can you help me create a list of the top 10 indy comic titles from 1975 to now?

[rjpb]

I rarely see them but issues of RAW from the mid 1980s sell for stupid money in NYC., as do copies of How to commit suicide in South Africa and The scum also rises

 

This is the first time I have heard of The scum also rises.

 

The how to commit suicide in south africa is a RAW one shot.. so I figure by putting RAW on the

list it sorta covers that.

 

It's a Skip Williamson anthology from the late 90s, not particularly scarce.

[shadroch]

I rarely see them but issues of RAW from the mid 1980s sell for stupid money in NYC., as do copies of How to commit suicide in South Africa and The scum also rises

 

This is the first time I have heard of The scum also rises.

 

The how to commit suicide in south africa is a RAW one shot.. so I figure by putting RAW on the

list it sorta covers that.

 

"Scum also rises" is a one shot that put together various art-itorials by a political cartoonist. The original is very hard to find, but I see its now been reprinted several times. In any event, its not worthy of being included on tyour list.

[shadroch]

A book that was big in its day but now forgotten was "The First Kingdom".

[shadroch]

I rarely see them but issues of RAW from the mid 1980s sell for stupid money in NYC., as do copies of How to commit suicide in South Africa and The scum also rises

 

This is the first time I have heard of The scum also rises.

 

The how to commit suicide in south africa is a RAW one shot.. so I figure by putting RAW on the

list it sorta covers that.

 

It's a Skip Williamson anthology from the late 90s, not particularly scarce.

 

Try finding the originals.

[fc]

Maus should be high up on there. It's classic material.

 

The format doesn't need to conform to standard, mainstream comic book dimensions.  These are indies, after all.

 

Acme Novelty Library should be a lot higher in the rankings. Chris Ware is an amazing talent.

 

Tank Girl was removed.

 

Acme Novelty Library was moved up quite a bit.

 

RAW now has (Maus) next to it.

 

I am beginning to wonder if a lot of the indy stuff from the 1990s will not get a lot of respect.

I await opinions on it to see if it does up or down.

 

 

What about a lot of Dark Horse material? Concrete?

 

 

 

TMNT

ElfQuest

Usagi Yojimbo

Ralph Snart

Love and Rockets

RAW (Maus)

Flaming Carrot

Bone

Eightball

Acme Novelty Library

Ralph Snart

Wierdo

Omaha: The Cat Dancer

Johnny the Homicidal Maniac

Milk & Cheese

Strangers In Paradise

Star Reach

Neat Stuff/Hate

Fade From Blue

Optic Nerve

Black Hole

 

[rjpb]

Putting aside my personal preferences, I'd have to say the top Indy titles in terms of importance, based on influence, longevity, popularity and creativity would be in no particular order:

 

Cerebus

Love & Rockets

TMNT

Raw

Eightball

Bone

Hellboy

Star Reach

Heavy Metal

Acme Comic Library

Weirdo

Neat Stuff/Hate

Elfquest

Walking Dead

 

Some of these I have no real interest in, and a couple I loathe. I've also left out series which I personally love, but don't think would be in most people's top ten list. I know I listed more than ten, but I'll let others argue about ranking.

 

[DiceX]

Heavy Metal

 

 

[sckao]

The Toronto Trio... Seth (Palookaville), Joe Matt (Peepshow), and Chester Brown (Yummy Fur).

 

Harvey Pekar (American Splendor)

 

 

[fc]

Putting aside my personal preferences, I'd have to say the top Indy titles in terms of importance, based on influence, longevity, popularity and creativity would be in no particular order:

 

Cerebus

Love & Rockets

TMNT

Raw

Eightball

Bone

Hellboy

Star Reach

Heavy Metal

Acme Comic Library

Weirdo

Neat Stuff/Hate

Elfquest

Walking Dead

 

Some of these I have no real interest in, and a couple I loathe. I've also left out series which I personally love, but don't think would be in most people's top ten list. I know I listed more than ten, but I'll let others argue about ranking.

 

What justifies Hellboy being on the list? Sure it is cool. I have read some of the comics and watched

a movie based on the character... but did it push some boundary? Do something revolutionary?

Perhaps I am too biased and need an explanation.

 

 

[Ken Aldred]

Heavy Metal

 

How did I forget that one?

