My final indie comics-related writing for Wizard: a Special Report from the 1997 Small Press Expo where I followed Jeff Smith for the weekend.
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Wizard #77: A Small World?
Was there a future for the small press after the late ’90s comic book market crash? I tried to answer that question with this feature in Wizard #77.
Wizard #74: Andi Watson
Andi Watson, creator of Skeleton Key, was the interview subject for the final installment of “Palmer’s Picks” in Wizard magazine.
Wizard #73: Ed Brubaker
The penultimate “Palmer’s Picks” featured cartoonist Ed Brubaker and his autobio and fiction comics including Lowlife, At The Seams, and Detour.
Wizard #72: Peter Kuper
Famed magazine illustrator and master of silent comics Peter Kuper was interviewed for Wizard in the summer of ’97 to discuss several of his graphic novels.
Wizard #71: Gary Spencer Millidge
The critically-acclaimed comic Strangehaven and creator Gary Spencer Millidge were the subject of Palmer’s Picks in the summer of ’97.
Wizard #70: Frank Cho
Cartoonist Frank Cho was interviewed in 1997, back when his popular Liberty Meadows got its start as a newspaper comic strip.
Wizard #69: James Kochalka
Prolific cartoonist James Kochalka landed a slot in Palmer’s Picks with one of his early graphic novels.
Wizard #68: Jon Lewis
True Swamp creator Jon Lewis embarked on a new comic book series, Spectacles, in 1997 and got some coverage in Wizard Magazine to mark the occasion.
Wizard #67: Linda Medley
Linda Medley was interviewed for Palmer’s Picks when she began her fairy tale comic book Castle Waiting.
Wizard #66: Joe Chiappetta
Autobio comic book innovator Joe Chiappetta talked about his new Silly Daddy storyline “A Death In The Family” for Palmer’s Picks.
Wizard #65: 1997 Preview
The Palmer’s Picks recap of 1996/preview of 1997 was the final year-end installment of the column.
Wizard #64: Megan Kelso
Megan Kelso and her self-published one-woman anthology series Girlhero were the focus of Palmer’s Picks in the fall of 1996.
Wizard #63: Steven Weissman
My profile of Steven Weissman, creator of the delightful Yikes! series, helped the cartoonist score an interesting freelance gig.
Wizard #62: Seth
The Palmer’s Picks interview with Canadian cartoonist Seth appeared shortly before he began his long-running Clyde Fans graphic novel.
Wizard #61: Dave Cooper
Dave Cooper talked about his serialized graphic novel Crumple in his Palmer’s Picks interview.
Wizard #60: Tom Hart
Cartoonist Tom Hart was featured in Palmer’s Picks for Wizard’s fifth anniversary issue.
Wizard #59: Brian Michael Bendis
Brian Michael Bendis was interviewed for Palmer’s Picks to promote his indy crime comics years before he redefined mainstream superhero comics.
Wizard #58: Dave Sim Q&A
My first Q&A-style article was an interview with Cerebus creator Dave Sim for Wizard’s unofficial small press issue.
Wizard #58: Top 10
Wizard’s unofficial small press issue featured a special Palmer’s Picks rundown of Ten Small Press Books You Should Own: Hate, Eightball, Dirty Plotte, and more!
Wizard #57: Rick Veitch
The second Palmer’s Picks on Rick Veitch focused on the “Crypto Zoo” story from his Rare Bit Fiends series of dream comics.
Wizard #56: Jay Stephens
The second Palmer’s Picks spotlight on Jay Stephens coincided with the launch of his two new comics, The Land of Nod and Atomic City Tales.
Wizard #55: Bob Fingerman
Cult-favorite series Minimum Wage and creator Bob Fingerman were featured in early 1996.
Wizard #54: Rob Walton
Cartoonist Rob Walton discussed his self-published Ragmop in an interview for Palmer’s Picks.
Wizard #53: 1996 Preview
A recap of the year 1995 in alternative comics, and a look at what was in store for 1996.
Wizard #52: Strange Attractors
The obscure self-published series Strange Attractors got a full-length Palmer’s Picks column near the end of its run.
