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Bill Kartalopoulos
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The Best American Comics 2016 Kindle & comiXology

by Roz Chast (Author, Editor), Bill Kartalopoulos (Author, Editor) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 out of 5 stars 31 ratings

“There’s something thrilling about seeing people invent new ways to tell their story. To me, it’s proof that the art form of comics is healthy: it lives and grows and reinvents itself. It’s alive!”
–Roz Chast, from the Introduction
 
FEATURING Lynda Barry, Kate Beaton, Cece Bell, Geneviève Elverum, Ben Katchor, John Porcellino, Joe Sacco, Adrian Tomine, Chris Ware, Julia Wertz, and others
 
Roz Chast, guest editor, was born in Brooklyn, New York. Her cartoons began appearing in The New Yorker in 1978. Since then she has published hundreds of cartoons and written or illustrated more than a dozen books. Her memoir Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant? was a #1 New York Times bestseller and a 2014 National Book Award Finalist.
 
Bill Kartalopoulos, series editor, is a comics critic, educator, curator, and editor. He teaches courses about comics at Parsons and at the School of Visual Arts. He lives in Brooklyn, New York. For more information please visit: on-panel.com.

 

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  1. Part of series
    The Best American: Comics
  2. Print length
    400 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Mariner Books
  5. Publication date
    October 4, 2016
  6. File size
    846.7 MB
  7. Page Flip
    Not Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Not Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Not Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Every piece in this anthology is worthy of attention." —COMICS ALTERNATIVE

“The incomparable Roz Chast puts her unique, delightful stamp on this book right up front… She's rounded up a delicious diversity of talent, particularly women…. the printing quality is excellent. The color is rich and the transitions are delicate.”—Etelka Lehoczky, NPR

“Female artists and slice-of-life tales make up the best of the Best comics of the year on Roz Chast’s watch….There’s quite a bit of entertaining and emotional heft…But there’s some time for fun, too.” —USA TODAY

“A wonderful collection of the top notch from the old stars’n’strips. The comics contained here range from the down-and-out to the psychedelic and back again, each carefully chosen by the great Roz Chast.” —LARGEHEARTED BOY BLOG

“Every last page is worth a look.” —BUSTLE
 
“Best American Comics proves to be an essential and inspiring guidebook… You’ll definitely want to read this year’s edition and make it a habit to keep up with this most distinctive collection.” —COMICS GRINDER
 
“We are living in a time of AMAZING COMICS. There’s so much work, and so much of it is good, and we don’t even know how lucky we are. Bill Kartalopoulos does.” —HYPERALLERGIC
 
“Kartalopoulos has demonstrated since taking over the reins with the 2014 book, [that] setting the high bar is merely a going-in given… the strongest jolts of joy come with the leveled playing field for lesser-known artists and the coronation of new(-to-you) talents… Judging by Kartalopoulos and Chast’s 400-page assemblage of illustrated work from print and online, mainstream and underground, the Best American Comics brand is poised to enjoy a killer second decade.” —BOOKGASM
 
“Compelling… Many of the stories within are beautifully drawn… [Roz’s] introduction and series editor Bill Kartalopoulos’ foreword on what ‘mainstream’ could mean in comics these days are both fine essays on their own, and substantive works that enrich the book… Marc Bell’s cover art— an anthropomorphized building reading a book with its side sliced off so we can see its six rooms arranged like panels and the strange critters therein—is completely delightful.” —PASTE
 
“[For] the comics savant… The current golden age of comics is reflected in a particularly rich edition of the yearly anthology… a great sampler for a wide range of material and introduction to some fine talents.” —PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY
 
“Editors Kartalopoulos (comics history, Sch. of Visual Arts, New York) and Chast (Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant?) capture the heart of comic art today, both how it got here and where it’s going; it’s a treat to dive into the various styles represented here… A great introduction to the current scene for those wondering where to begin, this volume surprises and satisfies active comics readers as well.” —LIBRARY JOURNAL
 
