But I Like It

(Fantagraphics, 2006)
™ and © Fantagraphics Books, Inc.

As in “It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll…” Join Joe Sacco as he presents his life as an observer and as an artist going through his “own personal Rock ‘n’ Roll Babylon.” The book reprints various cartoons reprinted from numerous sources as well as poster art and tracks the career of “The Miracle Workers,” and other bands Sacco went on tour with. He discusses how his posters helped revitalize the careers of such acts as Mudhoney, Flaming Lips and Yo La Tengo. A very riveting read if you are a fan of Rolling Stone type coverage of Rock ‘n’ Roll. Issued with a free four-track compact disc of “The Miracle Workers Live With Long Hair.”

— Mark Arnold

From the Comics Buyer’s Guide:

Before Joe Sacco turned his eye toward the twisted tango of war and peace, he drew for a living in the rock ’n’ roll trenches of small-town clubs and social scene of arrested development. As Sacco chronicles it, making a living as an artist is much like making a living as a musician: full of youthful indiscretion, financial desperation, personal insecurity, and inordinate moments of inanity.

Lampooning B-grade roadies, tour groupies, and excessive parties is the easy part. Following the band Miracle Workers, Sacco includes a sketchbook from his European travails and a section of concert posters from his days in Berlin. Capping the hardcover compilation is a fan’s sarcastic paean to the geriatric Rolling Stones and a colored series on colorful Mississippi blues performers.

Casting himself as a four-eyed, big-lipped, pony-tailed nebbish, the auteur covers Almost Famous during the era of grunge. Sacco’s posters don’t compare to the stylization of Fillmore classics or Coop, but his hyper-detailed and exaggerated observations are in abundant form, and the enclosed CD is a nice touch.

— Oliver Chin

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Notes

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Artist

#1

April, 2006
Cover Price: $24.95
1 copy available for $20.00

Joe Sacco