March 17, 2026 · 10:40 am

Black Ties: In Gods We Trust by Bjorn Klein and Lucia Faccini comics review

Will blind faith secure party loyalty?

Black Ties: In Gods We Trust. w. Bjorn Klein. a. Lucia Faccini. Black Ties Press. 2026. 229pp. Advance review.

Review by Henry Chamberlain

Gods, like certain politicians, demand nothing less than blind loyalty. And, like certain politicians, will pursue whatever means necessary to stay in power. Because, once power is acquired, it can be very difficult for some people to give it up. Sound at all familiar? Well, as Rod Serling famously observed, sometimes it’s easier to present one’s political views in the form of a fable. Just prior to launching the much lauded television anthology series, The Twilight Zone, he quipped that he had found a way to avoid the wrath of the censors when writing political satire. Instead of lampooning a U.S. senator, he could replace that character with a robot or maybe a monster, in the guise of sci-fi horror. In this spirit, writer Bjorn Klein delivers the goods. Black Ties is a wickedly funny fable about gods scheming to stay in power.

The gods have a major public relations problem with humanity and it will take nothing short of infiltrating human life and altering human reality to win over a commanding number of true believers. One big component is deceiving humans into voluntarily giving up all manner of private information through a software app. If humans can deceive each other via technology, then so should gods.

The gods get it. They understand that humans can’t help but be good consumers so it stands to reason that gods just need to spike the consumer culture more in their favor, juice up the god brand. Oh, and then there’s curtailing free speech. If humans can manipulate the media in order to control the narrative, then so should gods. A free press is so over-rated, right? If humans can be fascists, well, then gods can too.

There’s a moment in the story that has Eldur, a god who has defected to the more promising party to stay in power, limping along a typical day at the office. He’s been tasked with helping out with marketing. All too often, he’s a befuddled mess but today he tries to be a little chipper. He takes a look at the colossal statue of Saint Barbie and the rolling numbers of new consumer true believers displayed on the ticker: over six billion and counting. That steady uptick, along with the beauty and majesty of the sculpture, seems to reassure him. An excellent depiction of the machinations at play.

Lucia Faccini‘s artwork is delightfully droll understatement that compliments and elevates the story. Faccini strikes the right balance with depicting  the supernatural world of gods and the mundane, sometimes sinister, world of humans. After all, gods want the same things that humans want–both at massively grand scales–to the point it’s difficult to tell them apart. Our existential crisis went into overdrive after the atomic bomb. Both power hungry gods and humans are pretty scary and dangerous. The creative team of Klein and Faccini stay on course with wicked humor, thoughtful pacing and a healthy sense of dread. Satire, at the end of the day, can be quite amusing while also sounding an alarm. This book delivers on both counts.

So, I hope this advance review has intrigued you. The book is expected to launch as early as next month. As with any project, whether from a small or big publisher, it is best to check in for updates. I’m confident about how Black Ties will be received as it makes its way into the world. I think it’s a shining example of what’s possible from new voices through self-published work. We’ve reached the point when any work has a viable chance at finding readers, regardless of where it is published. At this early stage, reviewers play an important role in spreading the word. So, if you’re a reviewer, or a reader, I highly recommend that you seek this book out.

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March 9, 2026 · 6:05 pm

ARTICHOKE KNIGHT by Alex Newton comics review

Artichoke Knight. Alex Newton. Alex Newton publications. 227pp. £23.00 for Volume 1.

Review by Henry Chamberlain

Sometimes, a comic, by its energy, spirit and style, just grabs you and you know you’ve found a winner. Such is the case with Artichoke Knight by Alex Newton. Let me tell you, this comics artist loves what he does. It is so apparent from every page. I believe this holds true for all of his work since I clearly see an overriding style here. Newton just keeps going; he has a relentless drive to share his vision. With that in mind, I say that Mr. Newton must continue and you must buy his work.

Page after page of fun, inventive and original work.

