“I remember Saturday night baths and Sunday morning comics.”

“I ask a simple question. I ask myself: What was the very best moment of your day…this one question could lift out from my life exactly what I will want to write a poem about.”

“an older couple stopped and openly observed us. Robert enjoyed being noticed, and he affectionately squeezed my hand. ‘Oh, take their picture,’ said the woman to her bemused husband, ‘I think they’re artists.’ ‘Oh, go on,’ he shrugged. ‘They’re just kids.’”

“I get so lonely sometimes, I could put a box on my head and mail myself to a stranger.”

“Old and new make the warp and woof of every moment. There is no thread that is not a twist of these two strands. By necessity, by proclivity and by delight, we all quote. It is as difficult to appropriate the thoughts of others as it is to invent.” (Emerson)

“There are those whose own vulgar normality is so apparent and stultifying that they strive to escape it. They affect flamboyant behavior and claim originality according to the fashionable eccentricities of their time. They claim brains or talent or indifference to mores in desperate attempts to deny their own mediocrity. These are frequently artists and performers, adventurers and wide-life devotees.

Then there are those who feel their own strangeness and are terrified by it. They struggle toward normalcy. They suffer to exactly that degree that they are unable to appear normal to others, or to convince themselves that their aberration does not exist. These are true freaks, who appear, almost always, conventional and dull.”

“Dixon was alive again. Consciousness was upon him before he could get out of the way; not for him the slow, gracious wandering from the halls of sleep, but a summary, forcible ejection. He lay sprawled, too wicked to move, spewed up like a broken spider crab on the tarry shingle of the morning. The light did harm, but not as much as looking at things did; he resolved, having done it once, never to move his eyeballs again. A dusty thudding in his head made the scene before him beat like a pulse. His mouth had been used as a latrine by some small creature of the night, and then as its mausoleum. During the night, too, he’d somehow been on a cross-country run and then been beaten up by secret police. He felt bad.”

“Everything is invented. Language. Childhood. Careers. Relationships. Religion. Philosophy. The Future. They are not there for the plucking. They don’t exist in some natural state. They must be invented by people. And that, of course, is a great thing. Don’t mope in your room. Go invent something. That is the American message.”

“Why do we stop drawing?”

“When you listen to early Black Sabbath, you know the main difference between them & you is that somebody bought them guitars and microphones. They’re not smarter than you; they’re not deeper than you; they’re a fuck of a lot richer than you, but other than that, it’s like listening to the inside of your own mind. So when they write songs, they sing about wizards. And witches. And robots.”

1. white denim – fits

At the moment, my favorite band. Saw these guys twice this year — once at Antone’s, once at The Mohawk.

2. bill callahan – sometimes i wish we were an eagle

My favorite songwriter — at this point, he seems incapable of making a bad record.

3. the monks – black monk time

A record from 1966 at #3? Yep.

4. the beatles – stereo box set

Speaking of records from the 60s…

The Beatles’ intentions be damned, skip the mono versions, and go for the stereo. They sound amazing.

5. cass mccombs – catacombs

I first heard McCombs’ “That’s That” on a White Denim radio show. I went out and bought all his records. This album is probably the best entry point to his stuff.

6. dirty projectors – bitte orca

I blasted Rise Above during my bus rides last year, while I was making the book, and although that record is still my personal favorite, this one might be even better.

7. animal collective – merriweather post pavilion

Yeah, this is as good as everyone says it is.

8. atlas sound – logos / megamixes / 7 inches

Do yourself a favor: go subscribe to Bradford Cox‘s blog. Not only does he give us Deerhunter and Atlas Sound records, he’s constantly posting these amazing megamixes and free 7 inch singles. If only every musician was so generous.

9. phoenix – wolfgang amadeus phoenix

Phoenix! What a cool pop band. Watch them tear up Letterman and try not to be impressed. This album isn’t perfect, but it’s great.

10. st. vincent – actor

Her Austin City Limits taping was the best live show I saw this year. Amazing.

Memories, Dreams, and Reflections
by Carl Jung

The best thing I read all year. Jung started his autobiography when he was 81, and worked on it right up until his death.

See my map of the book.

Ed Emberley’s Drawing Book: Make A World
by Ed Emberley

I discovered this book last year, but returned to it over and over this year, recommending it often to folks as a beginner’s drawing book.

• More on the book and upcoming movie
• More posts on Ed Emberley

Asterios Polyp
by David Mazzuchelli

A graphic novel that’s as good as everybody says it is.

My post about the book at The Book Design Review

Map of My Heart
by John Porcellino

Porcellino is one of my favorite cartoonists, ever. This collection is even better than King-Cat Classix.

My post about Porcellino at The Book Design Review

Lunch Poems
by Frank O’Hara

Jen Bekman got me into O’Hara. This collection, written while O’Hara was on his lunch break, includes the great “Ave Maria” and “Poem (Lana Turner has collapsed!)“

Await Your Reply
by Dan Chaon

This is the only novel I read this year. A terrific read.

Stitches
by David Small

The drawing in here is really top-notch: Small enjoys teaching anatomy, and it shows.

