Marder-ography – Amazing Heroes #137 [1988]

As part of her editorial responsibilities at Eclipse, Catherine Yronwode would do her Fit to Print column as part of their ads in industry magazines.  In 1988 that included AMAZING HEROES, and in #137 of that magazine there was FtP #197, where she talks about a recent call she had with Larry Marder in her role as editorial consultant on TALES OF THE BEANWORLD.  Some fascinating behind the scenes stuff of the era when Beanworld had its big crossover with the rest of the Eclipse line in TOTAL ECLIPSE and how it all ties in with Marcel Duchamp, as almost all things do.

As an added bonus, Larry Marder also does the header for the column, which is weird and wonderful (I think each column had a unique header submitted by a reader).

I think this might have also appeared in a contemporaneous issue of COMIC BUYER'S GUIDE and maybe other publications Eclipse advertised in.

And another interesting tidbit, one of the readers who they need an address for to fill their orders is a Jeff Smith of Ohio.  Who is very probably the same Jeff Smith who wrote the introduction to REMEMBER HERE WHEN YOU ARE THERE.  And created some book called BONE, but, man, that RHWYAT intro...

Thanks to another Jeff, eagle eyed Jeff A. of Toronto, for spotting this and bringing it to my attention.

Marder-ography – Weirdo #9 [1983]

The earliest Larry Marder letter in a comic book I've found is this one from the Robert Crumb edited WEIRDO #9 [1983]. It's not one of Marder's illustrated letters, but Crumb did hand letter the letter columns in the book, so that's something.

WEIRDO was a long running anthology underground comic that ran from 1981 to 1993 from Last Gasp, for a total of 28 issues. Crumb edited the first nine, succeeded by Peter Bagge and then Aline Kominsky-Crumb.

Beanworld Omnibus v1/v2 available

Apologies for the lack of any updates. I just wanted to make sure it was noted here that the complete BEANWORLD saga to date is now available in two softcover volumes.

Details and previews at the Dark Horse pages for the books:
https://www.darkhorse.com/Books/3003-060/Beanworld-Omnibus-Volume-1-TPB https://www.darkhorse.com/Books/3004-938/Beanworld-Omnibus-Volume-2-TPB

They’re also available digitally.

Beanworld Omnibus v1 (#1-21) coming

Just announced from Dark Horse, the original 21 issue run of TALES OF THE BEANWORLD will be collected into a single 608-page softcover volume in June 2018 as BEANWORLD OMNIBUS VOLUME 1. These are the stories previously collected in hardcover as WAHOOLAZUMA and A GIFT COMES, and a bargain a $25, compared to $40 for the hardcovers.

More details from Dark Horse here, including the curious decision to classify the genre as “Horror, Fantasy”. I guess that invasion that led to the Bone Zone is pretty horrific.

ISBN-10: 1-50670-794-7
ISBN-13: 978-1-50670-794-5

Beanworld Vol. 4 published

Now available in various forms for your reading pleasure, BEANWORLD VOL 4 : HOKA HOKA BURB’L BURB’L. See the beginning of the Summer cycle in the Beanworld, flashbacks to an origin story hinted at in an early issue, multiple stages in the evolution of the Beanworld (which hopefully won’t take anywhere near as long to continue with Vol. 5).

ISBN-10: 150670218X
ISBN-13: 978-1506702186
http://www.darkhorse.com/Books/31-232/Beanworld-Volume-4-Hoka-Hoka-Burbl-Burbl-HC
https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/NOV160079

Beanworld Book 4 update

Just to update the previous post, BEANWORLD VOL 4 : HOKA HOKA BURB’L BURB’L is now scheduled to come out in July, 2017.

The most peculiar comic book experience returns in an all-new volume–Beanworld Volume 4: Hoka Hoka Burb’l Burb’l! The Boom’r Band coaxes a new healing power out of Chow, leading to a visit from Dreamishness’s relatives–the Windy Songsterinos–who bring their gift of rain. The storm causes great changes to Mr. Spook, Beanish and the Pod’l’pool Cuties. Marder’s deceptively simple artwork illustrates a self-contained ecological fantasy realm with its own unique rules and lingo. Beanworld has delighted readers from grade school to grad school for more than a generation, earning a spot on the New York Times Graphic Books Best Sellers List.

ISBN-10: 150670218X
ISBN-13: 978-1506702186
http://www.darkhorse.com/Books/31-232/Beanworld-Volume-4-Hoka-Hoka-Burbl-Burbl-HC
https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/NOV160079

Beanworld Book 4 scheduled

It’s been a while, but Dark Horse has just put the fourth volume of BEANWORLD on the schedule for next year. It’s listed as a 152 page book, coming out in March, 2017. The subtitle is “Hoka Hoka Burb’l Burb’l”, and it’s described as:

The most peculiar comic book experience returns in an all-new volume–Beanworld Volume 4: Hoka Hoka Burb’l Burb’l! The Boom’r Band coaxes a new healing power out of Chow, leading to a visit from Dreamishness’s relatives–the Windy Songsterinos–who bring their gift of rain. The storm causes great changes to Mr. Spook, Beanish and the Pod’l’pool Cuties. Marder’s deceptively simple artwork illustrates a self-contained ecological fantasy realm with its own unique rules and lingo. Beanworld has delighted readers from grade school to grad school for more than a generation, earning a spot on the New York Times Graphic Books Best Sellers List.

ISBN-10: 150670218X

ISBN-13: 978-1506702186