Hotwire Comics Vol. 2

Hotwire Comix #2

by Glenn Head (Editor), Tim Lane (Contributor), Mary Fleener (Contributor)

by Various; edited by Glenn Head
The cartoon anthology that puts the kicks back in comics strikes again! Climb on board the Hotwire Express for another electrifying joyride - from the sublime to the ridiculous - and all parts in between. Volume 2 includes some of the strongest narrative comics around. Tim Lane's autobiographical strip, "Spirit," portrays the grittiness, desperation, and terror he experienced as a bum, riding the rails. "Niacin," by Mary Fleener, is the hilariously sordid story of a hallucinatory date with a drug dealer. Mack White deconstructs the western myth of the OK Corral gunfight in "Showdown at Hustler's Ridge." Glenn Head's "Oozing Dread!" tells the Twilight Zone-ish tale of Wilhelm Reich, madcap genius-inventor of the orgone box. "Communicable Disease" by Carol Swain shows the descent of a young Scottish lass into impoverished hell. Dutch artist Tobias Tak delivers a fantastical retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk with his comic, "The Ten Inch Giant." All this and more, wrapped in a absolute killer cover by Tim Lane!

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics

136 pages, Paperback

First published February 19, 2008

About the author

Glenn Head is an American cartoonist and comic book editor, based in New York City.
Head was born in 1958 in Morristown, New Jersey and began drawing comics when fourteen. A student of Art Spiegelman at the School of Visual Arts in the early ‘80s, Head's style was significantly influenced by the underground comix of the 60's.
Much of his work has appeared in anthologies. In the early 90's Head co-created with cartoonist Kaz the comix anthology series Snake Eyes, for Fantagraphics Books. From 2005 to 2010 he edited and contributed to another anthology by Fantagraphics, called Hotwire Comix.
In recent years Glenn Head has moved towards longer form comics, releasing the graphic novels Chicago (2015) and Chartwell Manor (2021).
Other works and illustrations by him have appeared on a number of newspapers and magazines, including The Wall Street Journal, Screw, the New York Times, Playboy, New Republic, Entertainment Weekly, Nickelodeon Magazine and more.

Reviews

[Drew Canole · Rating 3 out of 5]

A 2008 collection of new work by cartoonists firmly in the alternative/underground scene. Oversized.

Johnny Ryan - a silly parody of Sin City (Sin Shitty)
Mack White
Mary Fleener
Glenn Head
R. Sikoryak
Carol Swain
Tobis Tak - one of the better stories, a brilliantly illustrated retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk
and many more

If you like underground comics, this would be a great book to pick up. I enjoyed many of the stories, but a few drag it down.

Lots of great artwork that harkens back all the way to ZAP Comix, the 70s scene, and a good snap shot of what was happening in the 2000s.

[Philip of Macedon · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of decent comics with really good art, spanning all sorts of genres and styles. I don't follow comics so I can't say anything about the individual contributors, but the artwork in most of these pieces is top notch, from realism to wild chaos to surrealist comic cartoonery to mind-growing abstraction. It's an enjoyable and visually stimulating assortment, with writing that's nothing too good or memorable. Some of the writing is so bad that one can see why the authors have pursued the visual medium. Obviously the writing exists as an excuse for the art, not as part of the creative focus. A lot of the better pieces are entirely visual, with the artists realizing they don't need to throw together a dull story to justify making cool drawings.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe not as good as volume one, but still pretty good. I enjoyed Glenn Head's stuff a little bit more. Other standout stories were by Mary Fleener and Mack White. Tim Lane is always good, but I can get these same stories in his own collections.

[Eric · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first issue had some good stuff, but this issue lacked drive. Most of the stories felt either perfunctory or lacked definition. Great cover though.

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like most anthologies, this one is pretty hit or miss. There are a couple really solid stories, but there are a lot of mediocre ones and a few real stinkers. The drawings are usually real pretty. The writing is often pretty dull.