The book we are looking at collects all the single issues thus far, which appears to be a dozen. Newton manages to completely avoid any continuity of style issues; the whole thing runs quite smoothly, easily passing the flip-through pages test. What instantly catches my eye is Newton’s confident use of wordless passages. If you don’t speak English or, if for some unfortunate reason, reading is just not your thing, there are quite a number of amazing text-free pages. Newton has a career in illustration just waiting for him. Anyway, he’s doing just fine. Clearly, creating comics is his passion. His lettering is outstanding. His color choices are spot on. His light-line style is right on the money.

What a scene!

The story is delightfully straightforward. A couple of friends, Charlie and Cherry, engage in an annual competition. Cherry always wins and has gotten a bit complacent. This could be Charlie’s big year to win big. The plot gets a little more involved as the competition is some sort of “cookery-combat.” Okay, sounds very intriguing–and original. All sorts of opportunities for fun visuals. There’s a road trip to get to this event. The couple are cute and energetic. A hint of romance is in the air. A competitive spirit is also in the bargain. This is a great set-up and Newton makes it pure comics nirvana. Yes, I say this: Artichoke Night is pure comics nirvana!

When pigs fly.

As you can see, Newton delivers page after page with work that is a lot of fun to view. I can see him going into animation if he chose to. Again, it’s all about the comics, that we’ve established. But branching out into related things is definitely an option. At least offering prints, which Newton does. Just go visit his website. However you look at it, Newton is a born storyteller. He writes. He draws. He lays it all out. Talk about auteur creators! This guy is doing it.

And away we go!

Hats off to this book being self-published too. While there are some perks to getting picked up by a publisher (and there are wonderful things to that) there is no getting around the fact that holding onto your intellectual property and getting to call all the shots is very appealing. You’re going to do most, if not all, of the marketing whether or not you have a publisher. If you can stay determined, self-publishing done right is truly the gold standard. Just ask Jeff Smith.

There’s a moment in the story when Charlie is slouched over on his couch trying to take stock of his life. We’ve all been there many times over. And it hits him. He’s been attempting to hang in there all this time. Why not level up? Too often, in various circles, we’re encouraged to just get along and embrace just being a participant. Phone in your effort. Mediocrity is more than okay; it’s the standard; and it’s celebrated. Excellence is not supposed to exist. I say to this killjoy of a concept, that there is such a thing as reaching for the stars! Some people, if they so choose, do get there–and we all benefit when that happens. Ah, you only live once. So, why not do better? You’ll regret the drip, drip, drip of conformity.

A hint of romance.

Getting back to Newton and Artichoke Knight, it’s just a matter now of staying the course, going to comics conventions, engaging in various grassroots marketing and always believing in yourself. I’m sure that Newton is a true believer. We are so lucky to have him around.

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March 8, 2026 · 5:05 pm

Front Lines: a Lifetime of Drawing Resistance book review

Front Lines: A Lifetime of Drawing Resistance. Susan Simensky Bietila. Oakland:PM Press. 213pp. $21.95.

Review by Paul Buhle

A nineteenth century reviewer, now long forgotten, wrote about a new work: “This is no book, THIS IS A LIFE!”

And so we can say for Front Lines. Actually, it is a lovely book, both charming and moving. Bietila’s art can be called “comics” and has been for a long time—she is a contributor to WOBBLIES!, the centenary collection about the IWW that I brought together, with a host of others, in 2005—or it could be called strategic and tactical art.  Or it needs a new definition suited to the political artist!

The adjectives grow difficult for another, all-important reason. Susan Simensky Bietila narrates us through her own life and work. She is one of the bravest, most talented at responding artistically to social movements around her nearly all of her life, and one of the most honest about her tribulations.

She describes growing up in New York as a daughter of Jewish refugees,  arriving back in 1914. She instinctively took a job at an interracial kids’ camp in the Catskills, the summer before entering college. Already, she overcame her parents’ resistance and went on a chartered bus to DC to protest the HUAC hearings on the antiwar movement in 1966. When she packed up later in the summer to attend the SDS convention in Clear Lake, Iowa (I was there, too, although we did not meet), it was her first real time away from home for more than a night.

