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From Lone Mountain
A view of America--as seen in small towns, rural roads, and its overlooked in-between places
John Porcellino makes his love of home and of nature the anchors in an increasingly turbulent world. He slows down and visits the forests, fields, streams, and overgrown abandoned lots that surround every city. He studies the flora and fauna around us. He looks at the overlooked. Porcellino also digs deep into a quintessential American endeavour--the road trip. Uprooting his comfortable life several times in From Lone Mountain, John drives through the country weaving from small town to small town, experiencing America in slow motion, avoiding the sameness of airports and overwhelming hustle of major cities.
From Lone Mountain collects stories from Porcellino's influential zine King-Cat--John enters a new phase of his life, as he remarries and decides to leave his beloved second home Colorado for San Francisco. Grand themes of King-Cat are visited and stated more eloquently than ever before: serendipity, memory, and the quest for meaning in the everyday.
Over the past three decades, Porcellino's beloved King-Cat has offered solace to his readers: his gentle observational stories take the pulse of everyday life and reveal beauty in the struggle to keep going.
John Porcellino makes his love of home and of nature the anchors in an increasingly turbulent world. He slows down and visits the forests, fields, streams, and overgrown abandoned lots that surround every city. He studies the flora and fauna around us. He looks at the overlooked. Porcellino also digs deep into a quintessential American endeavour--the road trip. Uprooting his comfortable life several times in From Lone Mountain, John drives through the country weaving from small town to small town, experiencing America in slow motion, avoiding the sameness of airports and overwhelming hustle of major cities.
From Lone Mountain collects stories from Porcellino's influential zine King-Cat--John enters a new phase of his life, as he remarries and decides to leave his beloved second home Colorado for San Francisco. Grand themes of King-Cat are visited and stated more eloquently than ever before: serendipity, memory, and the quest for meaning in the everyday.
Over the past three decades, Porcellino's beloved King-Cat has offered solace to his readers: his gentle observational stories take the pulse of everyday life and reveal beauty in the struggle to keep going.
304 pages, Paperback
First published April 3, 2018
7 people are currently reading
338 people want to read
About the author
John Porcellino
55 books211 followersJOHN PORCELLINO was born in Chicago, in 1968, and has been writing, drawing, and publishing minicomics, comics, and graphic novels for over twenty-five years. His celebrated self-published series
King-Cat Comics
, begun in 1989, has inspired a generation of cartoonists.
Diary of a Mosquito Abatement Man
, a collection of King-Cat stories about Porcellino’s experiences as a pest control worker, won an Ignatz Award in 2005, and
Perfect Example
, first published in 2000, chronicles his struggles with depression as a teenager.
Thoreau at Walden
is a poetic expression of the great philosopher’s experience and ideals, and
King-Cat Classix
and
Map of My Heart
, published by Drawn and Quarterly, comprise the first two volumes of a comprehensive King-Cat history.
According to cartoonist Chris Ware, "John Porcellino's comics distill, in just a few lines and words, the feeling of simply being alive."
According to cartoonist Chris Ware, "John Porcellino's comics distill, in just a few lines and words, the feeling of simply being alive."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
April 7, 2018
John Porcellino has been making photocopied mini-comics for decades. Drawn and quarterly released a King Cat Classix collection of a range of the work over time, but this one focuses on collecting whole issues of the King Cat comix from the late 90s, 2003-07. Porcelain was? is? a punk musician, but he is now middle-aged in these comics. He's into zen, nature, travel, family (his tribute to his father is touching), cats, music. What we have here is a record of a man's life, with all the warts, mental and physical illness, and in this period he has gone from youthful sketchy to clean, spare lines, very influential the world over. Diary comics. Reflections on life as he experiences it. Sometimes prose pages, diary entries or essays. This older, milder Porcellino is often touching.
Here is an excerpt featured in Robert's great review:
https://pen.org/from-lone-mountain/
Here is an excerpt featured in Robert's great review:
https://pen.org/from-lone-mountain/
March 31, 2018
Porcellino is a master of the medium. I’ve been reading his mini comics since the late 90s and this collection from 2003-07 does not disappoint.