Every artist’s memoir has one underlying plot: *how I became an artist*. That plot can allow for infinite variations.

My favorite page from the book.

Trickster Makes This World
by Louis Hyde

Hyde’s The Gift is one of my favorite books. This book isn’t as good, and took me a few months to finish, but it was worth the read.

Seven Days In The Art World
by Sarah Thornton

My wife got me this after reading one of Thornton’s articles. After reading it, I understood the art world better, and wanted less to do with it than before.

Ignore Everybody
by Hugh Macleod

Hugh’s said the book is “advice I wish I had when I was in my early 20s.” The book sprung from his piece “How To Be Creative,” which was a big deal to me when I found it a year or so ago, specifically for his “Sex and Cash Theory.” Helped me feel better about keeping my day job.

What more can I say about this book?

It’s collage, it’s a writing textbook, it’s a memoir…it’s everything. It’s big. It’s hardcover. It’s awesome.

Fantastic book based on a 1972 BBC miniseries. Amazing how much the contents remain valid in the age of the internet.

My map of the book.

Porcellino’s simple, zen lines are perfect for adapting Thoreau into comics.

A book that moved quick and didn’t bullshit. Great writing, very subtle and smart jokes.

My map of the book

A classic book about web design.

My notes on the book.

A wonderful book about the psychology behind creativity.

My notes.

A series of interview with Campbell, accompanied by lots of images.

My map of the book.

My wife’s favorite author. Great, classic read.

On art and commerce. Terrific read.

My map of the book

My review of the book.

A very funny and quick read. Since so much of the action takes place in the classroom, it sort of functions as a wacky introduction to graphic design.

What It Is by Lynda Barry

What more can I say about this book?

It’s collage, it’s a writing textbook, it’s a memoir…it’s everything. It’s big. It’s hardcover. It’s awesome.

• Buy it on Amazon
• Lynda on Talk of the Nation

Devotion music by Beach House

Quiet, soft, and beautiful. Lots of organ and reverb. Good hangover music.

• Buy it on Amazon
• Nice live set (MP3)

And Then There Were None… by Agatha Christie

There was something magical about an island — the mere word suggested fantasy. You lost touch with the world — an island was a world of its own. A world, perhaps, from which you might never return.

Hmmm. A group of strangers stranded on a mysterious island, all with shady pasts that come back to haunt them…sound familiar?

My wife is an Agatha Christie nut. This was the first thing of hers I’ve ever read. 173 lightning fast pages. Fun read.

• Buy it on Amazon
• 1940 review in the Times

Away from Her a film by Sarah Polley

So sad, but so good. And the first time directing for Sarah Polley. She was quoted as saying the film was about

the opposite kind of love than we usually celebrate in films, which is new love without knowledge and without hardship.

It’s also a terrific example of how short stories fleshed out (as opposed to novels being compressed) make better films. (See also: In The Bedroom)

My favorite line (from the Alice Munro short story):

She said there ought to be one place you thought about and knew about and maybe longed for but never did get to see.

• Buy it on Amazon
• Read the short story by Alice Munro

Giant a film by George Stevens

PT Anderson was once asked to name 3 films that he loved but no one had ever heard of. He replied,

I like films that people HAVE heard of: The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, Giant, The Big Lebowski.

I recommend all three, too. Giant is a 3-hour epic set in West Texas. (Shot in Marfa.) James Dean. A gorgeous, young Elizabeth Taylor. What’s not to like?

• Buy it on Amazon

Knockemstiff by Donald Ray Pollock

I first heard about this book last year when my parents sent me clips from their local newspapers.

This is the book I wanted to write as an undergrad: an updated Winesburg, Ohio set in the Southern part of the state. I grew up about 30 miles from the real Knockemstiff, but I never really belonged there, not the way Donald Ray Pollock belonged: he worked at the Mead paper plant in Chillicothe for 30 years before he started writing, and got his MFA at Ohio State. He knows his place and writes about it beautifully.

This is a strong first book — but it can tough to read all the dark stories (note: it’s full of sex, booze, foul language, and drug use) at once. I recommend spreading them out. Standout stories for me were “Real life” and “Discipline.”

• Buy it on Amazon
• Donald Ray Pollock’s story
• Donald Ray Pollock’s website

No More Heroes a videogame by Suda51

This is a violent videogame for the Wii, in which you play a hipster assassin with a lightsaber. It’s basically a GTA ripoff, but the art is great, and the game is full of little side missions which really make it entertaining. A good buy for $30.

• Buy it on Amazon
• Yahtzee (my favorite video game reviewer) reviews No More Heroes for Zero Punctuation

PILOT G2 BOLD POINT GEL PEN

Holy crap these things are awesome. If you want to lay down a big fat line, these babies will do the trick. 1mm > .07mm.

• Buy them on Amazon

Some Like It Hot A film by Billy Wilder

Billy Wilder is quickly becoming one of my favorite directors: I especially love The Apartment, which also stars Jack Lemmon. And Marilyn Monroe is gorgeous, of course…

• Buy it on Amazon

Thoreau at Walden by John Porcellino

John Porcellino is definitely in my top 5 favorite cartoonists, and his simple, zen lines are perfect for adapting Thoreau into comics.