“Topping tyrants 101,”  pp.17-24, is a strip or story about her youthful political rebellion and the trouble that it caused in her family. It appeared in a 2007 issue of World War 3 Illustrated. By the time that it appeared, she had long since become a struggle-hardened political veteran.

She traveled to Amsterdam to meet with the Provos, and on to San Francisco with the paper called The Movement before moving back to New York, doing collage covers for the Guardian and, after it had been taken over by women, the tabloid known as The Rat. By the time she drew her second extended comic story— only six pages, but what a rich six pages!—she could recount the struggles of New York feminists at a Bridal Fare, and again at McSorleys, a famous tavern, until then “Men Only.”

This reviewer takes special interest and sympathy in her life as a nurse because of my mother’s life as an ill-treated nurse denied work for her union sympathies. Trained in New York, our protagonist went off to Baltimore to improve the conditions of poor mothers. There, having discarded a first husband for straying (she is nothing but candid), she met her second, and lifetime love match: Paul Bietila, a draft-resisting anti-war activist and Finnish-American from Northern Michigan. In movement after movement, especially after shifting her base to Milwaukee where her husband entered graduate school, she made posters, constructed objects for guerilla theater, and set herself for a further lifetime of work.

She had already become a school nurse in Milwaukee when she recorded, artistically, the story she was living, the defense of the nearby river and wetlands from the plan for a giant shopping center. Local Democrats pretended to protect the river and land, then did the exact opposite, the usual story. Nature and the good people lost, and yet the struggle goes on, most notably, in Northern Wisconsin where this effort has always coincided with a defense of Native American rights and lands, in a large but thinly-populated zone of historic natural resource exploitation.

Thus the cover of the book, “No Mine on Wisconsin’s Wolf River.” This is the story of the rare victory over mining/corporate interests. The struggle to defeat the Crandon Mine brought together a remarkable coalition of indigenous peoples, environmentalists, young and old social activists and feminist groups. By 2023, a celebration of twenty years holding strong in victory, the nearby Chippewa and Potawatomie gatherings included many of our artist’s creations or photographs of those heroes gone.

The victory had one key element of a possible coalition: rivers and lakes polluted by mining do not create conditions for fish that could or should be eaten. As late as thirty years ago, the KKK held rallies around Hurley, a former mining and lumbering town where, even today, the presence of more strip clubs per capita than anywhere else, testifies to the rough character of the town and region.  To win over the white population demands persistence and success in making the argument that the “social license to operate” (p.91) must outweigh pure profit. Bietila’s artworks contributed meaningfully to that end.

Thus the “Northwoods Tale,” pp. 92 to 101, a sustained, serious work of comic art, and an example for other artistic activists to study, not to copy in form and content but to study.

Bietila goes onward, from campaign to campaign. The most sustained piece, “Living in the Oil Blast Zone,” pp.137-46, uses her experiences meeting indigenous people, developing her art and her own experiments, to illuminate the ruthlessness of the railway corporations. Derailments, the catastrophic accidents, do not happen “accidentally.” They are the predictable result of smaller crews, aging equipment and the mad rush to expand profits. “Countless railroad bridges cross water” (p.144) and there we find the real crisis for surrounding populations, human and otherwise. A giant heron puppet used in dances inspired an equally giant sturgeon puppet, carrying messages that get across to wide populations.

Naturally, inevitably, Bietila played a vital role in the “Water Protectors” movement to defend the water of the Mackinac Straits in Michigan’s UP, the Upper Peninsula. In a way,she had always been preparing for this struggle,and in another way, preparing herself psychologically for defeat. We can remember Obama, facing a major decision on the new oil line, telling reporters he was going to see “how it plays out.”

Bietila is stoic while heroic. She tells us in the book’s Postscript that Paul Bietila died in his sixties, most likely from environmentally-based cancer. She carries his memory with her and still mourns. But she has two sons, a librarian and a regional organic farm hand. She proudly reflects that in Milwaukee, she has plenty of neighbors supporting the Palestinians as well as opposing ICE. She is home.