I suppose a couple of the things that I like about his work is the sparse , elegant art accompanied by beautiful and lyrical prose. This book deserves some contemplative time spent quietly considering the incredible simplicity of the work. Bottom line : I loved it. Kudos to Drawn and Quarterly for their commitment to collecting past issues of King Cat Comics and Stories in these wonderful collections. I have them all as well as a smattering sample of the minis from over the years.
It should be noted that Porcellino is a punk and a naturalist and a cat lover. He runs Spit and a Half distro that sells obscure comics for fair prices. Supporting his work and his distro is a true act of supporting artistic independence.
I suppose a couple of the things that I like about his work is the sparse , elegant art accompanied by beautiful and lyrical prose. This book deserves some contemplative time spent quietly considering the incredible simplicity of the work. Bottom line : I loved it. Kudos to Drawn and Quarterly for their commitment to collecting past issues of King Cat Comics and Stories in these wonderful collections. I have them all as well as a smattering sample of the minis from over the years.
It should be noted that Porcellino is a punk and a naturalist and a cat lover. He runs Spit and a Half distro that sells obscure comics for fair prices. Supporting his work and his distro is a true act of supporting artistic independence.
March 8, 2018
I hope Drawn & Quarterly never stops publishing John P's King-Cat collections. They are such a joy to read. BTW, as a guest editor for Illustrated PEN, I chose an excerpt from this book to feature and here's the link: https://pen.org/from-lone-mountain/
May 28, 2018
I wish I liked Porcellino. His King-Cat comics/zines are a big deal in the comics community (especially alternative comix) but these just don't do it for me. Maybe it's because I haven't been following Porcellino's career, but it's hard to say. The themes in this are ones that would normally resonate with me (the idea of "home", our connections to places we call home", etc.) but there was something about Porcellino's lyrical writing that didn't gel with me.
June 30, 2022
I've been aware of the existence of King-Cat Comics and Stories from shortly after it began in 1989, but I've never actually seen an issue as I was never into mincomics or zines. (Back in those days, if it wasn't the same size as an issue of Superman, Spider-Man or Cerebus, I felt it wasn't really a comic book.) I'd seen some selections from King-Cat here or there, but frankly I could never keep it straight from James Kochalka's American Elf stuff; they were both just daily diary comics I never read.
So I thought this collection showing up at the library was a sign that I should finally give this long-acclaimed series a try. Only this turned out to be a horrible starting place as it collects issues 62 through 68 from 2003-2007. I don't know what is contained in issues #1-61, but I assume it would have given me enough connection to Porcellino that when he spends several pages talking about his various haircuts and barbers through the decades, I just might possibly give a damn. Dozens and dozens of pages in this brick are just Porcellino walking around streets or moving from city to city to city or adapting silly Zen Buddhist koans or attempting some free form poetry.
If it weren't for the sudden death of his father memorialized in issue #64, I doubt I would have learned much of anything about Porcellino from this book. He does not even really explain why he was moving so much during this period until the endnotes. That's also where he reveals he struggles with OCD and other issues. If your endnotes are more interesting than the body of your work, I feel cheated as a reader. I could almost see trying one of his earlier collections based on the endnotes, but at this point I'd probably approach it too defensively to ever get into it.
So I thought this collection showing up at the library was a sign that I should finally give this long-acclaimed series a try. Only this turned out to be a horrible starting place as it collects issues 62 through 68 from 2003-2007. I don't know what is contained in issues #1-61, but I assume it would have given me enough connection to Porcellino that when he spends several pages talking about his various haircuts and barbers through the decades, I just might possibly give a damn. Dozens and dozens of pages in this brick are just Porcellino walking around streets or moving from city to city to city or adapting silly Zen Buddhist koans or attempting some free form poetry.
If it weren't for the sudden death of his father memorialized in issue #64, I doubt I would have learned much of anything about Porcellino from this book. He does not even really explain why he was moving so much during this period until the endnotes. That's also where he reveals he struggles with OCD and other issues. If your endnotes are more interesting than the body of your work, I feel cheated as a reader. I could almost see trying one of his earlier collections based on the endnotes, but at this point I'd probably approach it too defensively to ever get into it.