 

[fc]

The Toronto Trio... Seth (Palookaville), Joe Matt (Peepshow), and Chester Brown (Yummy Fur).

 

I was waiting for someone to mention Canadian influences besides Sims.

The problem with, for example Yummy Fur, is that I do not think enough people have actually

read it. Thus to be on a top 10 list you really need to be artistic, revolutionary, awesome story,

or some redeeming quality to get on with such low readership.

 

Cerebus is a no brainer when it comes to Canadian comics though. 300 issue type series alone

gets much respect.

[shadroch]

Dark Horse 1 was certainly an independant book.Company got big, but it wasn't then.

 

Comico Primer 2. Comico was a pitiful small company putting out garbage when Primer 2 came out.

 

Nobles "Justice Machine", which also brought us The Elementals

 

Destroyer Duck 1 which funded Steve Gerbers creators rights lawsuit and was an early Groo appearence, if not his first.

 

Warrior

[fc]

Heavy Metal

 

How did I forget that one?

 

I thought about it but my problem with it is.. what story/artist sticks out the most? If you publish

that much material eventually you will find a winner.

 

Like I have Matt Howarth's, The annoying post bros comics, sitting next to me. He did "Changes"

in Heavy Metal. So what stands out in there except for sheer quantity eventually becoming enough

to warrant being on the top 10? Overall influence? Boobies?

[sckao]

The Toronto Trio... Seth (Palookaville), Joe Matt (Peepshow), and Chester Brown (Yummy Fur).

 

I was waiting for someone to mention Canadian influences besides Sims.

The problem with, for example Yummy Fur, is that I do not think enough people have actually

read it. Thus to be on a top 10 list you really need to be artistic, revolutionary, awesome story,

or some redeeming quality to get on with such low readership.

 

Cerebus is a no brainer when it comes to Canadian comics though. 300 issue type series alone

gets much respect.

 

The thing about the Toronto Trio is that their comics reference each other. Joe Matt's is so autobiographical and unrelenting that you end up knowing Seth and Chester Brown via his comic book.

 

 

[rjpb]

I put Hellboy in because Mignola has successfully created a whole universe that successfully maintains his vision, but doesn't rely on his writing and/or drawing talents for every comic. Laird and Eastman have done this as well, but I can't think of any others who have succeeded to this degree. Hellboy also gets points for 20 years of continuous publication of one title or another, and spawning a couple fairly successful movies along with toys and animated films.

[drakesfuture]

Here's a couple. Dunno how important they are...but I dig 'em

 

 

American Flagg

Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers

[Ken Aldred]

Heavy Metal

 

How did I forget that one?

 

I thought about it but my problem with it is.. what story/artist sticks out the most? If you publish

that much material eventually you will find a winner.

 

Like I have Matt Howarth's, The annoying post bros comics, sitting next to me. He did "Changes"

in Heavy Metal. So what stands out in there except for sheer quantity eventually becoming enough

to warrant being on the top 10? Overall influence? Boobies?

 

A lot of stories in the title were translated reprints. So, even though I was thinking about Giraud / Moebius' contributions, for example, that factor alone could take the book out of contention.

[rjpb]

The Toronto Trio... Seth (Palookaville), Joe Matt (Peepshow), and Chester Brown (Yummy Fur).

 

I was waiting for someone to mention Canadian influences besides Sims.

The problem with, for example Yummy Fur, is that I do not think enough people have actually

read it. Thus to be on a top 10 list you really need to be artistic, revolutionary, awesome story,

or some redeeming quality to get on with such low readership.

 

Cerebus is a no brainer when it comes to Canadian comics though. 300 issue type series alone

gets much respect.

 

The thing about the Toronto Trio is that their comics reference each other. Joe Matt's is so autobiographical and unrelenting that you end up knowing Seth and Chester Brown via his comic book.

 

 

I love all three of these guys, but didn't feel they were as seminal as Clowes or Bagge. Joe Matt is probably the most brutally honest of autobiographical cartoonist, a genre that was pretty strong 20 years ago, but it's territory pioneered well before 1975 by the first generation of UG cartoonists.

[rjpb]

Here's a couple. Dunno how important they are...but I dig 'em

 

 

American Flagg

Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers

 

The Freak Bros. are an important part of comics history, but they've been around since 1968.

[sckao]

 

2000 AD (Judge Dredd, Miracleman, etc.)