SPX Spotlight 2014: AdHouse Books

Welcome to another entry in the 2014 SPX Spotlight series!  For the next month, Panel Patter will be highlighting creators and publishers who will be at one of the best conventions, the Small Press Expo.  You can check out all of Panel Patter's spotlights for SPX from both this year and prior years here.

Year in and year out, Chris Pitzer's AdHouse Books is a small press publisher you can count on to have amazing books that feature some of the best creators working, usually from mini-comics and building their way out to a larger collection, though sometimes stars in their own right.

Katie Skelly's Operation Margarine

AdHouse has published work by Tom Scioli (American Barbarian, now about to explode with Transformers vs GI Joe), Jim Rugg (Afrodesiac), Stuart Immonen (Centerfolia), Joey Weiser (The Ride Home, Cavemen in Space, now an all-ages hit with Mermin, from Oni) and many others over the years.

Though not debuting anything new at SPX itself, this year's publications are no exception, as Chris brings books from Noah Van Sciver, Katie Skelly, and a reprint co-created by Jim Rugg with him as 2014 releases.

Pitzer and AdHouse will be hosting a series of signings from authors who have books with him. This is a tentative schedule, and subject to change, but presented here to help you, if you want to meet an author of one of the many great books available from the publisher. Taken from Pitzer himself, the links should direct you to their AdHouse books:

Saturday:
Jim Rugg 11 – 7
Josh Cotter 11 – 7
Lamar Abrams 11 – 3
Gregory Benton 3 – 7
Katie Skelly 11 – 1
Jon Chad 1 – 4
Noah Van Sciver 5 – 7

Sunday:
Jim Rugg 12 – 6
Josh Cotter 12 – 3
Lamar Abrams 12 – 3
Katie Skelly 12 – 3
Jon Chad 3 – 6
Gregory Benton 3 – 6
Noah Van Sciver 3 – 6

A brief rundown of the 2014 books:

Noah Van Sciver's Youth is Wasted

Youth is Wasted is a collection of Noah Van Sciver's Blammo one-man anthologies, containing work from the more recent editions, since sadly, the originals for the earliest issues are no longer gathered in one place. Noah, the man who designed the Panel Patter banner, is amazing at drawing stories about people who just can't get their life in order. Sometimes they're like you and me--and other times, they're facing off against giant lizards. With detailed art that improves every time out, this is a must-buy for anyone who likes short-form comics.

Operation Margarine by Katie Skelly is about two young women who go off the grid for their own personal reasons, many of which are kept hidden from the reader--and each other. Riding off on motorcycles, this unlikely pair find common ground in wanting to get away. With great use of the black and white art, pithy dialogue, and female characters who are bad-ass, this was a lot of fun to read and is highly recommended.

Rugg's Street Angel

Street Angel by Brian Maruca and Jim Rugg was my first introduction to Rugg's chameleon art style that allows him to do everything from Adventure Time to riffs on Bronze Age superhero comics. Here, a young woman with no home fights against everything--and I do mean everything--you can think of. Okay, ninjas and mad scientists and an evil version of herself. So maybe not quite everything. If you've never read this before, you're in for a treat. It's one of my favorite Rugg books.

AdHouse has been a part of SPX since 2002, and they show no signs of slowing down. Make sure you stop by Chris's table when you're at SPX this year!

Can't make SPX? Well, nobody's perfect. AdHouse Books' website is here.