March 19, 2018
I love King-Cat so I knew I'd love this. But I was still blown away by Porcellino's use of quiet--of empty frames and simple lines. Though the majority of From Lone Mountain takes place in San Fransisco and Denver, I was especially struck by the Illinois nostalgia. Porcellino writes about driving down roads I used to drive down as a teenager in Batavia and Geneva. He reflects on Midwest beauty in a way so many other people shrug off: The beauty of simple things, of sunshine in a parking lot, of seeing a particular bird or flower.
Wow! Loved this book! As springtime returns in Chicago, I really resonated with Porcellino's reflections on nature and sadness and the fact that life is hard but good.
An added benefit is that reading From Lone Mountain made me want to work on my own zines. We are so, so lucky--for King-Cat, for John Porcellino, for this collection.
Wow! Loved this book! As springtime returns in Chicago, I really resonated with Porcellino's reflections on nature and sadness and the fact that life is hard but good.
An added benefit is that reading From Lone Mountain made me want to work on my own zines. We are so, so lucky--for King-Cat, for John Porcellino, for this collection.
December 25, 2021
if i drew comics these would be the kind i want to draw. what a miracle to be alive and to look at the night sky and to feel a cat curl up next to your hip.
March 15, 2020
"I'm convinced that there's a way to live in this world - this insane world - in a sane way, with one's integrity and naturally-given good sense intact. By that I don't mean perfect. I tried perfect and it didn't work out too good. I mean simply to live out your own experience of life for real. With all the mistakes, contradictions, effort, sorrow and joy that entails"
Another great porcellino collection. Just what I needed for a rainy Sunday afternoon
Another great porcellino collection. Just what I needed for a rainy Sunday afternoon
August 30, 2022
There's something about John Porcellino's King-Cat comix that makes them different, that separates them from all the other autobiographical and slice-of-life comic I’ve read before. Although a genre I particularly enjoy, none of my previous readings can really compare with this, and they never managed to come across as genuine or emotional as John did in From Lone Mountain (collecting issues 62 to 68 of his long-running mini comic).
Maybe what makes them work is the format, the combination of cartoons and prose in a nice little package that focuses on a certain theme, be it his relationship with his father or his attachment to the places where he lived in search of one to call his own.
Or maybe it's the excessively honest way he communicates with the reader, how he's not afraid or embarrassed to tell you how things didn't turn out well or how he was in pain, how he laughed and cried and lived his live. There's something special about him being so open, trusting you with his life and stories, maybe that's it.
Maybe it’s how they revolve around what makes our (generally) inconsequential and cosmically insignificant existences worthwhile. It's the small moments; the anecdotes, the meeting people you'll never talk to or see again. It's the walking to places, enjoying the springtime warmth or the autumn breeze. It's the big moments; the firsts dates, the marriages and weddings, the deaths and funerals. But, above all, it’s about friendships and loved ones, no matter the moment, in sickness and in health.
In many ways, I found this comic to be kind of an antithesis to Chris Ware’s Building Stories. While they’re both comics about our mundane lives, Ware approaches the subject-matter in a nigh-objective fashion, never really making his presence felt. On the other hand, Porcellino’s is full of character, of personality, of him. And whereas Ware’s approach feels like an exposé on the inconsequentiality of the human existence, Porcellino’s is more about enjoying the time you have, all those moments, big and small.
Similarly, Porcellino’s art-style is simplistic to the extreme, kind of taking the concept of cartooning to its zenith. His art has an almost child-like aesthetic, with cars being little more than a couple of circles and houses having a door, two windows and some smoke curling out of the slightly off-center chimney. Conversely, the art in Building Stories is precise and borderline architectural, which also adds to that coolth, to the general feeling of abstraction and emotional distance, very much unlike the former’s more expressive style.
But From Lone Mountain is not just that, it’s also a comic about change and learning to deal with the alterations of our mundane status quo, be it a small one like a shop you knew from your childhood closing, or a larger one like moving from one state to another or coming to terms with the death of someone close to you. It’s a story about moving on and letting go, but most importantly, it’s about enjoying the journey.
