with its numerous development sketches and technique descriptions, a “how-to” … okay, a “how-I”.

a deluxe Artist Edition of original page reproductions paired with their printed versions.remembrances and reflections with a wealth of insights.a scrapbook of old and recent photos of his personal and extended families.at nearly 14 x 20 inches, a large picture window that provides an extended, revealing peek inside the intersection of his personal life, his creative mind and compassionate soul.It even shares Ware’s ongoing obsession with memories.īeyond simply being a spectacularly presented anthology of a lifetime of Ware’s art, Monograph is, among many other things … Indeed, here at Print I awarded it 2016’s “Best Hybrid-Media Cartoonist Profile” book for its breadth of content, its clever construction-two front covers and all-and its DVD of animation and documentary footage. Dominion, the compact, exquisitely realized hardcover compendium from Ware’s fellow cartoonist/designer Seth, is certainly a noteworthy, ambitious predecessor to Monograph. There’s just Ware himself, Spiegelman, Kuper, and a smattering of other truly talented professionals. After all, who else could originate and execute such a magnificently imaginative compilation of their own work? The sad truth is, American independent comics artists don’t even give a damn about their amateur drawing abilities, much less how their graphic novels are graphically designed. Ware’s latest is-and will most likely remain for some time-the Smartest Monograph on Earth, thanks to its rich, dynamic fusion of text, image and design. And it permanently blew apart entrenched meanings of “book” and “graphic novel.” So how does he top that? Well, now there’s Monograph. It insists upon- demands- recognition of its physical, dimensional, printed presence. It’s 21st-century communication, but unplugged. It’s a masterful design, a “bauhaus”: house of building. It’s a mixed-media artwork that drew comparisons to Joseph Cornell and Marcel Duchamp.

And it’s not even “a book.” It’s a box, chockablock with hardcovers, comic books, newspapers, foldouts and other objects in different formats and various textures. That’s also a gazillion critics, from the New York Times Book Review and Publisher’s Weekly to Boing Boing and Entertainment Weekly.

Enter PRINT’s Regional Design Awards for your chance to see your work in an all-new book by PRINT, and to win a Big Ticket to HOW Design Live, a main-stage trophy presentation and other exclusive opportunities on-site, including a lunch date with a HOW Design Live speaker and an i nvitation to the official Speaker Reception with industry movers and shakers at HOW Design Live.Ĭhris Ware’s Building Stories was one of the best books of 2012.

Chris ware stories