Wizard #51: Harvey Pekar & Joyce Brabner
Legendary American Splendor writer Harvey Pekar was the subject of a Palmer’s Picks column along with his wife Joyce Brabner.
Wizard #50: Small Press Expo 1995
Palmer’s Picks hit the road for the Small Press Expo for Wizard’s fiftieth issue.
Evolution of a Logo
Learn how the logo for Palmer’s Picks changed over the course of the column’s lifespan in Wizard and check out some behind-the-scenes sketches.
Wizard #49: Chris Ware
Chris Ware was interviewed for “Palmer’s Picks” as he began serializing Jimmy Corrigan in the pages of Acme Novelty Library.
Wizard #48: Charles Burns
My interview with Charles Burns was featured in “Palmer’s Picks” when he began his landmark series Black Hole in 1995.
Wizard #47: Eddie Campbell
My second profile of Eddie Campbell featured an interview with the legendary creator on his newly-launched Bacchus comic.
Wizard #46: Adrian Tomine
My interview with Optic Nerve creator Adrian Tomine appeared just as he was taking his minicomic to Drawn & Quarterly as a full-size comic.
Wizard #45: Don Simpson
Dandy Don’s superhero parody series Bizarre Heroes was featured in Palmer’s Picks in early 1995.
Wizard #44: Rob Schrab
Fan-favorite comic series Scud: The Disposable Assassin was the subject of Palmer’s Picks in 1995, long before its creator Rob Schrab made the jump to Hollywood.
Wizard #43: David Mazzucchelli
Legendary cartoonist David Mazzucchelli on his anthology series Rubber Blanket and the joys of two-color comics.
Wizard #42: Very Vicky
Self-published ’90s comic Very Vicky was profiled in “Palmer’s Picks” along with its creators Jana Christy and John Mitchell.
Wizard #41: The Picks of ’94
Relive the heyday of alternative comics as I recap the best of 1994.
Wizard #40: Paul Pope
The prolific Paul Pope was the subject of my first proper interview for “Palmer’s Picks.”
Wizard #39: Terry Moore
Strangers In Paradise creator Terry Moore was profiled in Palmer’s Picks as he was launching his influential self-published comic.
Wizard #38: Steve Bissette
Horror master Steve Bissette’s sorely-missed dinosaur comic Tyrant was the subject of Palmer’s Picks in the fall of ’94.
Wizard #37: Jay Stephens
The first of two full-length “Palmer’s Picks” focusing on the imaginative worlds of Canadian cartoonist Jay Stephens.
Wizard #36: Jim Woodring
Delve into the dreamscapes of Jim Woodring with a revisit of my “Palmer’s Picks” about his Frank comics.
Wizard #35: Teri S. Wood
There were quite a few self-published comics in the ’90s. Teri S. Wood’s science fiction series Wandering Star was one of the few to get a “Palmer’s Picks” profile.
Wizard #34: Marshal Law
Brutal superhero parody Marshal Law got the “Palmer’s Picks” treatment, the only time I broke format to focus on a character instead of a single writer or artist.
Wizard #32 & #33: Minicomics
My look at some standout minicomics of the ’90s was spread over two issues of Wizard, and there still wasn’t room for all the good ones.
Wizard #31: Chester Brown
A great example of perfect timing: this column about Chester Brown’s Yummy Fur was published in 1994, right as the influential series ended.
Wizard #30: Peter Bagge
Grab your flannel shirt, crank up some Seattle grunge, and read my profile of Peter Bagge’s Hate from 1994.
Wizard #29: Dan Clowes
My “Palmer’s Picks” about Daniel Clowes’ Eightball: magazine column or college essay? You be the judge!
Wizard #28: Colleen Doran
The most controversial “Palmer’s Picks” ever! Read about all of the trouble surrounding my profile of Colleen Doran and A Distant Soil.
Wizard #27: Jeff Smith
Jeff Smith’s Bone was profiled in “Palmer’s Picks” way back in the fall of 1993, when it was just a black and white comic book.
Wizard #26: James A. Owen
Self-publisher James A. Owen and his fantasy series Starchild was the subject of the twentieth installment of “Palmer’s Picks.”
