SPECTATORS - Part 44

See you in 2023!

You staying put or traveling for the holidays?

Brian here, and at this time last year, I was laid up with Covid and quarantining all by my lonesome while working on the opening scene of the same serialized graphic novel that reaches its 117th perverted page today.

Knock wood, I’m fortunate enough to be (relatively) healthy at the moment, and am greatly looking forward to finally seeing my extended family again soon. Hope you get to do the same.

But first, let’s check in with our voyeuristic spirits Val and Sam—who’ve been discussing group sex and the possibility of nuclear armageddon, naturally—in this new vignette of Spectators from artist/co-creator Niko Henrichon and letterer Fonografiks.

Oh, and since we had a lot of lovely new readers join us last week, a reminder that you can always catch up with previous installments in our Archives, where Spectators remains 100% free to read.

Spectators 116 117

2.26MB ∙ CBZ file

Read now

Read now

Spectators 116 117

4.28MB ∙ PDF file

Download

Download

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Quickly, to Google Maps!

Or, you can just wait to find out exactly where Val is headed in our next scene, which you can read when Spectators returns on Monday, January 9, 2023 (the future!).

Not to brag (i.e. to brag), but this is the first and only break we’ve taken since Exploding Giraffe started publishing eleven months ago, and we greatly appreciate your patience as Niko, Fonografiks and I briefly recharge before bringing you more surreal surprises in our upcoming second year.

But this won’t be the last dispatch of 2022 for you loyal paid subscribers in The Tower (what you call a group of… oh forget it), as Niko will be treating you to another of his “artistic autopsies” and an exclusive giveaway this Friday.

Speaking of Niko, it was his birthday last week!

He celebrated his big day not by partying into the wee hours, but by once again sending over some exquisitely detailed new inks.

I can think of few other creators who balance Niko’s unhinged imagination with his focused work ethic. He’s somehow both a genius artist AND a lovely human being, and it’s been an absolute privilege finally getting to collaborate with him again.

Happy Birthday, pal!

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Last week’s bonus content about My Top Ten Favorite Comics of 2022 was somehow our most-read ever (goddamn do folks love lists), and Tower members chimed in with many other excellent suggestions from this past year.

Jason Salumbides writes:

I’ve been reading a bunch of Daniel Warren Johnson’s work and probably my favorite comics from him that I’ve read this year are Murder Falcon and Do a Powerbomb. These comics are the reason why I love comics. The way he writes these crazy over the top stories that are so grounded by the themes and heart-wrenching turns are just amazing. I’ve never cheered and cried while reading a comic before until I read these two. So yeah Murder Falcon and Do a Powerbomb are probably gonna be in my top ten for a while.

And some more strong picks from Tower member Richard:

Off the top of my head here are some of my favorites from this year:

1. It’s Lonely At The Centre of The Earth by Zoe Thorogood. The only one I’ll rank because it’s the best comic I read all year.

- Do A Powerbomb! by Daniel Warren Johnson

- Kali by Freedman/Sammelin

- Shaolin Cowboy: Cruel To Be Kin by Geof Darrow

- Catwoman: Lonely City by Cliff Chiang

- The Many Deaths Of Laila Starr by V/Andrade

- Human Target by King/Smallwood

- Lazarus: Risen by Rucka/Lark

- I Hate This Place by Starks/Toplin

Kevin S. adds:

Most enjoyed of the year for me: Human Target, Dept. of Truth, Liam Sharp’s Starhenge. The surprise gift I never knew I needed: Fantastic Four Full Circle by Alex Ross. Like a lost FF Annual script from somewhere in the 1965-70 era was discovered in a time capsule, then brought to life by a master illustrator in a style different from anything I’d seen by him before.

And William Sienkiewicz (not the artist, but a great contributor nevertheless) shared his own Top Ten:

10: Newburn

9: Undiscovered Country

8: Love Everlasting

7: Human Target

6: follow me down (reckless)

5 : SIKTC

4: The Nice House on the Lake

3: Kaptara (not nearly enough love for this amazing book- I think it will be Chip Zdarsky’s magnum opus)

2: Monstress - Even though it’s made a splash, this book is a fucking blockbuster that hasn’t gotten near enough credit. The world building alone is a subject you could teach a class on

1: Lazarus - Recency bias may be at play as I literally just started volume six but the second I saw it was for sale I bought it and it didn’t disappoint

Thanks so much for the thoughtful recs, William. Our semi-fictional intern Genesis the Exploded Giraffe will eventually be reaching out to you and a few other lucky commenters from this past weekend’s chat to send you your own copy of a book from my list of faves.

But Genesis has already left for safari with their own tower, so all prizes (including the last packs for our final Founders) will go out after Genesis returns in early January, cool?

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All right, Niko will be back with another awe-inspiring Artopsy later this week, but I’m afraid this is where you and I have to part ways for a bit.

Still, I’ll leave this chat thread open to everyone over the break, so if you’re ever bored or lonely, feel free to check in and let us know how your holidays are going, if you got or gave anything cool, caught up on any binge-watching, etcetera:

I’ve had the best time working on this story and getting to know so many of you this past year. Whether you participated or just spectated, I’m very grateful you’re here. Stay well, and I’ll see you soon.

(I can see you.)

Happy Holidays,

BKV