Paul Buhle

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March 2, 2026 · 10:41 am

Matt MacFarland and His Comics Universe interview

Welcome to the Matt MacFarland comics universe!

Matt MacFarland is quite a prolific and versatile comics artist. Over the course of the last decade, he has cultivated his own comics universe made up of various characters searching for answers, looking for love in all the wrong places, and simply seeking a connection. These comics can be bittersweet, mysterious or downright hilarious. Something for everyone.

Matt’s story is that of a fine artist who has chosen to focus his efforts within the comics medium. That means he comes equipped with certain methods and tools from other artistic disciplines that can help in creating interesting comics work. Another key ingredient is follow-through and Matt has plenty of that. In the end, any creative endeavor is a process and Matt MacFarland is having fun with it.

It’s all about process. You can get rusty if you go too long without creating work, even if it’s just a little bit of sketching. It all adds up. Quite literally, one thing will lead to another as you continue your creative journey. This is what got Matt moving along from one world to the next.

As we discuss in our conversation, there are all sorts of crossover activities within creative circles. One of the most essential is a sense of community. One key form in the world of comics is collaborating on an anthology. These days, one of the best on-going anthologies is Rust Belt Review. Here, you can find Matt MacFarland as a contributor. Volume 7 features his OK Cryptic cast of characters.

Another thing to keep in mind about artists and comics artists is that this is a crowd that likes to bend the rules, blur the lines and mix it up. This explains why Matt MacFarland will always be an artist, as well as a comics artist. Consider his latest addition to his cursed pants comics series, Dark Pants: individual ceramic panels with three-dimensional elements. Take a closer look at the sample above. I think it’s safe to say MacFarland is passionate about his work.

Again, I have to stress that Matt MacFarland offers something for everyone. He can delve into the dark recesses of the adult mind and feel just as compelled to share childhood memories. Be sure to check out his graphic novella, Cookies and Herb, published by Fieldmouse Press.

I hope you enjoy the interview. As always, your Views, Likes and Comments at the Comics Grinder YouTube Channel are greatly appreciated. You can find this interview simply by clicking the above video. You can always simply type in “Comic Grinder” and find this, and other interviews, wherever you get your podcasts. Be sure to keep up with Matt and find his work for sale at his website.

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February 26, 2026 · 4:20 pm

SID THE CAT ed. by Andrew Greenstone comics review

cover art by Sina Grace.

Sid the Cat #3. ed. Andrew Greenstone. Sid the Cat. $15.99.

Andrew Greenstone is a great cartoonist, known for his work on The Nib, with a quirky distinctive style. For those who keep up with indie comics, you may have seen his work in the comics anthology, Rust Belt Review. And, if you’re really all in, maybe you’ve been keeping up with his work on Sid the Cat. This will appeal to anyone who loves indie comics and music as it is a rock ‘n’ roll magazine that Andrew oversees for the Los Angeles-based music promoter, Sid the Cat. Andrew, as editor, brings in various other cartoonists as well as contributes his own work. It’s a fun keepsake: a mix of prose, photographs and features mostly adapting local music shows into comics.

Encapsulating a moment and an era.

Among the features in the third and latest issue, are comics reports on a couple of shows on the same night at two different venues. Andrew covers Mike Viola at Gold Diggers and creative director Ysabel Riina (with art by Katrine Karimpour) covers boygenius at The Smell. I really enjoyed how Andrew captures details and provides insights. It’s top-notch music journalism through words and pictures. It really delivers on that impulse many of us have to document in some way a special scene, a way of perfectly encapsulating a moment and an era–while not relying on a smartphone.

Tapping into all the details.