Maybe what makes them work is the format, the combination of cartoons and prose in a nice little package that focuses on a certain theme, be it his relationship with his father or his attachment to the places where he lived in search of one to call his own.
Or maybe it's the excessively honest way he communicates with the reader, how he's not afraid or embarrassed to tell you how things didn't turn out well or how he was in pain, how he laughed and cried and lived his live. There's something special about him being so open, trusting you with his life and stories, maybe that's it.
Maybe it’s how they revolve around what makes our (generally) inconsequential and cosmically insignificant existences worthwhile. It's the small moments; the anecdotes, the meeting people you'll never talk to or see again. It's the walking to places, enjoying the springtime warmth or the autumn breeze. It's the big moments; the firsts dates, the marriages and weddings, the deaths and funerals. But, above all, it’s about friendships and loved ones, no matter the moment, in sickness and in health.
In many ways, I found this comic to be kind of an antithesis to Chris Ware’s Building Stories. While they’re both comics about our mundane lives, Ware approaches the subject-matter in a nigh-objective fashion, never really making his presence felt. On the other hand, Porcellino’s is full of character, of personality, of him. And whereas Ware’s approach feels like an exposé on the inconsequentiality of the human existence, Porcellino’s is more about enjoying the time you have, all those moments, big and small.
Similarly, Porcellino’s art-style is simplistic to the extreme, kind of taking the concept of cartooning to its zenith. His art has an almost child-like aesthetic, with cars being little more than a couple of circles and houses having a door, two windows and some smoke curling out of the slightly off-center chimney. Conversely, the art in Building Stories is precise and borderline architectural, which also adds to that coolth, to the general feeling of abstraction and emotional distance, very much unlike the former’s more expressive style.
But From Lone Mountain is not just that, it’s also a comic about change and learning to deal with the alterations of our mundane status quo, be it a small one like a shop you knew from your childhood closing, or a larger one like moving from one state to another or coming to terms with the death of someone close to you. It’s a story about moving on and letting go, but most importantly, it’s about enjoying the journey.
Read
September 13, 2018I have pretty mixed feelings on this collection. It is heartfelt and genuine - but also not really for me, in spite of elements that really hit home (particularly feelings about the Midwest while leaving it). I don't love Porcellino's artistic style but I do like his meditations on aspects of life.
August 11, 2021
I sit and listen
to the sound of
pages flipping
summer air
licks my taint
I can't do poetry. Even if it comes paired with cute minimalistic pictures, even if the writer is earnest and sweet, even if I agree with the sentiments expressed, I can't do it. It drives me nuts. I hope John has a good life.
to the sound of
pages flipping
summer air
licks my taint
I can't do poetry. Even if it comes paired with cute minimalistic pictures, even if the writer is earnest and sweet, even if I agree with the sentiments expressed, I can't do it. It drives me nuts. I hope John has a good life.
March 25, 2018
Collecting John P.'s King-Cat Comics & Stories mini comics from 2003-2007, issues #62-68. As with other KCCSs, the stories collected here are moving, contemplative, and insightful.
March 9, 2025
John P has been really hit or miss for me. Thjs was a major hit!! The stories about his father hit close to home and were very well executed. This is peak John P! Highly recommend
April 15, 2018
John Porcellino is the unparalleled Zen master of autobiographical mini-comics and his latest book, “From Lone Mountain,” collecting issues #62-68 of his acclaimed self-published zine “King-Cat Comix And Stories” (spanning from 2003-2007), is his most gentle and poetic volume yet. His minimalist drawing style and economical use of language packs an emotional wallop far beyond that of his more detailed and verbose peers. There are lots of autobio comics artists out there but none are quite like John P.; there’s a simple authenticity to his work that is nothing short of knock-you-on-your-ass stunning (especially considering this collection covers a very difficult period of his life, when he was struggling with OCD disorder and severe anxiety). His work is inspiring, comforting, and transformative. “King-Cat” is a gift from Porcellino to all the dreamers, searchers, and creators in the world.
FAVORITES:
“King-Cat Comix And Stories #64” - A raw and heart-breaking issue all about the death of Porcellino’s beloved father.
