#IReadsYou Review: GOOD ON BOTH SIDES - A (th)ink Anthology

GOOD ON BOTH SIDES – A (TH)INK ANTHOLOGY #5
KEITH KNIGHT PRESS/Microcosm Publishing

CARTOONIST: Keith Knight
ISBN: 978-0-9788053-5-7; paperback; 6" x 7.5" x 0.4" (June 2022)
128pp, Color, $20.00 U.S.

Good on Both Sides is a new collection of the socio-political, single-panel comic strip, (th)ink.  Debuting in 2000 on the now defunct website, Africana.com, (th)ink is the creation of Keith Knight, a cartoonist, comics creator, and musician.  Knight is also the creator and an executive producer on the recent Hulu series, “Woke.”  (th)ink currently appears in several outlets, including the Nib, Daily KOS, Antigravity, and The Funny Times.

Good on Both Sides, the fifth (th)ink paperback collection, takes its title by paraphrasing Donald Trump's moral equivalency after the 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.  It covers (th)ink episodes published during the early years of Donald Trump's masquerade as the 45th President of the United States.  Knight captures the absurdity of the time under an absurd leader and chronicles and depicts everything that made non-white supremacists cringe.

THE LOWDOWN:  In a sense political cartoonists are a dime a dozen.  The truth is that I have a hard time finding many that are really bad at their chosen professions.  What makes Keith Knight different?

I first became acquainted with Knight's work in late 2006 when I received a copy of Are We Feeling Safer Yet? (2007), the second (th)ink collection.  Sadly, I lost touch with him and had not thought of him until I heard about his Hulu TV series, “Woke,” last year.  I recently reconnected with him to request a copy-for-review of Good on Both Sides.  On the back cover of this book is a quote from Dawn Tol, part of which reads, “Keith Knight has never been more overtly Black.”

That is what makes Knight different from other political cartoonists.  He is Black.  Yes, there are other African-American political cartoonists (Walt Carr, David G. Brown), but for now, we are talking about Keith Knight, who is from a particular tradition.  That tradition involves Coloreds, Negroes, Afro-Americans, African-American, etc. who do not bite their tongues, metaphorically or otherwise, for the sake of propriety and for the feelings of good White folk and cautious, fretting Black folk.

I had forgotten just how screwed up the first half of Trump's occupation was … because the second half turned into … well,you know.  Knight's commentary via political cartoons is both incisive and relentless.  I won't say that he is “unapologetic” because apologizing is irrelevant in the context of what Knight does.  It isn't just Trump that is wrong with this country; it is also the rotten culture and society.  Honestly, much of that rot comes from White racism, supremacy, and privilege:  those that perpetuate it; those that enjoy the advantages while letting someone else do the dirty work; and those who benefit and give nominal lip service in criticizing it.

In Good on Both Sides, nothing and no one is spared.  Warts and all, Klan robes and hoods:  Knight reveals the stains without a thought for decorum.  Political commentary, words, pictures, or cartoons need that, especially when so many commentators want us to “turn down the temperature.”  Knight is the triple truth, Ruth.

Good on Both Sides isn't all about Trump.  As I said, there were plenty of awful people during that time who deserve Knight's punches.  Knight also offers several nice memorials and tributes to such luminaries as W.E.B. Du Bois, Dick Gregory, and Josephine Baker, to name a few.  I am not crazy about everything in Good on Both Sides, but it's close.  I could have read another hundred pages just to see what Knight has to say about the time period this collection covers.

Keith Knight's political cartoons are timely, and many are timeless.  The timeless ones will always have bite, but the timely will cut like a knife for years to come.  And Good on Both Sides is just plain funny.  I laughed a lot, and I practically always need that from political cartoons.  I encourage you, dear readers, to get a copy of Good on Both Sides.  Maybe if enough of you read it, someone will get the notion to shortlist Mr. Knight for a Pulitzer Prize.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of great political cartoons and of Keith Knight's work will want to read Good on Both Sides.

A

★★★★+ out of 4 stars

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


You can buy copies of Good on Both Sides at indie book stores or at the following online shops: here or https://keithknight.bigcartel.com/product/pre-order-good-on-both-sides-the-new-th-ink-collection and here or https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/books/1446.


Find Keith Knight on the Internet:
https://keithknightart.com/
https://kchronicles.com/
https://twitter.com/KeefKnight
https://www.patreon.com/keefknight
https://www.instagram.com/iamkeithknight/?hl=en
https://keithknight.bigcartel.com/
https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/books/1446
https://www.facebook.com/keithknightcartoonist/
https://www.gocomics.com/thekchronicles


The text is copyright © 2022 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Next Man at Wowio; Mickey Zenith Approaches

Comici Online At Wowio, Argondezzi Doing Mickey Zenith

Comici Productions online at Wowio.com Illustrator Vince Argondezzi doing new series Mickey Zenith More Next man coming online

PRLog (Press Release) – Jul 29, 2010 – The groundbreaker Next Man, an indie favorite, will now be available at Wowio.com, the world's fastest growing outlet for online books and comics. "Wowio has one of the fastest growing inventories of classic book, modern bestsellers, and great comics, and we are happy and proud our products are among them" says Comici creative director Ric Dawson. Artist Vince Argondezzi relates: " I am honored that the Next Man, co- created by talented industry veteran Roger Mc Kenzie and myself, sits along side HG Wells' War of the Worlds, Gray's Anatomy, Top Cow, and Cowboys and Aliens along with so many others at Wowio. This is a great direction Comici is going on, and with the addition of several brand new properties that have been planned for us, along with our creative heritage from Comico and Comic Company A that we with have, there's no stopping Comici!"