Ysabel Riina and Katrine Karimpour follow Andrew’s piece with their take on boygenius at the Smell. Another wonderful piece that captures those subtle details of a gathering of youth, and the young-at-heart, mesmerized by great music. It’s a challenge to take any event and try to do justice to what is happening onstage and on the floor. I think it’s a testament to the power of comics that it’s being put to use in such a practical, and even poetic, way. Really good music journalism has a long tradition of being artful and literary so it makes perfect sense to have music and comics journalism meld together as often as possible. No doubt, Sid the Cat magazine is an intoxicating melding of music and comics journalism.

Along with the music coverage, Andrew offers up other treats like the adventures of Pizza Vampire, with inks by Mars Gearhart. In this episode, our hero learns to live backwards in time. It proves to be a nice counterbalance to the music reportage, something offbeat and weird that underscores the off-kilter vibe. So, I hope this gives you a satisfactory taste of what you’ll find in this magazine. Overall, I think this is a valuable piece of pop culture ephemera that fans of comics and music will cherish. There used to be more of this kind of stuff out there. Just think of the heyday of alt-weekly newspapers. Or the comics page in Pulse!, the magazine for Tower Records. This is going back over twenty years ago. How time flies. So, definitely enjoy Sid the Cat magazine while it’s around, alive and kicking!

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February 20, 2026 · 5:33 pm

Time Travel and Comics: THE COLLEGE TRY graphic novel review

The College Try, Vol. 1. w. Olivia Cuartero-Briggs. a. Roberta Ingranata. c. Warnia Sahadewa. l. Jodie Troutman. Mad Cave Studios – Maverick. 120pp. 2026. $9.99 digital. $14.99 print.

I love the time travel theme, and I’m certainly not alone. I’ll admit that it’s not always done right but I tend to give a creator credit for simply stepping up to bat. Sure, some folks will take a stab at it just because it’s a popular genre but I like to believe that a sizable number are attracted to it by a true sense of wonder. That’s what happens with The College Try. I was charmed by it right away.

Meet Rachel. At 42, she’s at the top of her game as a professional comedian but she can’t catch a break when it comes to dating men. After yet another disastrous online date, Rachel retreats to the apartment of, Scout, her former roommate, to dish on her latest flame-out. Scout is not too thrilled about Rachel barging in but reverts back to her younger days for the sake of her pal. And this scene sets us up for what is to follow in more ways than one. Not only is Rachel forcing Scout to revert back to their college days. Through the magic of time travel, Rachel is about to embark upon a journey that Rod Serling would approve of. Rachel will be literally returning to her college days with all the benefits of doing over her life if she so chooses.

Yep, once zapped back to 2003, Rachel is totally okay with making some changes to her life. At the start, the story doesn’t waste any time with the mechanics of time travel, why Rachel is not her 42-year-old self in 2003 but has been transformed into her 20-year-old self or even with details on convincing her 20-year-old pal, Scout, that she’s materialized from twenty-two years in the future. Now, these points would usually be hard to get past but I appreciate that Olivia Cuartero-Briggs’s script is more rom-com than sci-fi. The banter between characters in fun and breezy, akin to what you would expect from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, both the TV show and the subsequent comic book. Fun and breezy says it all. This is the sort of escapist entertainment that is hard to put down once you’ve started.

So, yeah, you had me at time travel—and that’s a double-edged sword because you want to embrace the genre no matter what and yet you won’t be satisfied if it falls short. And sometimes you get something in between (not ideal but not failure either) that ultimately wins out because of its own unique set of features, what it brings to the table. This comic is within that less than perfect fit. That said, what gives it a special oomph is its quick wit and pace. So, Rachel, our main character, has been transported back in time and is inhabiting her twenty-year-old self. She’s after an old flame who was never truly interested in her and, throughout the story, there are massive hints that she was never meant to be with her loverboy, Jason, but was most likely going to find happiness with that girl, her best pal, Scout. This is no spoiler but sets up the premise for what follows. It’s a little more than irritating that Rachel, supposedly such a street smart person, would hold a torch for Jason in any way but maybe that’s part of the fun. In fact, it is! My quibble is that these personal dynamics could be tweaked a bit more early on.