“Iowa City” - A funny and nostalgic piece about Porcellino’s teenage punk band playing its first out-of-state gig.
“Country Roads - Brighton” - A meditative piece about yearning for a simple small-town existence.
“The Ones That Everybody Knows” - A bonus story about the universality of constellations and those who look to the night sky.
It should be noted that I got this book in the best way possible: after hearing Porcellino speak at a local college, I was able to walk with him to his car, chatting along the way, and I bought a load of “King-Cat” stuff directly from him, out of his trunk. John P. is every bit as sweet and humble and gracious as his comics would lead you to believe.
FAVORITES:
“King-Cat Comix And Stories #64” - A raw and heart-breaking issue all about the death of Porcellino’s beloved father.
“Iowa City” - A funny and nostalgic piece about Porcellino’s teenage punk band playing its first out-of-state gig.
“Country Roads - Brighton” - A meditative piece about yearning for a simple small-town existence.
“The Ones That Everybody Knows” - A bonus story about the universality of constellations and those who look to the night sky.
It should be noted that I got this book in the best way possible: after hearing Porcellino speak at a local college, I was able to walk with him to his car, chatting along the way, and I bought a load of “King-Cat” stuff directly from him, out of his trunk. John P. is every bit as sweet and humble and gracious as his comics would lead you to believe.
July 15, 2019
I didn't know the author or his series of comics or really anything and this was clearly not a book for me. The pieces are often the smallest possible slice-of-life, and an entire compendium of them was overkill. About a few pages in, I kinda get it, and while I know people have strong affection for him, this just didn't do anything for me. I read a little bit, got the idea, and then looked at the huge number of pages remaining and figured, no thanks.
October 15, 2021
It's hard to even begin to think about how to dictate the beauty of this book.
So, I will write in a stream of conscious like manner about my reading experience:
I cried. A lot.
feeling simple, gentle, allowed to exist with small goals
breathing air and taking walks
feeling the pain that no one knows how to describe and no one wants to ruminate on
death clarity, such helpful musings on what it means to be alive
I constantly wanted to put down the book and contact the author on Instagram to tell him what an impact his work has made on me in such a short period of time.
He has lived so much life- and so have I- he helped me realize I have truly lived SO much LIFE.
ornithology
loving your cat
sleeping in a car (will never understand his positive review of the experience)
an inspiration to travel- makes it seem so easy!
I wonder if he is still with Misun- I couldn't find any remnants or sign of her on his social media. Thought about that a lot- made the book sadder, but I liked that in a way.
such vivid depictions of BIG small town characters, absolutely stunning, honoring, amazing
made me feel okay with maybe never being famous or have anyone remember my name
Would recommend.
So, I will write in a stream of conscious like manner about my reading experience:
I cried. A lot.
feeling simple, gentle, allowed to exist with small goals
breathing air and taking walks
feeling the pain that no one knows how to describe and no one wants to ruminate on
death clarity, such helpful musings on what it means to be alive
I constantly wanted to put down the book and contact the author on Instagram to tell him what an impact his work has made on me in such a short period of time.
He has lived so much life- and so have I- he helped me realize I have truly lived SO much LIFE.
ornithology
loving your cat
sleeping in a car (will never understand his positive review of the experience)
an inspiration to travel- makes it seem so easy!
I wonder if he is still with Misun- I couldn't find any remnants or sign of her on his social media. Thought about that a lot- made the book sadder, but I liked that in a way.
such vivid depictions of BIG small town characters, absolutely stunning, honoring, amazing
made me feel okay with maybe never being famous or have anyone remember my name
Would recommend.
February 12, 2022
Reading this is so tiring. So tiring that at a point I'm so happy that the author saying here and there that he is happy. And I realize my head my thoughts are mostly like this.
I have a feeling that this kind of stories are written by a person with mental struggle. An observant yet very distant, sometimes disconnected, but still want to reach out and trying to stay put, and crawling forward. I hope John is living a happy life.
I can understand why even when the drawing look so simple and almost like nothing fancy, it's attractive because of it's honesty about the simplicity of life and complexities within it. Wait I almost don't understand what I'm writing but whatever.
Life is good.
