Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Comics, dark horse presents, eisners

Countdown To The Eisners by Cameron Hatheway: Anthology And Comedy

Published Mon, 30 Apr 2012 10:00:06 -0500

Cameron Hatheway writes for Bleeding Cool;

Another week comes and goes on Bleeding Cool, and now let us cease our mindless bickering about what forces are at work destroying comics, and focus on celebrating some damn good ones instead. This week we'll be looking at Best Anthology and Best Humor Publication. If you need a reminder of what's been nominated, you can find the entire list right here, and see what I chose last week right here.

Who is not eligible to vote?

Comics press or reviewers (unless they are nominees)
Non-creative publisher staff members (PR, marketing, assistants, etc.)
Fans

Before I go back to delivering endless flower bouquets and boxes of chocolates to Mary Sturhann so I can be eligible to vote next year, let us return to the nominees!

Best Anthology

Dark Horse Presents, edited by Mike Richardson (Dark Horse)
Nelson, edited by Rob Davis and Woodrow Phoenix (Blank Slate)
Nursery Rhyme Comics, edited by Chris Duffy (First Second)
The Someday Funnies, edited by Michel Choquette (Abrams ComicArts)
Yiddishkeit: Jewish Vernacular and the New Land, edited by Harvey Pekar and Paul Buhle (Abrams ComicArts)

Who I think should win:

Dark Horse Presents, edited by Mike Richardson (Dark Horse)

Like many of you out there, I loved the first incarnation of the Dark Horse Presents comic series. A publication so rich with several different stories and art styles, there was definitely something for everyone in any issue you picked-up. The title was a stepping-stone for several creators, who went on to produce ongoing series and the like after being featured within its pages.

After a brief stint on MySpace, Dark Horse Presents returns to the print format, and from issue one it felt like reuniting with old friends. Probably because among the collection of creators contributing to this latest anthology, there are a few familiar names from the first incarnation (Paul Chadwick, Dave Gibbons, Mike Mignola, etc). Returning to its roots, Dark Horse Presents continues to provide a plethora of tales to thrill the taste buds of any reader, with talent ranging from Eric Powell to Neal Adams. Oh, and they found some space for the likes of Rich Johnston too.

Once again giving you the absolute bang for your buck, Dark Horse Presents is one of those titles I feverishly await every month. With several glorious covers by some of the top artists in the business, and wonderful illustrations by Geof Darrow littered about, Dark Horse Presents is the must-own comic anthology for anyone who loves the comic book medium.

Who could win: Yiddishkeit: Jewish Vernacular and the New Land, edited by Harvey Pekar and Paul Buhle (Abrams ComicArts)

Who I think should have been nominated: Womanthology: Heroic, edited by Renae De Liz (Kickstarter/IDW)

Best Humor Publication

The Art of Doug Sneyd: A Collection of Playboy Cartoons (Dark Horse Books)
Chimichanga, by Eric Powell (Dark Horse)
Coffee: It's What's for Dinner, by Dave Kellett (Small Fish)
Kinky & Cosy, by Nix (NBM)
Milk & Cheese: Dairy Products Gone Bad, by Evan Dorkin (Dark Horse Books)

Who I think should win:

Milk & Cheese: Dairy Products Gone Bad, by Evan Dorkin (Dark Horse Books)

You know what makes a good humor publication? Mayhem and annihilation. Yes, some readers find enjoyment in the finer things like Calvin & Hobbes, but for the rest of us there's the dynamic destructive duo of Milk & Cheese (lord help us). A carton of hate. A wedge of spite. Definitely don't introduce these two to anyone you love or care about (unless they're lactose intolerant, in that case they're just asking for it).

This collection contains every single Milk and Cheese comic that came out between 1989-2010. In between the bloodshed is a time capsule of sorts, reminding us that no one was safe from Evan Dorkin's characters (including Dorkin himself). Old people, celebrities, politics, religion; there are no sacred cows to these diabolical dairy products. While it does take time to thoroughly read through the stories due to them being so densely-packed with jokes and visual gags aplenty, it keeps the reader maniacally laughing throughout.

By the time you're finished with the book, you'll find yourself wanting to bellow-out "MERV GRIFFIN!" while beating to death the first passerby you come across. Or if you're Gerard Way, you might become inspired and create two characters known as Hazel & Cha-Cha.

Who could win: Coffee: It's What's for Dinner, by Dave Kellett (Small Fish)

Who I think should have been nominated: Spy vs. Spy by Prohias Omnibus, by Antonio Prohias (DC Comics)

Who do you think should win / been nominated?

Cameron Hatheway is the host of Cammy's Comic Corner, a weekly audio podcast. You can find out what flavor ice cream he'd be on Twitter @CamComicCorner.

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