All the great time travel stories are character-driven even if the plot is to kill Hitler or prevent the JFK assassination. It always comes back to a story at a relatable human scale. Perhaps the greatest of them all is a story you don’t think of as a time travel story, the Dickens classic, “A Christmas Story.” Talk about character-driven! Ebenezer Scrooge goes through one of the all-time best known character transformations in the written word. The subplot of the fate of Tiny Tim is right up there. With greater insight after traveling through time, will Ebenezer help save Tiny Tim? Ah, this is one of the greatest short stories ever. This comic shares a more fanciful approach to time travel as the Dickens classic and even has its own Tiny Tim type of subplot. Not too bad for a rom-com. And, let me be clear, a rom-com is fine in my book. This comic turns out to be that and a lot more.

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February 18, 2026 · 11:45 am

The Most Amazing Saturday Morning Rubbish Club comics review

The Most Amazing Saturday Morning Rubbish Club. w. Bill Tuckey. a. Francisco de la Mora. SelfMadeHero. 2025. 192pp. $22.99.

This graphic novel focuses on three children with special needs who start picking up trash in their local park and turn the activity into a club. The reader dives right into the action in a sort of journal entry format, each new day is marked off starting with a little calendar icon, beginning on Saturday, May the 14th. At a steady pace, we meet Arthur, age 11, with autism, which makes new environments a challenge; Finn, age 11, with cerebral palsy, which affects his ability to control his body; and Uma, age 8, with periventricular leukomalacia, which affects her speech, language and cognitive development. We also meet Connor, the kids’ adult guardian for these Saturday morning adventures; the kids’ parents; Connor’s pals, who wander the park; and Richard, a mysterious character who just happens to live under the park. All brought to you with delightfully droll British humor.

Francisco de la Mora‘s quirky artwork is right in step with Bill Tuckey‘s gentle and offbeat narrative. You couldn’t ask for a better pairing for a story equal parts enchanting and subversive. The overall theme is overcoming the obstacles to a better understanding of each and everyone of us. The conflict to overcome is peppered throughout the book with the White People, mere outlines of various passersby, people who don’t get it, who would rather not engage. The action that propels this story is hilarious and really pits the Other against the uncaring system-at-large. You think you can label someone a misfit and just push them aside? Well, think again!

Now, I don’t stand to attention at the mere mention of a new superhero title or a new toy or game tie-in. For me, the best comics sneak up on you, coming from a place of great thought and dedication–and that can come from anywhere, most often from indie and small press publishers. It’s just the nature of the entertainment industry and writing about it: always remain open to whatever content is out there but just know that the good stuff tends to follow a certain pattern and methodology. That is what I’ve always seen coming from art comic stalwart, SelfMadeHero, publisher of some of the most fun, insightful and engaging comics you will find. That kind of dedication isn’t just a brand but goes to the heart and soul of this remarkable publisher. A whole lot of other publishers, from small to big, could take a breather from their routines and learn something from SelfMadeHero. Alright, that’s enough for now. Sincerity doesn’t grow on trees. This graphic novel is the real deal.

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February 15, 2026 · 6:45 pm

IT NEVER ENDS by Tom Scharpling book review

It Never Ends. Tom Scharpling. Abrams Press. 2021. 288pp. $17. 

I have been writing and reading since forever, especially a lot of stuff that falls within pop culture, as many if not everyone who reads my posts, also does on some level. So, I’m sure you relate to finding another comrade, someone who has a similar acumen for sharing insights and exciting a general audience. Welcome to the world of pop culture enthusiast Tom Scharpling. What I love about Tom’s book is that he does not hold back and sets the tone right from the start. From the opening pages, I feel like I’ve just caught up with a good friend and I’m briskly heading out on some adventure. Tom has perfected a conversational style that welcomes everybody with a Let’s Get Lost and Explore attitude. A few pages in and there’s no going back. You’re in Tom’s world and, bit by bit, a life unfolds. I’ll add here that I’m also a cartoonist and this post carries over from my recent review and interview of fellow cartoonist Nathan Gelgud. As you’ll soon see, Nathan did some work for Tom’s book.

