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Uncivilized Territories

Gabrielle Bell and I started a podcast, Uncivilized Territories. Comics are the core subject, but we will often detour into broader cultural territories. This one is about comics, what comics can do for philosophy and the dangers of nostalgia. Future episodes will be on magick, domestication of dogs and humans, comics of Olivier Schrauwen, astral projection, and much more. Two cartoonists exploring uncivilized territories… episode one below.

Magical Devices – Uncivilized Territories

Gabrielle and Tom K are enchanted by magic. The discussion begins with a reading of  S.S.O.T.B.M.E. by Ramsey Dukes. Through the alchemical power of conversation, the topic spawns a multifaceted hydra of detours and blind alleys. The theory of star seeds, magic vs. science vs. art, the internet police state, the magic of NFTs and Bitcoin. Comics are in there too… and so much more! Gabrielle Bell's Patreon | Gabrielle's Books Tom's blog TransAtlantis I Tom's Books | Beta Testing the Ongoing Apocalypse Uncivilized Books.
  1. Magical Devices
  2. Olivier Schrauwen's Physiognomy
  3. The Abject Glamour of Comics
  4. Pet Theories
  5. The Psychogeography of Gabrielle Bell

Stay tuned for more episodes every two weeks!

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San Diego Diary

San Diego Diary by Gabrielle Bell

Lot’s of Gabrielle Bell happenings over at my mini-comics-label Uncivilized Books:

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New Comics at Uncivilized Books

I meant to post this sooner but various things conspired to prevent it. This is just a brief note that new comics are now available on the Uncivilized Books site. All of these debuted at the Brooklyn Comics and Graphics Festival and are now available for purchase via the magic of the interwebs:

DIARY by Gabrielle Bell

Diary is the follow up to Gabrielle Bell’s acclaimed L.A. Diary. This pamphlet continues Gabrielle’s autobiographical project with stories set in Minneapolis, New York and California. The star of the book is ‘Manifestation’, Gabrielle’s ‘adaptation’ of the notorious Scum Manifesto. Tom Kaczynski contributes a one-page introductory comic.

KLAGEN: A HORROR by Jon Lewis

KLAGEN: A HORROR briefly considers the movements and practices of the death cult which has silently infiltrated every level of society throughout our world. Drawn in dirty gray and black, it sheds no more light than is prudent and gives no false hope. One closes this small book feeling that although we live in God’s house, God has not been home for a long, long time.

TRANS-UTOPIA by me

The long awaited fourth part of the well received Trans series of books (which includes Trans-Alaska, Trans-Siberia and Trans-Atlantis). The cartoon journey through philosophy, pop-culture, politics and the occult arrives at its destination: Utopia…

I’ll have a longer post on Trans-Utopia and utopias in general soon.

uncivilized books at brooklyn comics and graphics festival

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Brooklyn Comics and Graphics Festival 2010

uncivilized books at brooklyn comics and graphics festival

I’ll be at the Brooklyn Comics and Graphics Festival today, so if you’re in New York, stop by! Loads of new mini-comics debuting from my micro-publishing ‘venture’ Uncivilized Books:

DIARY by Gabrielle Bell

Diary is the follow up to Gabrielle Bell’s acclaimed L.A. Diary. This pamphlet continues Gabrielle’s autobiographical project with stories set in Minneapolis, New York and California. The star of the book is ‘Manifestation’, Gabrielle’s ‘adaptation’ of the notorious Scum Manifesto. Tom Kaczynski contributes a one-page introductory comic.

KLAGEN: A HORROR by Jon Lewis

KLAGEN: A HORROR briefly considers the movements and practices of the death cult which has silently infiltrated every level of society throughout our world. Drawn in dirty gray and black, it sheds no more light than is prudent and gives no false hope. One closes this small book feeling that although we live in God’s house, God has not been home for a long, long time.