I have a feeling that this kind of stories are written by a person with mental struggle. An observant yet very distant, sometimes disconnected, but still want to reach out and trying to stay put, and crawling forward. I hope John is living a happy life.
I can understand why even when the drawing look so simple and almost like nothing fancy, it's attractive because of it's honesty about the simplicity of life and complexities within it. Wait I almost don't understand what I'm writing but whatever.
Life is good.
August 7, 2025
plucked off a bookshelf at marrickville library on tuesday because i suddenly felt like sitting with a bunch of comic books/graphic novels and just eating them up all day like i used to when i habitually visited waverly library as a kid and read an entire stack of asterix and obelix books
found a new love! had a cry, felt the beauty + wonder + craziness of the world, felt inspired (to carry a notebook around and write down little observations, to make and collect zines, to draw even if only very poorly, to make lists of my own top 40s)!
found a new love! had a cry, felt the beauty + wonder + craziness of the world, felt inspired (to carry a notebook around and write down little observations, to make and collect zines, to draw even if only very poorly, to make lists of my own top 40s)!
April 1, 2019
I read John P's Hospital Suite first, which was about his struggle with illness and health. This book is a collection of his comic King Cat that documents his life. I love these little vignettes from his life, about losing his father, love for his wife and his cat, how he used to live in another place, driving across the country. I love the minimalist lines that convey the whole scenery, and his philosophical, poetic words.
August 13, 2018
I’m on a comic kick this summer. I am especially loving John Porcellino’s work. I respect his acute attention to overlooked details of daily living and vulnerable tone.
Favorite part of this book was his “Top 40” hits that he shared over the span of several summers. Not only were songs included in the list, but so were other pop culture items and local people in his little universe.
Favorite part of this book was his “Top 40” hits that he shared over the span of several summers. Not only were songs included in the list, but so were other pop culture items and local people in his little universe.
February 13, 2020
This compilation reads like a home video. It has a lovely minimalist style that gives the reader intimate glimpses into the author's life and mind - transformative events, everyday observations, funny anecdotes, etc.
I really enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to checking out The Hospital Suite. :)
I really enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to checking out The Hospital Suite. :)
December 28, 2022
this is a pleasant compilation...it accounts for loneliness and uncertainty in a very particular and comforting and validating way
the panels have a lot of detail, sometimes goofy, sometimes contemplative, all creating and fostering a 'lil introspective wanderlust.
thank you for creating romance out of self discovery and making it entertaining!
the panels have a lot of detail, sometimes goofy, sometimes contemplative, all creating and fostering a 'lil introspective wanderlust.
thank you for creating romance out of self discovery and making it entertaining!
January 1, 2025
John P is so centered that reading him can feel restorative.
Several welcome reminders in here that life is all the moments, not just the weighty ones. Walking to mailbox is an opportunity to recognize a tree, note the direction of the wind, observe the rhythm of your neighborhood, recall a memory.
We’re just here until we’re not and being here is all there is.
Several welcome reminders in here that life is all the moments, not just the weighty ones. Walking to mailbox is an opportunity to recognize a tree, note the direction of the wind, observe the rhythm of your neighborhood, recall a memory.
We’re just here until we’re not and being here is all there is.
June 8, 2018
Minimalist comics that are sometimes like cartoon haiku. They make me want to draw and write and observe life around me.
My favorite parts are the little Top 40 lists of good things in life and the short autobiographical sketches about moving, friends, and, most movingly, his father.
My favorite parts are the little Top 40 lists of good things in life and the short autobiographical sketches about moving, friends, and, most movingly, his father.
December 15, 2019
The great zen master of comics, a genius who can turn the turbulence of human emotion into something warm, generous and profound. The issue of King Cat about his father’s death resonates more and more as the years go by. A true genius
April 24, 2018
warm fuzzies all over
October 9, 2018
I liked this one but the more I read from this author, the more I found him to view himself as the victim. To much complaining and excuses.
January 20, 2019
Ranging from 2.5 to 3.5.
February 8, 2019
I wanted to like it because it got so many complimentary reviews, but it just wasn't my jam. I don't know what half these comics were supposed to communicate.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews