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''The Comics Journal'', often abreviated '''''TCJ''''', is a US magazine of news and criticism pertaining to Comic Books and strips. It is known for lengthy interviews with comic creators and for sometimes scathing editorials and reviews, particularly with regard to the "mainstream" comics industry and its products. The magazine promotes the view that Comics are a Fine Art deserving of broader cultural respect and higher critical standards. HISTORY ''The Comics Journal'' started life as ''The Nostalgia Journal'', a small adzine competing for space in the market against '' Comics Buyer's Guide ''. In 1976, Gary Groth and Mike Catron acquired the magazine, reportedly with no money changing hands. Their first issue was number 27, published in July 1976 under the title ''The New Nostalgia Journal''. Fantagraphics Books was founded in 1976 by Gary Groth and Mike Catron expressly to publish the ''Journal''; only later did Fantagraphics become a comics publisher in its own right. In January of 1977, the name was changed again to ''The Comics Journal'', with Groth declaring it in his editorial "...a quality publication for the serious comics fan". To that end the ''Journal'' took to reviewing the prevailing superhero titles of the day drawing the ire of nearly all of the mainstream industry as a result of the ''Journal'' The ''Journal'', often abbreviated ''TCJ'', has been seen as operating outside industry norms due to its elitist, art-oriented editorial slant and its insistence upon investigating industry news in the manner of a traditional journalistic enterprise – a practice that runs in sharp contrast to the fannish and overtly promotional approach of such publications as '' Comics Buyer's Guide '' and '' Wizard ''. The ''Journal'' has also been criticized for conflicts of interest in its investigations in that it hasn't always disclosed when Fantagraphics' own interests may have been involved in a story. The ''Journal'' has taken home multiple awards in an industry where serious criticism and journalism is rare. It may be attributable to the magazine's influence that in recent years several serious avenues of news and criticism both in print and online have arisen to join the ''Journal''. On the print front '' Comic Art magazine'', and the sporadic '' Comics Interpreter '' have made an impression. On the internet, sites like Newsarama , Comic Book Resources , Sequart.com , ICv2.com, Egon, Comic Book Galaxy , The Beat, and The Comics Reporter (run by former TCJ managing editor Tom Spurgeon ) have added considerably to the dialogue. Over the years TCJ has prevailed in a handful of Lawsuit s, one of which involved author and critic Harlan Ellison . Though co-defendants at the time in a suit brought by comic book scripter Michael Fleisher, Groth and Ellison emerged from the suit bitterly estranged. Noteworthy contributors and staff of ''The Comics Journal'' have included Gary Groth, Kim Thompson, Greg Stump, Eric Reynolds, R. Fiore, R.C. Harvey , Kenneth Smith, Robert Boyd, Tom Heintjes, Michael Dean, and Tom Spurgeon. TOP 100 LIST In 2000, for its 210th issue, eight of the ''Journal'' # '' Krazy Kat '' by George Herriman # '' Peanuts '' by Charles Schulz # '' Pogo '' by Walt Kelly # '' Maus '' by Art Spiegelman # '' Little Nemo In Slumberland '' by Winsor McCay # '' Feiffer '' by Jules Feiffer # '' Donald Duck '' by Carl Barks # '' Mad Magazine '' by Harvey Kurtzman & various # '' Binky Brown Meets The Holy Virgin Mary '' by Justin Green # The '' Weirdo '' stories of Robert Crumb # '' Thimble Theatre '' by E.C. Segar # EC 's "New Trend" war comics by Harvey Kurtzman & various # '' Wigwam Bam '' ( L&R ) by Jaime Hernandez # ''Blood of Palomar '' ( L&R ) by Gilbert Hernandez # '' The Spirit '' by Will Eisner # '' RAW Magazine '', edited by Art Spiegelman & Francoise