TRANS-UTOPIA by me

The long awaited fourth part of the well received Trans series of books (which includes Trans-Alaska, Trans-Siberia and Trans-Atlantis). The cartoon journey through philosophy, pop-culture, politics and the occult arrives at its destination: Utopia…

Also available for the first time in New York:

THE PETRIFIED CATALOGUE by Dan Wieken

The Petrified Catalogue is a collection of macabre illustrations rendered in obsessive detail. It’s an imaginary bestiary depicting the remains of creatures excavated from remote prehistory and the depths of the unconscious.

All of the above will be available on the Uncivilized Books site a few days after the show.

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SPX 2010

SPX is upon us again. I missed it last year, so I’m very excited to be there this weekend. Here’s what’s in store for the show:

On Saturday, Sept 11, from 5-6 p.m. I’ll be at the Fantagraphics table signing Mome’s and various mini-comics contraband. I’ll be signing alongside fellow Mome contributor Derek Van Gieson.

On Sunday I’ll be part of a panel titled Developing Iconographies. Here’s the brief from SPX programming:

Sunday, Sept 12, 2:30 | White Flint Amphitheater

Distinct from drawing as an art discipline with its own self-ratifying purpose, artists in comics create pictures as part of a visual language. Moderator Ken Parille will investigate the ways in which comics artists develop visual iconographies in individual works and throughout bodies of work. Cartoonists Eamon Espey, Kevin Huizenga, and Tom Kaczynski will participate in this discussion, illustrated with slides of the artists’ work.

The discussion should spirited, I hope all of you out there come and ask some problematic questions!

But what would SPX be without the comics. I’m happy to announce that my micro-publishing venture, Uncivilized Books, has once again teamed up with Gabrielle Bell to produce another mini-collection of her acclaimed diary comics:

Diary by Gabrielle Bell

The book includes her diaries set in Minneapolis, California & New York. The star of the book is Manifestation, Gabrielle’s ‘adaptation’ of the notorious Scum Manifesto. I also contributed a short comic-intro. We’ll have copies of L.A. Diary as well.

Another recent Uncivilized Books production will be on hand: The Petrified Catalogue by Dan Wieken. The book debuted at MIX last month, and this is the first time it’ll be available outside of Minneapolis/St. Paul.

the petrified catalogue by dan wieken

Last, but not least, I’ll have my usual assortment of comics along with Structures 1-11, a collection of architectural drawings that are part of my research for a future story:

strucutres 1-11 by tom kaczynski

We’ll be sharing a table with Julia Wertz, Jessie Reklaw, Andrice Arp, Jon Lewis & Karen Sneider. Stop by and say hello!

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Momed

Mome 11 panels
panels from Mome 11

The term ‘Momed’ was coined by Gabrielle Bell (if I remember correctly) and it refers to MOME contributing cartoonists who, in an effort to meet their deadlines, forgo normal social behavior and lock themselves up for extended periods of time in a desperate attempt to make comics at a highly depressing rate of speed… In short, I’ve been Momed over the last few weeks, which is why this blog has been very quiet lately. But my next MOME contribution is done and so this blog can resume it’s semi regular posting schedule.

MOME 10 panel
panel from Mome 10

Speaking of MOME, the current issue (MOME Vol. 10, Winder/Spring 2008) is out now. This time I contributed a four page story called Phase Transition. It’s a kind of a prequel for the story I just finished. It wasn’t intended that way originally. As I worked on the MOME Vol. 11 story it slowly became clear that the main character from Phase Transition should play a role in it.

In addition to the story, I’m also the subject of an interview conducted by Gary Groth. I was very nervous before this interview because I’ve read so many of his interviews over the years and he’s definitely one of my favorite interviewers. It turned OK in the end and the conversation was pretty interesting even if I didn’t always give a good or coherent answer. Apparently Fantagraphics will be putting up all the MOME interviews online at some point, so look for it to appear there soon. I’m sure I’ll link it here when it goes up.

MOME 10 Cover by Al Columbia