 “This solid framework does what it does best: showcase a rich variety of comics… The series… [introduces] more readers to the rich variety in the field.” —BOOKLIST

From the Back Cover

“There’s something thrilling about seeing people invent new ways to tell their story. To me, it’s proof that the art form of comics is healthy: it lives and grows and reinvents itself. It’s alive!”
–Roz Chast, from the Introduction
 
FEATURING Lynda Barry, Kate Beaton, Cece Bell, Geneviève Elverum, Ben Katchor, John Porcellino, Joe Sacco, Adrian Tomine, Chris Ware, Julia Wertz, and others
 
Roz Chast, guest editor, was born in Brooklyn, New York. Her cartoons began appearing in The New Yorker in 1978. Since then she has published hundreds of cartoons and written or illustrated more than a dozen books. Her memoir Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant? was a #1 New York Times bestseller and a 2014 National Book Award Finalist.
 
Bill Kartalopoulos, series editor, is a comics critic, educator, curator, and editor. He teaches courses about comics at Parsons and at the School of Visual Arts. He lives in Brooklyn, New York. For more information please visit: on-panel.com.
 

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01LWIFRA8
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Mariner Books; 2016th edition (October 4, 2016)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 4, 2016
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 846.7 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 400 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 31 ratings

About the author

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Bill Kartalopoulos

Bill Kartalopoulos

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Bill Kartalopoulos is a Brooklyn-based comics critic, educator, curator and editor. He is the Series Editor for the Best American Comics series published annually by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. He currently teaches classes about graphic novels at Parsons The New School for Design and comics history in the MFA Visual Narrative program at SVA.

A frequent public speaker and event organizer, Kartalopoulos is widely recognizing for raising the level of discourse at public events dedicated to comics. He is the programming director for the MoCCA Arts Festival, co-founded the Brooklyn Comics and Graphics Festival, which ran for four years before concluding in 2012, and worked for nine years as the programming coordinator for SPX: The Small Press Expo. He has led public conversations with Chris Ware, Paul Auster, Lynda Barry, Joe Sacco, Charles Burns, Brooke Gladstone, Chip Kidd, Scott McCloud, Stephin Merritt, and many others. He has written about comics for venues including Publishers Weekly, Print Magazine, The Huffington Post, The Brooklyn Rail, World Literature Today, American Book Review, The Comics Journal, Collection Revue, Kaboom, Artenol, and others.

He worked as an assistant to Art Spiegelman for several years and served as a member of the Executive Committee for the International Comic Arts Forum (ICAF). He is the publisher/editor of the small, occasional avant-garde comics publishing imprint Rebus Books. He previously published the comics newsblog EGON and edited Indy Magazine, which was the first online publication to be nominated for Eisner and Harvey Awards. He holds a Bachelors Degree in History from Dartmouth College and a Masters Degree in Media Studies from The New School. He is currently writing a book about comics, to be published by Princeton University Press.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
31 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • David R. Anderson
    5.0 out of 5 stars Nonpareil Sampler of the best comics of 2016
    Reviewed in the United States on November 10, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Roz Chast, one of the tenured practitioners of cartoon art, selected the 23 examples that comprise the 2016 “Best of American Comics.” And what a splendid selection it is. As Ms. Chast writes in her introduction, “We live in a golden age of comics. Not in the traditional newspaper sense, but often as graphic novels and memoirs…”

    This year’s book includes the work of the well-established -- Chris Ware, Joe Sacco, Lynda Barry and Ben Katchor -- some newcomers, Liana Finck and Taylor- Ruth Baldwin. The artists are mainly from the U.S. but there are several Canadian works as well; Genevieve Elverym’s wonderful and colorful piece, “Blanket Portraits” for example.