Mouly # The '' Acme Novelty Library '' by Chris Ware # '' Polly & Her Pals '' by Cliff Sterret # The ''Sketchbooks'' of Robert Crumb # '' Uncle Scrooge '' by Carl Barks # The ''New Yorker'' cartoons of Peter Arno # '' The Death Of Speedy Ortíz '' ( L&R ) by Jaime Hernandez # '' Terry And The Pirates '' by Milton Caniff # '' Flies On The Ceiling '' ( L&R ) by Jaime Hernandez # '' Wash Tubbs '' by Roy Crane # '' The Jungle Book '' by Harvey Kurtzman # '' Palestine '' by Joe Sacco # The '' Mishkin '' saga by Kim Deitch # '' Gasoline Alley '' by Frank King # The '' Fantastic Four '' by Jack Kirby & Stan Lee # '' Poison River '' ( L&R ) by Gilbert Hernandez # '' Plastic Man '' by Jack Cole # '' Dick Tracy '' by Chester Gould # The theatrical caricatures of Al Hirschfeld # '' The Amazing Spider-Man '' by Steve Ditko & Stan Lee # '' Calvin And Hobbes '' by Bill Watterson # '' Doonesbury '' by Garry Trudeau # The autobiographical comics from '' Yummy Fur '' by Chester Brown # The editorial cartoons of Pat Oliphant # '' The Kin-Der-Kids '' by Lyonel Feininger # '' From Hell '' by Alan Moore & Eddie Campbell # '' Ghost World '' by Daniel Clowes # '' Amphigorey '' by Edward Gorey # The '' Idiots Abroad '' ( Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers ) by Gilbert Shelton & Paul Mavrides # '' Paul Auster's City Of Glass '' by Paul Karasik & David Mazzucchelli # '' Cages '' by Dave McKean # The '' Buddy Bradley '' saga by Peter Bagge # The cartoons of James Thurber # '' Understanding Comics '' by Scott McCloud # '' Tantrum '' by Jules Feiffer # The ''Alec'' stories of Eddie Campbell # '' It's A Good Life, If You Don't Weaken '' by Seth # The editorial cartoons of Herblock # EC's "New Trend" horror comics by Al Feldstein & various # The ''Frank'' stories by Jim Woodring # '' Julius Knipl , Real Estate Photographer'' by Ben Katchor # '' A Contract With God '' by Will Eisner # The ''New Yorker'' cartoons of Charles Addams # '' Little Lulu '' by John Stanley # '' Alley Oop by V. T. Hamlin # '' American Splendor '' #1-10 by Harvey Pekar & various # '' Little Orphan Annie '' by Harold Gray # '' Hey Look! '' by Harvey Kurtzman # '' Goodman Beaver '' by Harvey Kurtzman & Bill Elder # '' Bringing Up Father '' by George McManus # '' Zippy The Pinhead '' by Bill Griffith # ''The Passport'' by Saul Steinberg # '' Barnaby '' by Crockett Johnson # ''God's Man'' by Lynd Ward # ''Jimbo'' by Gary Panter # ''The Book of Jim '' by Jim Woodring # The short stories in ''Rubber Blanket'' by David Mazzucchelli # '' The Cartoon History Of The Universe '' by Larry Gonick # '' Ernie Pook's Comeek '' by Lynda Barry # '' Black Hole '' by Charles Burns # The " Master Race " story by Bernard Krigstein & Al Feldstein # '' Li'l Abner '' by Al Capp # '' Sugar And Spike '' by Sheldon Mayer # '' Captain Marvel by C. C. Beck # '' Zap Comix '' by Robert Crumb & various # The ''Lily'' stories ('' Daddy's Girl '') by Debbie Drechsler # ''Caricature'' by Daniel Clowes # '' V For Vendetta '' by Alan Moore & David Lloyd # '' Why I Hate Saturn '' by Kyle Baker # The ''Willie and Joe'' cartoons of Bill Mauldin # '' Stuck Rubber Baby '' by Howard Cruse # The ''New Yorker'' cartoons of George Price # '' Jack Kirby's Fourth World '' by Jack Kirby # The autobiographical comics of Spain Rodriguez # '' Mr. Punch '' by Neil Gaiman & Dave McKean # '' Watchmen '' by Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons # The "Pictopia" story by Alan Moore & Don Simpson # '' Dennis The Menace '' by Hank Ketcham # The humor comics of Basil Wolverton # '' Los Tejanos '' by Jack Jackson (alias Jaxon) # The '' Dirty Plotte '' series by Julie Doucet # "The Hannah Story" by Carol Tyler # '' Barney Google '' by Billy De Beck # The '' Bungle Family '' by Harry Tuthill # '' Prince Valiant '' by Hal Foster SEE ALSO
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