Wizard #25: Tragedy Strikes Press
Wizard’s milestone 25th issue contained my overview of short-lived Canadian publisher Tragedy Strikes Press (Pickle, Cheese Heads, Sin, Way Out Strips).
Wizard #24: Los Bros Hernandez
Wizard turned two years old and I profiled two of the world’s greatest cartoonists in my overview of the iconic Love and Rockets from the summer of ’93.
Wizard #23: Everything…And The Kitchen Sink Too
My second feature about Kevin Eastman’s Tundra spirals into chaos when Brandon Lee’s death scuttles plans for The Crow and Kitchen Sink “buys” the company.
Wizard #23: Paul Chadwick
Paul Chadwick’s Concrete was the subject of a “Palmer’s Picks” column, but what happens when you lose interest in a comic you used to like?
Wizard #22: Larry Marder
Larry Marder’s Tales of the Beanworld is a most peculiar comic book experience, but my “Palmer’s Picks” about it had a decidedly peculiar opening line.
Wizard #21: Mike Allred
The early work of Madman creator Mike Allred was the topic of the day for “Palmer’s Picks” in the spring of 1993, and now you can experience it again!
Wizard #20: Scott McCloud
I profiled Underrstanding Comics author Scott McCloud before his landmark book. Delve into his early work with a revisit of my original “Palmer’s Picks.”
Wizard #19: Rick Veitch
“Palmer’s Picks” focused on legendary comics creator Rick Veitch and his King Hell Heroica books Bratpack and The Maximortal in early 1993.
Wizard #18: Ted McKeever
Underappreciated genius Ted McKeever was the “Palmer’s Picks” in issue 18, where I examined his interconnected comics Eddy Current, Metropol, and more.
Wizard #17: Christmas 1992
Take a look back at what might be the weirdest Christmas list ever assembled: Maus, Bone, Skin, Madman, and more in “Palmer’s Picks” from winter 1992.
Wizard #16: Martin Wagner
Troubled self-publisher Martin Wagner, and his comic Hepcats, was the focus of my tenth “Palmer’s Picks” column. Where did it all go wrong?
Wizard #15: Eddie Campbell
Eddie Campbell’s Deadface got the “Palmer’s Picks” spotlight, and now you can look back at all of the excitement just like it was ’92 again.
Wizard #14: Alan Moore
Alan Moore, Big Numbers, From Hell, Lost Girls, glaring typos, and flatulence…all in my revisit of “Palmer’s Picks” from 1992.
Wizard #13: “Weird” Comics
Relive the time I talked about Chester Brown’s adults-only Yummy Fur in Wizard Magazine (along with Dan Clowes, Charles Burns and Jim Woodring).
Wizard #12: Tundra-The Creator’s Edge
A look back at my first feature length magazine article, a profile of Ninja Turtles co-creator Kevin Eastman’s Tundra Publishing.
Wizard #11 & #12: EC Comics
Back in the summer of 1992, I devoted two “Palmer’s Picks” columns to EC Comics. Now you can relive the whole experience in one handy blog post!
Wizard #10: Anthologies
Anthology comics Raw, Taboo and Drawn & Quarterly get the spotlight in this reexamination of my fourth “Palmer’s Picks” column.
Wizard #8: Humor Comics
A look back at my very serious examination of some seriously funny cartoonists like Peter Bagge, Drew Friedman, Doug Gray, and more.
Wizard #7: Dave Sim
I tackle the controversial Cerebus and its equally contentious creator Dave Sim as I reexamine the second installment of “Palmer’s Picks” from 1992.
Wizard #6: Neil Gaiman
Revisiting the very first “Palmer’s Picks” column from Wizard Magazine and my essay about Neil Gaiman’s iconic Sandman series.
The Origins of “Palmer’s Picks”
So how did “Palmer’s Picks” get started? The short answer is that I was in the right place at the right time. Want the longer version? Keep reading.
What is “Palmer’s Picks”?
The return of “Palmer’s Picks!” The old alternative/indy comics column from Wizard is back with a brief history of how it all began and a mission statement.