Blab! No. 5

Blab! #3

by Monte Beauchamp

The best anthology of the graphic arts for over 10 years is better than ever.The preeminent anthology of the graphic arts, BLAB!'s list of contributors past and present reads like a Who's Who of the contemporary visual art world. This is why Chronicle Books will release an anniversary BLAB! omnibus in 2003 in a deluxe, hardcover format. In the meantime, we have the latest all-new volume, edited and designed by five-time New York Festival of Advertising award-winner Monte Beauchamp. Under his guidance, BLAB! has grown from a digest-size b/w fanzine he began over 10 years ago to an annual coffee-table showcase of impeccable production values and master craftsmanship, an objet d'art that has become a standard-bearer in the world of professional graphic arts.Volume 13 cruises with a cover by Rocket USA's phenomenal toy packaging robot artist, George Eisner, as well as stories by children's book illustrator Laura Levine, Rolling Stone artists Rob and Christian Clayton, Doug Fraser, Washington Post contributors Peter and Maria Hoey, and the return of Time magazine artist Peter Kuper. Also, RAW artist Sue Coe joins BLAB! with the six-page story "Ghost Tiger," and Little Lit illustrator Marc Rosenthal contributes "Une Crise de Style," a tour de-force of two interlocking comic strips. Al Columbia returns after a two-volume hiatus with a 2-page full-color spread. Also featuring contributions from Gary Baseman, Drew Friedman, Lou Brooks, Michael Bartolas, Steven Guarnaccia, Greg Clarke, Fred Stonehouse, Richard Sala, Spain, Walter Minus, David Goldin, Jonathon Rosen, Christian Northeast and many more of America's best award-winning illustrators.Author Monte Beauchamp edited The Life & Times of R. Crumb from St. Martin's Press. His work has appeared in Print, Communication Arts, American Illustration, and the New York Festival's Annual of Advertising. He lives in Chicago, Illinois.

Genres: Comics

Paperback

First published September 1, 1988

Reviews

[Stewart Tame · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are more comics in this volume than the previous one. And there's a broader range of topics among them--not all pertain to EC and/or underground fandom. Blab is still more about text than comics, but anthology status is creeping in.

Speaking of the text, the big feature article is an exhaustive history of the Bazooka Joe comic strips by Bhob Stewart. Even the origins of the word “bazooka” are delved into. The article includes sample strips from various eras, parodies, and even some unpublished roughs by Howard Cruse.

Also, having apparently exhausted the potential inherent in having various comics creators reminisce about their initial experiences with EC and/or the undergrounds, Blab now has them doing so with regards to their encounters with the work of R. Crumb. The essays this time around seem to average longer. Alan Moore’s contribution in particular runs for several pages.

While still largely tied to comics fandom, the tone is shifting enough in the general interest direction that I feel comfortable in giving this volume a general rather than a specific recommendation.

[Drew Canole · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really nice cover by Charles Burns.

Some notable contribution:
Daniel Clowes does a story about Seduction of the Innocent and the rise of censorship in comics.

Spain - Tex's Bad Dream
Richard Sala - What the Censor Saw; A Date with the Devil
Kim Dietch - Scenes from Wagandi Island
Drew Friedman - Comic Shop Clerks of North America (1 pager)

-There's a cool write-up on Bazooka Joe comic strips
-Many alt-comic creators share their thoughts on R. Crumb

[Brent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boy, would I like to have these issues of Blab! back...