A few weeks ago we looked at Fantagraphics publishing plans for 2013. Today I thought it might be worthwhile to peek into Drawn & Quarterly's crystal ball and see what they have in store. I skipped over some re-releases and new volumes of expected material -- a new Moomin collection, a paperback release of Paying for It -- mainly because I'm lazy.
You're Just Jealous of My Jetpack by Tom Gauld. Gauld's weekly comic gets the fancy book deal. Expect lots of really funny riffs on history and pop culture in Gauld's stone-faced, deadpan style. January, $19.95.
Kitaro by Shigeru Mizuki. Following the acclaim of NonNonBa, comes the North American debut of Mizuki's most famous creation, Kitaro, a little boy with paranormal powers that hangs out with spirits. I don't know if this is a "best-of" collection or the first in an ongoing series of Kitaro-themed books but D&Q have done right by Mizuki thus far and I'm anxious to see how they'll handle his most beloved work. February, $26.95.
Letting It Go by Miriam Katin. We haven't heard anything from Katin since the release of her marvelous 2006 memoir We Are On Our Own. This new graphic novel is a sequel of sorts, about her struggles to accept her son's decision to move to Berlin and move past her long-held grudges over the war. February, 24.95
Burden by Joe Ollmann. Following up on his previous memoir/not a memoir Mid-Life, Burden is about a man who believes he has been abducted by aliens, and the effect his heretofore suppressed memory has on his relationship with his significant other. February, $16.95
Nancy Vol. 4 by John Stanley. I think this is the last of the Nancy volumes and also the last of the books in D&Q's John Stanley Library, though I could be wrong about that last point. March, $29.95.
Marble Season by Gilbert Hernandez. Beto's debut work for D&Q is a pseudo-autobiographical tale about his years growing up in 1960s-era California. I can't imagine a book I'm more looking forward to reading next year. May, $21.95
Co-Mix: A Retrospective of Comics, Graphics and Scraps by Art Spiegelman. An overview of the acclaimed cartoonist's work that includes early underground work and New Yorker stuff. The highlight for me might be the inclusion of Two-Fisted Painters, which hasn't seen the light of day since Read Yourself Raw back in the late 80s. May, $39.95
My Dirty, Dumb Eyes by Lisa Hanawalt. I'm not sure, but I think this will collect a bunch of Hanawalt's previous material, including the late lamented series I Want You. I could be wrong about that though. Certainly any new Hanawalt book is cause for celebration. May, $19.95.
The Playboy by Chester Brown. May, $16.95. Brown's long out-of-print memoir about his shameful masturbation habits is finally re-released. This is the only work by Brown that I haven't read, so I'm looking forward to getting a copy. One imagines there will be copious notes in the back.
The Property by Rutu Modan. Following the death of her son, a woman takes her granddaughter on a trip to Warsaw to reclaim a family property lost in World War II -- and maybe reclaim some old memories as well. From the author of Exit Wounds. June, $24.95
A User's Guide to Neglectful Parenting by Guy Delisle. Delisle forgoes his usual hot-spot travelogue in favor of some humorous strips about the hazards of parenting. That's something I can always relate to. June, $16.95.
Anna and Froga: I Dunno, What Do You Want to Do? by Anouk Ricard. A new all-ages book featuring Ricard's cute and occasionally snarky characters. June $14.95.