Buenaventura Press output than Kramers Ergot, though. At first Boy's Club doesn't seem like much, but Matt Furie's stories of twisted Muppet-like monsters getting wasted and relaxing is easily one of the most satisfying reading experiences of the year. In lesser hands a comic like this would be filled with cheap one note stoner humor, but Furie offers up a pitch perfect portrayal of what it feels like to hang out with some good friends.
Injury Comics is the closest thing Buenaventura Press has to a typical superhero comic, but it's no less artistic than any of the publishers other offerings. Each issue features two main stories, one concerning recollections from a youth spent listening to heavy metal and the other an ongoing beat 'em up action serial. Ted May, Jason Robards and Jeff Wilson's comics are soaked in energy, capturing the life that's missing from so many other comics.
When surveying the art comics scene it's easy to get the impression that good comics have to be overly serious and depressing. This doesn't have to be the case. A comic can look beautiful, make you think, and be fun to read at the same time. Amusement and artistic merit do not have to be mutually exclusive. Luckily, Buenaventura Press realizes this, because in the end isn't that why we began reading comics in the first place?
