Read Yourself RAW! - An Introduction

Read Yourself Raw (Pantheon Books, 1987)

edited by Art Spiegelman & Francoise Mouly

The aim of this blog is simply to highlight the cutting-edge comics of today and explore classic comics of the past.

The name of the blog is a tribute to the 1980s experimental comics magazine RAW, edited by Art Spiegelman and Francoise Mouly. Specifically, the name is taken from the 1987 collection, which featured the best of the first three issues of RAW. 

A total of eleven issues of RAW were published between 1980 and 1991 (eight over-sized, self-published issues in Volume 1, with a further three digest-sized issues in Volume 2 published by Penguin Books). The magazine's influence on a generation of artists cannot be understated. It even made it onto David Bowie's list of "top 100 must-read books".

FURTHER READING:
Art Spiegelman & RAW: His Other Masterpiece by Allen Rubenstein
In Love With Art: Francoise Mouly's Adventures in Comics With Art Spiegelman by Jeet Heer
RAW Magazine at Wikipedia

CONTACT:
E: Read [dot] Yourself [dot] RAW [at] gmail [dot] com

The 100 Best Comics List Reviewers

The 100 List | The Reviewers | List Making
Cartoonist Kayfabe

BART BEATY:
37. Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau
43. Amphigorey by Edward Gorey
45. City of Glass by Paul Karasik & David Mazzacchelli
46. Cages by Dave McKean
52. It's a Good Life if You Don't Weaken by Seth
56. Julius Knipl, Real Estate Photographer by Ben Katchor
82. Caricature by Daniel Clowes
84. Why I Hate Saturn by Kyle Baker
96. Dirty Plotte by Julie Doucet

ROBERT BOYD:
6.   Feiffer by Jules Feiffer
22. The Death of Speedy Ortíz by Jaime Hernandez
51. Alec by Eddie Campbell
85. The "Willie & Joe" cartoons by Bill Mauldin
86. Stuck Rubber Baby by Howard Cruse
89. The Autobiographical Comics of Spain Rodriguez

CHRIS BRAYSHAW:
27. Palestine by Joe Sacco

GREG CWIKLIK:
10. The Weirdo Short Stories by Robert Crumb
15. The Spirit by Will Eisner
100. Prince Valiant by Hal Foster

RON EVRY:
53. The Editorial Cartoons of Herblock
64. Goodman Beaver by Harvey Kurtzman & Bill Elder

GARY GROTH:
19. The Sketchbooks of Robert Crumb
59. Little Lulu by John Stanley
93. Dennis the Menace by Hank Ketcham
95. Los Tejanos by Jack Jackson

R.C. HARVEY:
3.   Pogo by Walt Kelly
12. EC War Comics by Harvey Kurtzman & Others
18. Polly & Her Pals by Cliff Sterrett
21. The New Yorker Cartoons of Peter Arno
23. Terry & the Pirates by Milton Caniff
29. Gasoline Alley by Frank King
32. Plastic Man by Jack Cole
34. The Theatrical Caricatures of Al Hirschfeld
39. The Editorial Cartoons of Pat Oliphant
60. Alley Oop by V.T. Hamlin
65. Bringing Up Father by George McManus
77. Li'l Abner by Al Capp
98. Barney Google by Billy De Beck

CHARLES HATFIELD:
9.   Binky Brown Meets The Holy Virgin Mary by Justin Green
14. Blood of Palomar by Gilbert Hernandez
31. Poison River by Gilbert Hernandez
38. The Autobiographical Comics from Yummy Fur by Chester Brown
55. Frank by Jim Woodring
81. The Lily Stories by Debbie Drechsler
88. The Fourth World Comics by Jack Kirby

GREG KANNENBERG JR:
4.   Maus by Art Spiegelman
36. Calvin & Hobbes by Bill Watterson
66. Zippy by Bill Griffith

RICH KREINER:
5.   Little Nemo in Slumberland by Winsor McCay
17. The ACME Novelty Library by Chris Ware
30. Fantastic Four by Jack Kirby with Stan Lee
40. The Kin-der-Kids by Lyonel Feininger
49. Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud
91. Watchmen by Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons
92. Pictopia by Alan Moore & Don Simpson

DAVID LASKY:
62. Little Orphan Annie by Harold Gray

CHRIS MAUTNER:
47. The Buddy Bradley Stories by Peter Bagge

RAY MESCALLADO:
24. Flies On The Ceiling by Jaime Hernandez
41. From Hell by Alan Moore & Eddie Campbell
44. The Idiots Abroad by Gilbert Shelton & Paul Mavrides
50. Tantrum by Jules Feiffer
73. The Cartoon History of the Universe by Larry Gonick
83. V for Vendetta by Alan Moore & David Lloyd

JIM OTTAVIANI:
61. American Splendor #1-10 by Harvey Pekar & Others

MARSHALL PRYOR:
74. Ernie Pook's Comeek by Lynda Barry

ERIC REYNOLDS:
11. Thimble Theatre by E.C. Segar
63. Hey Look! by Harvey Kurtzman

LARRY RODMAN:
58. The New Yorker Cartoons of Charles Addams
90. Mr. Punch by Neil Gaiman & Dave McKean

GIL ROTH:
71. The Book of Jim by Jim Woodring
72. The Rubber Blanket short stories by David Mazzucchelli

DAVID RUST:
57. A Contract With God by Will Eisner
75. Black Hole by Charles Burns

ROBERT EDISON SANDIFORD:
33. Dick Tracy by Chester Gould

ART SPIEGELMAN:
99. The Bungle Family by George Tuthill

TOM SPURGEON:
1.   Krazy Kat by George Herriman
13. Wigwam Bam by Jaime Hernandez
25. Wash Tubbs by Roy Crane
28. The Mishkin Saga by Kim Deitch & Simon Deitch
48. The Cartoons of James Thurber
67. The Passport by Saul Steinberg
68. Barnaby by Crockett Johnson
69. God's Man by Lynd Ward
70. Jimbo by Gary Panter
76. Master Race by Bernie Krigstein & Al Feldstein
78. Sugar & Spike by Sheldon Mayer
80. Zap by Robert Crumb & Others
87. The New Yorker cartoons of George Price
94. The Humour Comics of Basil Wolverton

DARCY SULLIVAN:
8.   MAD by Harvey Kurtzman & Others
42. Ghost World by Daniel Clowes

KIM THOMPSON:
2.   Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz
7.   Donald Duck by Carl Barks
16. RAW Magazine edited by Art Spiegelman & Francoise Mouly
20. Uncle Scrooge by Carl Barks
26. The Jungle Book by Harvey Kurtzman
54. EC Horror Comics by Al Feldstein & Others
97. The Hannah Story by Carol Tyler

KENT WORCESTER:
35. Spider-Man by Steve Ditko with Stan Lee
79. Captain Marvel by C.C. Beck & Otto Binder