Mome 3 (Winter 2006)

MOME: (MOME) N. 1. (archaic) blockhead; fool. 2. the cutting-edge of literary comics for the 21st century.

This third issue of Mome includes the following: John Pham's 221 Sycamore Street, presented in a unique three-color process and design that recalls the classic strip Gasoline Alley; Paul Hornschemeier's Life with Mr. Dangerous, a full-color narrative about a young woman who struggles to define a life outside of the example her mother provides, spending far too much time watching a cartoon called Mr. Dangerous; and David Heatley (Deadpan, McSweeney's) tells a story from the fictional town of Overpeck, a city he conceived in a dream. The issue also features new work by Anders Nilsen (in full-color), Jeffrey Brown (of Clumsy, Big Head!, and McSweeney's fame), Andrice Arp (Sheherezade), Kurt Wolfgang (Where Hats Go), Gabrielle Bell (Sheherezade), Jonathan Bennett (Esoteric Tales), Sophie Crumb (Belly Button Comix), and Marc Bell (Shrimpy & Paul).

"This sometimes perplexing anthology is a bizarre sampler of diverse and dark art and stories. The longest piece, 'The Armed Garden' by David B (Epileptic) chronicles the conflict between the forces of the pope and an army of nudist warriors out to reclaim Paradise. Set in 1415, the battle is rife with religious symbolism, sepia-toned cartoon psychedelia and visions of Eve as a goddess whose loins are the pathway back to Eden. The remainder of the volume is far less heady, with the rest of the 13 stories focusing on mundane aspects of daily life and veering into largely dark territory involving childhood insecurities about sexuality, a dog's graphic beheading by a passenger train, a creepy old woman whose unspeakably bleak upbringing leads her to a life of kidnapping and the production of child pornography, and an all-too-real dialogue between a pair of male and female adolescents. It's all bookended with a pair of one-page humor strips. Although at times a bit too artsy and pretentious for its own good, this book is still a powerful showcase for a new generation of cartoonists including Anders Nilsen, Gabrielle Bell and Jonathan Bennett." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

A new quarterly anthology of the best new talent in the sequential arts. In color, part-color, and black-and-white. The regular roster of artists gives the series a concrete identity. Quarterly schedule allows readers to look forward to favorite artists on a regular basis. Created for a general audience of literature fans, with a focus on contemporary fiction and narrative.