From “An Evening with the Piano Man,” a comic adaptation by Nathan Gelgud.

There are some essential facts to know. Tom is a comedy writer along with being a comedian and everything that entails. There are certain life callings that allow for branching out. In this case, Tom knew at an early age that he has a sly sense of humor and, with that, a keen sense of observation and a natural ability to write it down. Fast forward some years and this skill set led Tom to be one of the writers for the hit television series, Monk (2002-2009), a favorite of mine. Tom wrote for the show for its entire eight-season run. It was shortly after this career milestone, that Tom, and his comedy partner, Jon Wurster, began to collaborate on a radio show. The Best Show with Tom Scharpling has been on the air in various forms for 25 years, having launched on October 10, 2000. The Best Show with Tom Scharpling is widely recognized as a highly influential, long-running cult comedy podcast with a loyal niche audience.

From “An Evening with the Piano Man,” a comic adaptation by Nathan Gelgud.

The stories in Tom’s memoir are, as I’ve suggested, steady and well-paced, a similar vibe to a stand-up comic monologue  to a certain extent: vivid and direct. In fact, for the 2022 paperback edition, one of Tom’s stories, “An Evening with the Piano Man,” was adapted by cartoonist Nathan Gelgud and it packs a punch as some added bonus content. I guess Billy Joel is one of these pop culture icons who has managed to permeate the fabric of people’s lives to the point of triggering great loyalty as well as great disdain. Clearly, Tom is none too impressed with Joel and his antics. But there’s far more going on that just witty jabs at a pop star. Every great comedy has its inner core of tragedy. And, to this, Tom has much to say. Like a great storyteller, he reveals his childhood trauma in parts so, in his view, not to overwhelm the reader. His is a story we can readily understand, especially the agony and struggle of finding one’s way. Tom battled with depression as a child to the point of great despair. As he writes, it just became unbearable and confusing. A counselor asks him if he has had suicidal thoughts and, once he says yes, it opens the door to being forced into a psych ward. It’s the ’80s and treatment for mental illness leaves much to be desired. Tom undergoes electroshock treatments, barbaric by today’s standards; and, while it may have brought him back from the brink, it all but erased vast memory banks of his childhood. So, yeah, some of the best comics and storytellers often turn out to be battling demons while they make us laugh. This is part of Tom’s reality. His fans get it. His fans love him.

Here’s the thing about what Tom is up to: he’s very good at what he does which, when you sum it all up, is reaching people. He’s a walking encyclopedia of pop culture, knows how to make you laugh and does it all authentically as hell. If you are new to Best Show, just go over to their YouTube channel or wherever you get your podcasts. You can catch the show live on YouTube on Tuesdays, 6pm EST/3pm PST.

Jon Wurster and Tom Scharpling of Best Show.

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February 10, 2026 · 8:15 pm

Nathan Gelgud cartoonist interview

Nathan Gelgud

If you’re in L.A., be sure to participate in a comics workshop led by Nathan Gelgud on February 12, 2026. Sometimes, the last mentions need to go first. Seriously, this is an opportunity to learn the process of making comics from a very thoughtful and dedicated cartoonist. Gelgud is known for his comics about cinema and culture, published by The New York Times. His new book, Reel Politik, published by Drawn & Quarterly, is a collection of his hilarious comic strip about a bunch of art house movie theater employees who become revolutionaries. I got to chat with Nathan and get a better appreciation for his comic strip and his point of view.

Nathan Gelgud is someone who loves movies, all kinds of movies. He has studied film theory and history and viewed countless films. Along the way, he decided that a great way to express and share his passion is through comics. If you’re still unsure of what this is all about, think of it this way: the comics medium allows Gelgud to create work that explains things that often are only discussed in academic circles or within groups of film enthusiasts. He opens things up for everyone.

