Welcome to another visit to my little library collection of comics, books, journals and associated comics art paraphernalia. These are related to my research, study and enjoyment of comics art. In this series of posts I intend to focus on a particular creator, series, book, art or event.

_{A painting by Louise Graber of a page from her comic Black Light Angels…a comic by Jis & Trino…a Halloween pumpkin card by Yayoi Kusama…skeleton doll and sculpture The Cloud by Richard Black are grouped for Halloween and Day of the Dead!}

In a decorated corner of the art studio for a previous Halloween we set up a thematic grouping. This included of an actual Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) skeleton doll from Mexico. It had been split into two halves. The skull and torso are on the left and legs to the right. These are positioned on a sculpture by Richard Black called The Cloud. The comic by the Mexican comics artists JIS & TRINO is open on the title page. The skeleton doll has shed its legs and is relaxing on the wooden Cloud sculpture. There is also a Dancing Pumpkin postcard by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama. Behind this is a painting of an after-death scene from Louise Graber‘s Gothic comic Black Light Angels. (Photo-© 2012 Dr. Michael Hill a.k.a. Doctor Comics).

_{Here is that ‘moment after death’ scene in Issue X of the BLACK LIGHT ANGELS by Louise Graber. The version of this panel at the top of this post has been enlarged, coloured and framed for gallery exhibition. (Photo-©2023 Dr. Michael Hill a.k.a. Doctor Comics)}

The other book featured in this post is the large format comic El Santos y El Peyote en La Atlántida…created by the Mexican cartoonists Jis and Trino (see photo below). I met them at ICAF (Fifth Annual International Comic Arts Festival: “Culture, Industry, Discourse,”) Georgetown University and Bethesda, Maryland, USA. The conference was presented in association with THE EXPO (Small Press Expo), September 16-18, 1999. It was the first overseas comics art conference that I attended. I presented a paper based on my own research into comics art. What a magical experience it turned out to be! Meeting overseas colleagues then attending a Comic-Con was a rewarding juxtaposition. Then dining on Mexican food, a culinary rarity in my home city of Sydney at the time, was a treat!. (Photo-© 2012 Dr. Michael Hill a.k.a. Doctor Comics).

At this event I first met  Gene Kannenberg, Jr. along with several other American comics based academics including Professor John A. Lent. The good professor was launching the first issue of his International Journal of Comic Art or IJOCA…(see later issue of journal that I carry in my brief-case in photo above)…other academics included Charles Hatfield, Jeff Miller, Ana Merino, Mark Nevins, Michael Rhode, Marc Singer, Guy Spielmann, Jeff Williams, Joseph “Rusty” Witek, and Pascal Lefevre from Belgium. Above is that first ever issue of the journal from 1999. It is now nearing a total of 50 published issues, having chalked up 25 years of continuous publication. It also seemed to grow steadily in size over subsequent issues. It turned into the solid block that I affectionately named “THE BRICK”, a metaphorical building block for comics art studies. Go John! (Photo-©2023 Dr. Michael Hill a.k.a. Doctor Comics)

_{Above are the drawings of me by Jis and Trino. They took me by surprise with their flamboyant cartoons and their playful conversation. They even offered me a glass of tequila…at a morning session of the conference. (Photo-©2023 Dr. Michael Hill a.k.a. Doctor Comics)}

_{The artist, Louise Graber, at an exhibition of her work. She is standing alongside an enlarged and painted panel from her comic BLACK LIGHT ANGELS. (Photo-© 2012 Dr. Michael Hill a.k.a. Doctor Comics).}

I reiterate the importance of my attendance at ICAF (Fifth Annual International Comic Arts Festival: “Culture, Industry, Discourse,”). It assisted the development of my research into comics art. I was fortunate in being introduced to, and seeing the presentations of, a group of international researchers into comics art. I also obtained the first ever issue of the International Journal Of Comic Art from 1999. I eventually became the Australian representative on the International Editorial Board of the journal. The journal enabled me to read a plethora of research articles on comics art by international scholars. I also had my own articles on research into Australian comics published. Along with my acquisition of it at the conference, it has proved an inspiring and motivating experience.

My LIBRARY posts form part of my graphic based material. This includes painting, printmaking and cartooning…including artwork for my comic and graphic novel BLOTTING PAPER: The Recollected Graphical Impressions of Doctor Comics.

 _{(Original text, photos, artwork and scans-©2024 Dr. Michael Hill a.k.a. Doctor Comics).}