• Buy it on Amazon

Youth Novel music by Lykke Li

I can’t really describe her music. I always play it when I’m walking to the bus…

• Buy it on Amazon
• Download my favorite track, “Dance, Dance, Dance”
• Good live set (mp3)

Dan in Real Life a film by Peter Hedges

If Eddie Campbell says something is good, you know it’s good. This really surprised me. It’s a story about nice people who get into a genuine conflict. Probably why it didn’t get very good reviews: no explosions or incest or whatever…

• Buy it on Amazon

FAMILY: A TIME MACHINE STUCK ON REPEAT

Tuesday, July 4th, 2006

My grandmother’s 80th birthday. A trip to Salem, Ohio. Family slides, deja vu, and memories of things that never happened.

Moments flickered on the edges of my sight that never happened. A life that was never lived. It was something like the opposite of deja vu: what I was seeing in front of me triggered memories that had never existed.

FRIENDS: CAT POWER OUTAGE

Sunday, October 16th, 2005

My buddy Nathaniel, who was going to UVA at the time, tells a great story about going to see Chan Marshall live in Charlottesville, Virginia.

A few minutes later, she muttered something about the KKK, claimed she felt “this weird energy,” and literally RAN off stage.

MYSELF: IT’S JUST A SERIES OF GAG STRIPS WRITTEN IN A SECRET CODE

Saturday, June 24th, 2006

The first post where I tried to articulate my thought that an artist’s job is to create his own “secret code.”

People talk about voice and style, and I have no clue what they’re talking about. “Find your voice!” they say. Screw that. I’m working on my secret code.

Other related posts:

• THESE CODED DRAWINGS ARE REALLY MY JOURNALS
• MORE THOUGHTS ON MAKING A MOUNTAIN OUT OF GAG STRIPS

SOMETHING I LOVE: DRAWING THAT SIGNIFICANT OTHER (SCENES OF DOMESTIC BLISS)

Monday, October 1st, 2007

I really love drawing my wife. She’s the perfect model: she’s beautiful, she doesn’t complain, and she’s always around. This post has examples of other cartoonists drawing their significant others.

More drawings of my wife:

ANYTHING I WANT: PROCESS: MY COVER FOR HAWKLINE’S UPCOMING EP, “SHIPWRECK”

Friday, July 27th, 2007

This was a really fun project to work on, and I think it gives a really accurate, honest portrait of how I work.

I tend to look at everything through the medium of collage: all we’re really doing with art is taking things that we’ve seen and making something we can call our own. Borrowing. Stealing. Mixing. We take the words we know and put them into sentences. We take the notes we know and put them into melodies. We take the experiences we have and shape them into stories.

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

My reaction was similar to James Kochalka’s.

Harry Potter 7 by J.K. Rowling

Always a fan of the movies, this year I let go of my HP snobbery, looked past the clunky prose, and let myself fall into the dream..

The Early Comic Strip by David Kunzle

A long-out-of print collection of ancient precursors to the comic strip that I got my hands on through interlibrary loan.

Posts about the book:

• KUNZLE’S HISTORY OF THE COMIC STRIP, VOLS. 1 & 2
• R. CRUMB ON COLLECTING AND DAVID KUNZLE’S THE EARLY COMIC STRIP
• EXAMPLES FROM KUNZLE’S “THE EARLY COMIC STRIP”

Don’t Go Where I Can’t Follow, by Anders Nilsen

Maybe my favorite book last year by my favorite contemporary cartoonist. My “review.”

The Political Brain by Drew Westen

A book that got me interested in politics again. My mindmap of the book.

Secret Knowledge by David Hockney

A book about the use of optics in painting from the 1400s on, which changed a lot of my ideas about perspective, realism, comics, and collage.

Related Posts:

• DAVID HOCKNEY’S SECRET KNOWLEDGE: COLLAGE AND THE RETURN TO AWKWARDNESS
• WHAT VANISHING POINT? SOME REALLY BRIEF THOUGHTS ON COMICS AND PERSPECTIVE

King-Cat Classix by John Porcellino

A retrospective collection of Porcellino’s King-Cat mini-comics. I also read his Diary of a Mosquito Abatement Man and Perfect Example. Those clean, Zen lines!

The Gospel According to Jesus by Stephen Mitchell

Reminded me how much I love the teachings of Jesus and how much I hate contemporary Christianity. A lovely book.

Related posts:

• CUTTING AND PASTING THE GOSPELS
• ON THE CHRISTMAS LEGEND

Saul Steinberg: Illuminations by Joel Smith

This was the catalog of a gallery show we saw while we were on our honeymoon, and it kick-started the Year of Steinberg, in which I became obsessed with his work.

Posts about Steinberg from this year:

• NOTES ON SAUL STEINBERG
• SAUL STEINBERG’S REFLECTIONS AND SHADOWS
• AN ARTIST NOT-IN-RESIDENCE
• A WRITER WHO DRAWS

The Braindead Megaphone by George Saunders

A collection of essays from my favorite living fiction writer. We got to meet Mr. Saunders twice this year: once at Oberlin College and once at the Texas Book Festival.