Long-time Panel Patter readers know that I am a big fan of mini-comics. Unfortunately, it can sometimes be hard to pick them up or keep track of favorite creators that you might only get to see once a year, if at all. It also is frustrating as a reviewer, because I often don't know how to direct readers to purchase something I got at a show or sent to me.
Mini-comics creator Charles Forsman must share my pain, because he's just created the mini-comics Muster List, where he's indexing mini-comics creators and providing links to where you can purchase their stuff online, as well as links to stores, both physical and virtual, where you can purchase mini-comics.
Right now the list is mostly creators that Forsman knows, and he even has an apology at the top saying he's working to add people as fast as he can. It's a Herculean effort and a thankless task, as I am sure some will be offended despite his preemptive note. However, I am grateful that this new tool exists.
The list is in alphabetical order, and among the creators featured on the list are Panel Patter favorites Gabrielle Bell, Colleen Frakes (pick up her Retrofit story Drag Bandits, a Panel Patter Best-of in 2011!), Dustin Harbin (another Best-of 2011 for me), Kevin Huizenga, John Porcellino, Liz Prince, and Noah Van Sciver.
There's a link to contact Fosman, and I think one suggestion I would have is that he create a way for people to submit links to him, so that he doesn't have to do all the legwork, just the editing/formatting. No matter what happens, I hope this site continues to grow, and I thank Forsman for putting it together. The mini-comics community needs more work like this, to help keep it vibrant online in the face of the increasing presence of digital comics.
