Comments on: 365 Reasons to Love Comics #131

By: Melissa

Melissa — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:43:49 +0000

James is definitely a reason to love comics.

I do not like him. I think he is neurotic, cruel, and ***unbelievably*** narcissistic. He has his occasional sweet or profound moments, but I think if I were to meet him I would find him unbearably obnoxious.

And yet I read the Sketchbook Diaries daily. Without fail.

So yes, he is definitely a reason to love comics. Anyone so obnoxious that can make ME love him… That is a helluva feat.

By: Mobelius Rodelius

Mobelius Rodelius — Thu, 17 May 2007 17:08:15 +0000

Pinky and Stinky is a book that your girlfried will read and love. Forget Watchmen or whatever, if you need a gateway to get your girl to read a comic book, drop P&S on her.

By: DanCJ

DanCJ — Mon, 14 May 2007 11:08:48 +0000

I’m still trying to decide what I think of Kochalka. I quite liked the Sketchbook Diaries volume I read, but Monkey vs Robot was pretty nothing.

By: Apodaca

Apodaca — Sun, 13 May 2007 22:51:21 +0000

I don’t see how you could really categorize Kochalka as writing a certain type of stuff. Monkey Vs. Robot is really different from American Elf, for example.

By: chroom

chroom — Sun, 13 May 2007 00:38:25 +0000

What little I’ve read of the man seems like typical boring indie stuff to me, but I’ll reiterate that it’s VERY little. Some of MVR and maybe a little PEANUT BUTTER AND JEREMY (that’s Kochalka, right?). Same with the music.

He basically strikes me as the kind of talent that other people like not because he’s particularly good, but rather because he’s different from everyone else.

I like a good many independent (i.e., not from the major publishers) comics, but very few “indie” books, so Kochalka really isn’t up my alley. Other folks seem to like him, though, so who am I to complain?

By: chroom

chroom — Sun, 13 May 2007 00:36:50 +0000

He basically strikes me as the kind of talent that other people like not because he’s particularly good, but rather because he’s different from everyone else.

But I’m really, REALLY

By: Apodaca

Apodaca — Sat, 12 May 2007 21:28:18 +0000

Kochalka is totally awesome. He embodies the fun of comics. He’s what you imagine a comic book writer is like when you’re a kid. Hip, wise, cool, and funny.

By: Alejandro

Alejandro — Sat, 12 May 2007 19:19:41 +0000

Kochalka is definitively a reason to love comics.

By: Dave

Dave — Sat, 12 May 2007 16:55:20 +0000

Okay, in addition to being dead inside, you’re also gaytarded.

By: Greg Burgas

Greg Burgas — Sat, 12 May 2007 14:48:00 +0000

You have to do better than that, Dave. I’ve been dead inside ever since I didn’t like Owly!

By: Dave

Dave — Sat, 12 May 2007 06:04:20 +0000

I’ve been showing Superf*ckers #4 to all of my friends whenever we’re near a comic store and they’ve all loved it. It’s like the best parts of South Park without any of Trey and Matt’s pseudo-liberatarian preaching and instantly-dated pop culture references. It’s timeless, crude, and utterly hilarious, and anybody who doesn’t like it is dead inside.

By: MattR

MattR — Sat, 12 May 2007 05:41:35 +0000

YupYupYup he’s a reason to love comics.

Where was his Hulk story published again? The most recent Annual #1?

By: thekamisama

thekamisama — Sat, 12 May 2007 04:22:49 +0000

If not for James Kochalka, I would have recycled all my old comics into toilet paper. He gave me newfound love for the medium in a dark time.

I only wish the last 3 or 4 Legion of Superheroes revamps had been as exciting or cool as SuperF*ckers.

By: Ian

Ian — Sat, 12 May 2007 04:02:29 +0000

Hell yeah Kolchaka is a reason to love comics. He has such a strong passion for any and every type of comics, and he has such a simplisitc yet fascinating style that it works great. He is like a bridge between the Sunday comics and other indie stuff… with a couple of “fucks” thrown in for good measure.

As a huge super-hero fan, I’m disappointed that none of his ‘mainstream’ pitches ever went anywhere.

By: Vertical

Vertical — Sat, 12 May 2007 03:47:50 +0000

I love everything about James. “Hockey Monkey” is one of the best songs ever written!

His son is just a little older than my own daughter, so I feel like his American Elf is even more relevent to me now.

I’m always amazed at how much personal information he reveals in his strip (and other books). He writes things down that I’d be embarrassed just thinking about! When you read his library of work as a whole, you really get a sense of who he is, and I find him fascinating.

I understand his style is not for everyone, but I just can’t get enough!

Thanks for giving him the spotlight!

By: chdb

chdb — Sat, 12 May 2007 02:15:18 +0000

I’ll second the dislike for Superf*ckers. God, was that a disappointment, and not just a “everybody told me this was awesome and it was only okay” disappointment; it was a “wow, this blows” disappointment.

I liked Monkey vs. Robot, though.

By: Dan K

Dan K — Sat, 12 May 2007 02:05:27 +0000

Good choice. American Elf is one of my daily web-stops. Some of the resent entries about his son have been really touching.

By: Mike Thomas

Mike Thomas — Sat, 12 May 2007 02:03:39 +0000

I love Monkey vs Robot!

And I agree that James Kochalka is definitely a reason to love comics.

By: Johnny Bacardi

Johnny Bacardi — Sat, 12 May 2007 01:48:41 +0000

Is James Kochalka a suitable Reason to Love Comics?

I say yes, yes, a thousand times yes. But I’m notoriously easy to entertain.

By: Greg Burgas

Greg Burgas — Sat, 12 May 2007 00:32:15 +0000

No. I hated Superf*ckers, and the little I’ve heard of his music was terrible too. He seems like the smart-ass punk kid in high school who made everyone laugh but is still peddling the same old schtick twenty years later.

Maybe I need to check out some more of his stuff.