Abstract Comics - Hardcover

Andrei Molotiu

3.91

101 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1606991574 ISBN 13: 9781606991572

Publisher: Fantagraphics Books, 2009

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Beginning with the experiments of Saul Steinberg, through some of the more psychedelic creations of R. Crumb, and more recently, cartoonists created comics whose panels contain little to no representational imagery, and which tell no stories. Reduced to the panel grid, brushstrokes, and sometimes colors, abstract comics highlight the formal mechanisms that underlie all comics. The first collection devoted to this genre, Abstract Comics: The Anthology, is edited by Andrei Molotiu, an art historian and contemporary abstract-comic creator. It gathers the best abstract comics so far, including early experiments by Gary Panter, Moebius, Patrick McDonnell, and Lewis Trondheim, and pieces by little-known pioneers such as Benoit Joly, Bill Boichel and Jeff Zenick, as well as by recent practitioners such as Ibn al Rabin, Billy Mavreas, Mark Staff Brandl, and many others. Abstract Comics also features first attempts, commissioned specifically for this anthology, by well-known cartoonists such as James Kochalka, Ivan Brunetti, J.R. Williams and Warren Craghead.

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About the Author:

Andrei Molotiu is an artist and art historian living in Bloomington, Indiana. He is the author of Fragonard’s Allegory of Love. Nautilus, a collection of his abstract comics, is forthcoming from Danish publisher Fahrenheit.

Review:

“The artists assembled by Andrei Molotiu for his anthology Abstract Comics push 'cartooning' to its limits... It’s a fascinating book to stare at, and as with other kinds of abstract art, half the fun is observing your own reactions...”
- Douglas Wolk, The New York Times Book Review

“An impressive collection of old and new work with unique pages covering exactly what the title says... bold... intriguing... This is a book for readers who like fine art or those who would like to expand their sequential art experiences. A hearty slap on the back for Fantagraphics for choosing to create this marvelous example of a widely unknown artistic expression.”
- Kris Bather, Comic Book Jesus

“[Abstract Comics] is designed beautifully... The content serves as a great introduction to a genre of comics that few people knew existed. Molotiu takes somewhat of a scholarly approach to the content, placing the concept of abstract comics within art history in his introduction. He makes a good case... Overall, this is a cool concept and I was surprised by it. I think it’s definitely going to cause some debates about what comics are and are not, and that’s a good thing.”
- Eden Miller, Comicsgirl

“A revealing, thought-provoking and genuinely lovely book that I'll be sure to be rereading in the months to come.”
- Chris Mautner, Robot 6

“[Abstract Comics] did dare me to eschew my 'western' values of linear, results oriented thinking and simply give way to my intuitive understanding of the art before me . . . to see comics stripped of their representational elements does amplify certain things that are so unique about the medium and probably reveals its potential even more fully. These are comics to be experienced.”
- Jason Newcomb, StashMyComics

“Molotiu has created a fun and accessible anthology here, one that’s smart and well-researched but not in the slightest bit obtuse. You don’t need to be an art snob to appreciate it; you just need an open mind. With that, the reward for Abstract Comics is quite lovely. And quite possibly a good opportunity for you to increase your appreciation for the comics format exponentially.”
- John Hogan, Graphic Novel Reporter

“The anthology highlights the wide variety of approached taken to the combination of abstraction and sequential art―approaches resulting in work that is not only graphically bold, but also often proves to be surprisingly humorous or emotionally disturbing.”
- The Geek Curmudgeon

“Abstract Comics exists as a testament to the fact that comics like these―investigations of rhythm, colour, layout―can indeed be created...a manifesto for the genre...these are all curious, inquisitive works of cartooning, regardless of their abstraction.”
- Sean Rogers, The Walrus

“Needless to say, one could study the art found within Abstract Comics: The Anthology for months, or one could flip through the entire thing in five minutes, and the conclusions one could draw from either experience of the volume could easily be justified as informed and insightful.”
- Alan David Doane, Comic Book Galaxy

“Abstract Comics, perhaps more so than any other recent comic release, highlights the way in which the comics world is markedly changing. Comics are indeed reaching across more disparate audiences and being found in a much wider selection of venues. But what might be the implications of this?... If nothing else, it seems that Abstract Comics makes explicit that the line between comics and high art is beginning to disappear.... Abstract Comics is a necessary addition to the comics canon in that it forces us to continue to think what exactly constitutes the comics form.”
- Sara Cole, PopMatters

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