Among the new properties that Argondezzi mentions is his new series, Mickey Zenith. "In the planning stages while I spent several years in health care illustration and TV and movie production, Mickey Zenith was one of several projects that I carefully crafted to bring out when the time was right. With the genesis of the online movement in comics, I think Mickey will really shine, since I can take advantage of the incredible production methods and opportunities available."

The first news items and some preliminary artwork for Mickey Zenith and other new projects from Comici are available at Entercomx.com, and will be seen also at other outlets. Dawson adds "We are talking to a variety of fellow professionals about new work and projects, and are anxious to relay the news. You'll be suprised who we're talking with."

Comici Announces Online Comics Expansion

Press release Comici Studios:

Comici, Comic Company A to expand online, new properties; picks up the eclectic Next Man

Comic Company A, which helped bring the world the independent alternative comic market with it's co- founding and creative contributions to the comic book independents, heralds an additional newer name, Comici, and new projects.

PRLog (Press Release) – Jul 16, 2010 – Comic Company A was the only successful publishing and media house to survive from Comico to be carried officially by the worlds major comics distributors, with sellouts like the Next Man Collectors Edition series, and well as the studio's award winning work in the realm of Health Care and Commercial art...making these new first steps now in to the environment of online media is fitting, and the first volly in what will be a wholesale emphasis for development towards the future of this now reinvigorated medium.

Along with a host of other new projects, CCA, Comic Company A, or Comici, as it will in addition now be called officially, is re-releasing several issues from it's controversial , ground breaking hit from the eighties and nineties, The Next Man, co-created by Roger Mc Kenzie (Ghost Rider) and Vince Argondezzi (Health Care Heroes, Infinity Inc) The ecclectic series covered euthinasia, cancer, and other controversial subjects long before it was acceptable in comics; garnering praise as well as criticism from a variety of different sources, because of the subject matter, from veteran award winner Mc Kenzie, as well as a younger artist Argondezzi's experiments with groundbreaking experimental illustration techniques.

As part of the big push of development in the comic and entertainment industry, Comico and Comic Company A helped with a variety of different attempts for creators rights and daring story lines and subject matter. As a co-founder of both companies. Vince Argondezzi finds Next Man a natural fit in the structure of the new oline medium of comics, and the evolution Comic Company A/ Comici is taking.

From a recent national press release:

June 1 2010:  "In the light of America's more recent military conflicts, these storylines and concepts are more important than ever," Argondezzi states. "The super hero has always been a fantastic vehicle, an excellent metaphor for the super heroic efforts and problems that our men and women in the military services have to deal with every day, in war, and after these battles are consumated. Rog and I have used Next Man as an analogy for the journey of these brave folks. It is by their sacrifices and determination that we as artists and free people are given the privilege of exploring the future; it's only through the freedom that they graciously secure for us, can that future and it's positive possibilities also be secure."

As Comici led in the past with contributions to the various independents, and creations like Next Man, so will it lead the way in the future, with clasics from the past and bright new stars for tommorrow.

Stay tuned! [END]

VIZ Media Previews New Baseball Manga

VIZ MEDIA PREVIEWS THE RELEASE OF BASEBALL MANGA SERIES CROSS GAME ONLINE AT SHONENSUNDAY.COM

Set Against The Backdrop Of The Sport Of Baseball, This New Manga Series Explores The Bonds Of Love Between Friends, Siblings And Family

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, will bring Mitsuru Adachi’s acclaimed manga series CROSS GAME to North American readers via special online previews beginning in May on VIZ Media’s Shonen Sunday website (ShonenSunday.com). CROSS GAME is rated ‘T’ for Teens and is due to release Fall 2010.

CROSS GAME is a moving drama that is heartfelt and true, yet in the brilliant hands of manga artist Mitsuru Adachi, delightfully flows with a light and amusing touch. The series centers around a boy named Ko, the family of four sisters who live down the street and the game of baseball. This poignant coming-of-age story will change your perception of what shonen manga can be.

“Mitsuru Adachi is a legend in Japan, where his work has been loved by fans for more than 40 years, and we're honored to bring him to a U.S. audience with the launch of CROSS GAME," says Andy Nakatani, Editorial Manager, VIZ Media. "Readers can go to our Shonen Sunday web site to get a glimpse of how baseball combined with the drama of adolescence, tragedy and newfound loves produces a truly groundbreaking story."

One of the biggest names in the manga industry today, Mitsuru Adachi made his debut in 1970 with Kieta Bakuon in the pages of Deluxe Shonen Sunday. The creator of numerous mega-hits such as Touch, Miyuki, and Cross Game, Adachi Sensei received the Shogakukan Manga Award for all three of the aforementioned series. Truly at the top echelon of the manga industry, his cumulative works have seen over 200 million copies sold, and many of his series have been adapted into anime, live-action TV series and film. A master of his medium, Adachi has come to be known for his genius handling of dramatic elements skillfully combined with romance, comedy and sports. He, along with Rumiko Takahashi, has become synonymous with the phenomenal success of Shonen Sunday in Japan.

For more information on this title, or others from VIZ Media’s Shonen Sunday imprint, please visit www.ShonenSunday.com.