Blab! #7

Blab! #7

by Monte Beauchamp [Editor] (Editor)

Welcome to the preeminent anthology of the graphic design and illustration arts.BLAB!'s list of contributors past and present reads like a Who's Who of the contemporary visual art world, and each volume is an eclectic mix of the world's most exciting artists from both the fine art world and commercial fields. Conceived, edited and designed by five-time New York Festival of Advertising award-winner Monte Beauchamp, BLAB! has grown from a digest-size b/w fanzine begun over 15 years ago to an annual coffee-table showcase that bridges the ever-narrowing divides between high and low art as well as abstract expressionism and representationalism. Simply put, BLAB! is an objet d'art that has become a standard-bearer in the world of the professional visual arts. Included in this volume: David Sandlin's "Slumburbia," a four-page color panorama depicting the temptations of the American family unit; Sue Coe's "WOMD" (weapons of mass destruction), which focuses on the weapons that affect the planet every day, from poverty and pollution to AIDS, globalization, factory farming, the criminal 'justice' system, and ignorance (featuring text by Judy Brody); Documentary filmmaker and award-winning children's book illustrator Laura Levine recounts the bizarre case of the Picolo Midgets, a vaudeville circus act that traveled throughout America during the early 1900s; Spain Rodriguez delivers an autobiographical view of the origins of Playboy and the sexual fervor it spawned during 1950s America; Editor Beauchamp contributes "Kilroy Was Here," a history of World War II's big-nosed, chrome-domed, graffiti cartoon icon crudely scrawled on surfaces everywhere by G.I.s who travelled throughout the world; Marc Rosenthal's "What's Dat?" is a surreal, philosophical and social critique centered around the travels of a small graphic shape as it moves around our world; Mark Landman returns with another adventure of "Fetal Elvis"; And much, much more, including BLAB! regulars Gary Baseman, The Clayton Brothers, Drew Friedman, Blanquet, and others, all wrapped under a gorgeous cover by BLAB! sophomore Camille Rose Garcia.

About the Author:
: Monte Beauchamp has also edited The Life & Times of R. Crumb: Comments from Contemporaries 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, IL.

Genres: Comics

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

Reviews

[Stewart Tame · Rating 3 out of 5]

We're down to just a single text piece this volume: Josh Alan Friedman’s story, “Come to Papa.” All else is comics.

Standout for me is probably Mary Fleener’s story, “Ashes of Passion.” Also nice to see some new faces not in previous volumes, specifically Terry Laban, Marc Trujillo, and Chris Ware.

Some of the stories miss the mark. Richard Sala tries to channel Edward Gorey, but just doesn't have the same touch with light verse to pull it off. Frank Stack contributes a tale starring William Shakespeare that gets disappointingly text-heavy in the second half and loses its momentum. And, while I’m always happy to read Spain’s stories of the North Fillmore Intellegentcia, this isn't really the most memorable of them. Even Chris Ware’s story seems disappointing, though some of that may simply be the knowledge of the work he’s done since this piece making it pale by comparison.

Blab is still a fine anthology, but this is perhaps not the best volume of the series. Still recommended though.

[Drew Canole · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dan Clowes cover

Richard Sala - Psychorama
Chris Ware - Jimmy Corrigan (very early strips of this book, I don't think these made the final cut)
Spain - The Shadow of Fred Toote
Frank Stack - The Bard Must Die
Drew Friednman - The Leadership Secrets of Ross Perot

[Duncan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another amazing Blab anthology from the early 90's. Comix wise it was the best of times, you had underground stalwarts from the 60's: Skip Williamson, Spain Rodriguez and Frank Stack and the best of the new breed: Mary Fleener, Richard Sala, Doug Allen and Terry LaBan. There's also Chris Ware, considered to be a genius by so many but not by me. His panels are way too small and his comedy is dark but w/no laffs. I admire his skills and I admire his ambitious story ideas but nowadays it just leaves me cold. There's also another great Joe Coleman retelling of famous hobos from the past, this time it's Boxcar Bertha and actually has a bit of a happy ending to the tale. There is a short story by Josh Alan Friedman, followed by a one page Drew Friedman roasting of Ross Perot. I think the highlight of the book is Frank Stack's historical fiction about William Shakespeare. Beautifully drawn and an interesting speculative account of the playwright's ultimate fate. The Blab anthology was I've come to believe one of the peaks of the comic art medium in America. Unfortunately for me other than Dave Allen's Steven I wasn't a great believer in Kitchen Sink comics at the time Blabs came out and I never bought any at the time. Fortunately I'm able to get 'em now off ebay but at 3 times the original price if I'm lucky. Oh well, I'll track 'em all down sooner or later.