    The covers and end papers add to the pleasure. The foreword by series editor Bill Kartalopoulos explains the growth of the field from its newspaper comic strip days to the subculture of the specialty comic book market place; from superhero and other genre comics, to“alternative” comics and to the graphic novel (MAUS and JIMMY CORRIGAN – the SMARTEST Kid on EARTH.)

    End note: There’s probably no other place where the fan of today’s comics may, in one or two sittings, sample so much of the comic world work being done today. It was certainly an eye opener for me. So, if you want to be in the know, this is the book to hunt down and study.
    7 people found this helpful
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  • thequince
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United States on October 10, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Adults Only by Lance Ward is the best story in the whole book.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Docinbox
    3.0 out of 5 stars Had high hopes...
    Reviewed in the United States on April 20, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    There have been better anthologies...
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  • Iloveamystery
    5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific collection! Fun to read and revisit
    Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Terrific collection! Fun to read and revisit. And revisit!
    2 people found this helpful
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  • RollandUbi
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United States on December 20, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Bought as a gift. I hope my sister likes it.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Richard O.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful!
    Reviewed in the United States on December 11, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Great review of American comics
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Helpful Guy
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good
    Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Good.
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  • Anibal Madeira
    3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting stories and art…but limited scope of genres
    Reviewed in the United States on October 25, 2017
    Compiling quite a few very interesting comics produced in the USA, this volume contains some amazing works from known and unknown artists which I truly enjoyed and must mention by title and author:

    - "Killing and Dying" by Adrian Tomine interesting story of family support in the context of crisis and sickness;
    - "R. Crumb and Me" by Drew Frieman, where a great comics artist brings us his biographical interaction with one of his idols;
    - "Milk" by Joe Sacco, it’s an excellent satire to our paranoia, security and technologically focused society;
    - "El Deafo" by Cece Bell, it’s a very good perspective regarding the loss of hearing seen in the perspective of a child;
    - "Broadside Ballads" by Kate Beacon, strips based in historical prints – funny and intelligent;
    - "Vintage Trash and Horse Bones" by Julia Wertz, a great way to teach history of places and people;
    - "Here" by Richard McQuire it’s fascinating and original, showing the same spots in different chronological timings but with the same motive;
    - "Dissident Years" by Nina Bunjevac Yuguslavia in the time of Tito, amazing art and bio;
    - "Shut your pie hole, Johnny Pinetop", by Joe Ollmann which brings us the story of a failed ventriloquist and the internal and external battles he had/have to fight.

    These works are truly unique and some of the best comics I’ve read. Unfortunately the editor really enjoys one type of story above any other – the biographical drama. Although when well done such as in several of the above mentioned stories, they become truly inspiring and one of the most important ways to empathize or even understand difficulties, frequently they simply descend into a simple and somewhat childish cathartic way for the author/artist to vent their sadness or anger…occasionally without even acknowledging their part and responsibility in their difficulties blaming everyone and everything in an external focus which shows a lack of wisdom. Almost half of this book has such stories, frequently with art which lacks quality or context. It is unbelievable how many amazing artists and comic writers were simply forgotten and unmentioned…the editor preferred yet another biographical drama similar to our own personal stories, drawn with chopstick figures…

    Even with this small criticism I have to thank the series editor and editor because some of the artists that created some of the remarkable works in this volume would have a difficult time promoting their work to a larger public. This is a very interesting volume with many artists that I will surely keep an eye on.
    2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Sashin T
    5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it. My first of the series.
    Reviewed in India on March 31, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    I am an Indian person not living in the U.S. anymore. I love comics. This is my first Best American. I loved Roz's "Can we talk about...". I picked this because of Roz and was nervous I may not enjoy it. But I loved it. Not all her choices. But most of them. And the ones that are good are so good that they make up for the ones that didn't work for me.
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  • Mr. G. Frare
    5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoy this carefully crafted book.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 26, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Another great addition to the series started in 2006. Good collection of famous and less well-known artists, all well worth reading and admiring. I glad I bought it!
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