Indie Edge: MFK, Fred the Clown, and a Park Bench

by Andrea Purcell

If you've ever browsed through a PREVIEWS catalog, you know how packed full each issue can be. It's so packed, that you might have overlooked a choice comic tucked away on one of its many pages. There are so many sections to look through each month, it can be almost impossible to search out all of the awesome comic books that you want to pre-order at your local comic shop. The Indie Edge column is made to help by taking a look at just some (and trust us, there's a lot) of the amazing small press, alternative, and indie titles currently available in this month's catalog!

The "indie" umbrella can be wide, and these comics cover a lot of different story types and styles, but you can find just about any comic you've ever wanted and maybe a few you never knew you needed. Take a look at the books highlighted below and if anything is begging to be read, wander over to your local comic shop to pre-order these comics and anything else from this month's PREVIEWS catalog!

There’s so much to choose from in July's Indie Edge column!This month go on a grand fantasy adventure in MFK, take a seat with Park Bench, Roger Langridge’s beloved Fred the Clown returns, and more! The July PREVIEWS catalog is full of amazing books that you might have overlooked. Dive into the small press side of comics with Indie Edge!

Black, volume 1

Black Mask Comics is once again pushing the envelope and breaking down barriers with the collection of the critically acclaimed series Black. From writer Kwanza Osajyefo and artist Jamal Igle, Black volume 1 (JUL171458) asks the question – what would the world be like if only Black people had superpowers? A chillingly relevant tale in today’s sordid climate, this comic is more needed than ever to raise questions and force readers to ask themselves what would happen if a young Black man who was gunned down survived due to super powers. Would the world be ready for the answer?

Fred the Clown in Iron Duchess

Roger Langridge’s beloved and award winning Fred the Clown is back in an all new adventure from Fantagraphics Books. Fred the Clown in Iron Duchess (JUL171896) is a love letter to the silent films of the 1920s, and to Buster Keaton especially. As Fred falls in love with a beautiful equestrian, who happens to have an interfering father and a boorish beau, what’s a clown to do? It’s a madcap – and mostly wordless - romp through Langridge’s beautiful grey-scale artwork as this screwball adventure escalates in glorious fashion. 

Park Bench

The common park bench is finally getting it’s due as best-selling French cartoonist Chaboute explores the life of a simple bench and how it’s impacted those who’ve used it. The eponymously named Park Bench (JUL171931) follows, from start to finish, the lifetime of this simple creation. From the builders who created it, the businessmen using it on lunch breaks, lovers carving initials into it, old friends catching up while sitting there, even those on hard times sleeping upon it; the park bench is a silent witness to the life of the community it serves. Take a seat – this park bench has a story to tell.

MFK

An offbeat and fantastic adventure, fans of fantasy books like Finder won’t want to miss Nilah Magruder’s MFK (JUL171959). Follow the tale of Abbie, a young deaf girl with a mysterious power, as she travels across a vast desert to scatter her mother’s ashes. As Abbie traverses a world of sleeping gods, broken governments, and a peace being eaten away by the corrupt, she must find the strength to stand up and save humanity – but all Abbie wants is to be left alone. As she treks onward to deliver her mother’s ashes, can Abbie avoid being waylaid by the world and its woes? 

Lighter Than My Shadow

Lion Forge is taking readers on a dark trip to the heart of the hidden illness of Anorexia with Lighter Than My Shadow (JUL171995). Cartoonist Katie Green explores her past and growing up as a picky eater soon morphed into something much darker and more sinister. As Katie’s Anorexia spirals out of control we follow her through the daily struggle, her recovery, and see the darkness of Anorexia laid bare. A graphic portrayal of a struggle that many people go through alone, Lighter Than My Shadow is a beacon of hope for those who need it.

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Andrea Purcell is a Web Content Writer for PREVIEWSworld.com and a part-time assistant to busy comic creators. Her favorite past times are singing karaoke at comic conventions and memorizing obscure trivia about random pop culture.