The idea of making things accessible for all the people is a big theme here. As I got to know Nathan’s comic strip, and then chat with him, I got a better appreciation for the man and his work. You can read my initial thoughts on Reel Politik in my review here. While preparing for my interview, I revisited the comic strip and delved deeper, getting to know the characters: Skip, the manager of the movie theater before it was taken over and turned into the people’s theater; Sandra, the slouch with supernatural powers; Bertie, the diehard revolutionary; and Hale, who prefers to sit on the fence until further notice. Perhaps I’m a little bit like Hale, open to new challenges but not always certain how to proceed. I suppose we’re all a little bit like Hale.

It was a pleasure to chat with Nathan. I know we could have covered even more and I feel like we get along. Hopefully, we’ll have him back. For now, enjoy this interview!

And remember, if you’re in the L.A. area, go to the Scribble event:

How To Make Comics

Thursday, Feb 12, 2026, 6:00 PM

How To Make Comics: A Workshop with Nathan Gelgud (New York Times, New Yorker, Hyperallergic, The Paris Review, Reel Politik).

– Make a one page comic

– Talk about being a working cartoonist

– Kill your inner critic

 

Guided workshop from 6-8pm

All are welcome to stick around for additional discussion and drawing until 9pm!

 

All levels welcome!

Materials provided

 

RSVP here, pay what you want at the door (no one will be turned away)

Arrive late and leave early!

EDITOR’S NOTE: This workshop is ongoing. Note that the next one is online and, as of this writing, is coming up on February 19th. Register by emailing Nathan! Find him at his website.

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February 3, 2026 · 7:07 pm

☀️ Cookies and Herb by Matt MacFarland | comics review 💬

Cookies and Herb. Matt MacFarland. Fieldmouse Press. 2025. 72pp. $15.

Thank goodness for the wise and gentle elders in our lives. If not for their patience and guidance, we’d be all the lesser for it. Matt MacFarland beautifully depicts these special human connections in his comics–and not in a typically sentimental way but in his own distinctively direct and honest approach.

I first discovered MacFarland’s comics in 2016 with his on-going noir series, Dark Pants, about a pair of cursed pants that make their way from one owner to the next. Read my review here. This new title, in comparison, is like night and day while also neatly fitting into the MacFarland universe. All of his characters, whether in a dark comedy or in childhood auto-bio, share a similar vulnerability.

MacFarland’s sweet spot of inquiry is exploring the human condition in its most tender moments. He has already proven himself quite capable with, Dark Pants, his one-person anthology series. He’s moved on to a tongue-in-cheek exploration of married life in Scenes From a Marriage and other assorted short form comics. He recently did a hilarious comic featuring a very sensitive and vulnerable Big Foot for Volume 6 of the Rust Belt Review anthology.

MacFarland looks back at his childhood and coming-of-age in this new book. He begins his story with him as an alienated little boy in the early 1980s. Little Matt finds solace in his regular visits to his next-door neighbor, Herb, a retiree who seems to have an endless supply of cookies on hand. The drawing style is fun and simple and could easily fit within a children’s book format. Ah, but then things do get dark. A few pages in, little Matt is given the news that his mom is expecting and he will soon have a little brother. While this would be potentially exciting news, Matt finds it rather threatening. No sentimental journey here. In fact, Matt’s conflicted feelings come to a head when, given a chance to hold his baby brother, he drops him.

There’s an impressive steady pace to this comic that seamlessly follows Matt from childhood all the way to a young man out of college and onward into middle age. There are some delightful visual treats along the way too. I especially like how MacFarland depicts Matt’s disoriented POV as he’s opening his eyes from sleep with eye-shaped panels gradually opening. Another nice touch is after Matt’s famous tricycle crash, the one that gives him his nickname of “Crash.” In the panel right after the disaster, characters are depicted upside down as per Matt’s POV. Through it all, the reader is treated to a very immersive and empathetic experience. Matt, the boy, young man and adult, evolve and gain the wisdom that often feels comes too late and yet also seems to arrive in the only way it could possibly have arrived.

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