Ok, I am slightly biased about this comic because I know the author but I have to say that "City Mouse Goes West" is a wonderful comic.

Ok, I am slightly biased about this comic because I know the author but I have to say that "City Mouse Goes West" is a wonderful comic. It chronicles the adventures of a mouse that came from New York City, the Big Apple, to Columbus, Ohio, the city where nothing much ever happens. It might seem strange that there would be much of a culture shock in such a move, but there is and Rich captures it perfectly. He shows the difference in dialect, the differences in behavior of the citizens. In fact, I remember him telling me that it was quite disconcerting to have a total stranger strike up a conversation while waiting in line. That just doesn't happen in NYC.

It's hilarious to watch the Mouse as he tries to fathom the insanity of Ohio State football fans, something that even some denizens of the Capitol city can't understand either. But the artwork and layouts are masterful. Rich captures the serenity of Goodale Park, the bustling traffic of High Street with equal ease. 

CMGW isn't a gag a day strip but there is humor in it, especially when Rich shows some of the conversations with the Mouse's roommate, Max (another talented artist). There may not be any guffaws but there is always a chuckle.

So, read "City Mouse Goes West." Go. Now.

... read it now!

Jason Turner's "The One (Hundred) Page Project" feels like a dream in the most literal sense. In the beginning of this series you read about the absence of "Manien" which one assumes to be the author's significant other.

Jason Turner's "The One (Hundred) Page Project" feels like a dream in the most literal sense. In the beginning of this series you read about the absence of "Manien" which one assumes to be the author's significant other. His daily life immediately begins to spin out of control and into a realm of surrealist angst and poetic wanderings. "The One (Hundred) Page Project" reads a like long Haiku in comic form. Through the typical perspective, these strips would be called, "journal comics," but they are much more than that. Turner has created a quiet meditative mood throughout his daily going-ons even in the more dire situations. He is whimsically self-deprecating and keenly observational to a still world around him. The art style for the most part, is done with confident but simple, bold ink strokes. With occasionally lapses into productive experimentation. Each strip taken by themselves may seem simply quaint, but taken as a whole, "The One (Hundred) Page Project" moves the viewer in and out of places and across strangers who feel like friends much like a dream. ... read it now!

Go read Raina Telgemeier's short comic, Beginnings. Go read it now. It'll only take you a few minutes, but you'll be glad you did.

This is an early comic by Raina, who is now best known as the artist of the Babysitter's Club books. This story recounts her introduction, at nine years old, to Keiji Nakazawa's classic manga Barefoot Gen.

The fact that this is one of the first comics Raina drew makes me want to strangle her and eat her brains, in the hope that her talent will transfer to me. The art is beautiful- clean, fresh lines, flowing and comfortable, with none of the awkwardness and stiffness first comics usually display.

But the story is the important part. Raina has managed to capture the experience of childhood reading, the emotions stirred up by a brilliantly written book, and the agony of entering an adult understanding of the world. Most of all, she portrays the power and importance of comics, and the way in which they can be truly transformative.

'Beginnings' is an inspiration to me, both in itself and through the message it carries. ... read it now!