Pre-orders extended for a limited time!
“Dishman is terrific. A charming, very well-done mag.”
—
Scott McCloud
,
Understanding Comics
An integral part of Canadian comic book history, minicomic meets masterpiece edition with this hardcover collection of John MacLeod’s The Mundane Adventures of Dishman.
Dishman launched as an 8-page minicomic in 1985, near the crest of the eighties small-press comics boom. It was one of the top-selling minis of the time, a proverbial big fish in a small pond. Ten issues were published between 1985 and 1990, and Eclipse Comics released a collection of the first six in 1988. Two more issues were published digitally in 2018.
A combination slice-of-life character/superhero study Dishman is the story of Paul Mahler, a schoolteacher who—after years of washing radioactive Fiestaware—suddenly gains the power of instantly cleaning dishes and putting them away by telekinesis, and his attempts to launch a career as a costumed crimefighter. It’s the superhero comic for people who don’t like superheroes. And in true Canadian fashion, Dishman’s satirical absurdity comes from playing everything absolutely straight.
This limited edition Dishman collection is unapologetically black and white from cover to cover. But make no mistake, this is no photocopied pamphlet—this is prestige black and white, with a matte laminated printed hardcover featuring brand new cover art by John MacLeod, and deep inky blacks on high quality uncoated paper inside.
NOW 108 pages! Matte laminated printed hardcover, 5.5" x 8.5", black and white on uncoated paper interior. For mature readers.
Anticipated shipping March 2022. Currently, printers are experiencing challenges with paper supply due to global supply chain issues, and we will update backers on any delays these may cause.
EU Backers: If you're shipping to the European Union, please visit go.blackeye.ca/etsy and send a message with your desired rewards and a custom order will be built for you, VAT will be collected at the time of purchase and you will avoid costly import fees.
Local Backers: If you're in the GTA and want to save on shipping, you can now choose 'pick up' and pick up your reward. (Black Eye Books is in the East End of Toronto, near Greektown).
Rewards
- The Single Place Setting pledge level includes a hardcover copy of Dishman, as well as the digital edition.
- The Full Place Setting pledge level includes a hardcover copy of Dishman, and a set of 4x6" postcards printed on high quality cardstock, drawn by John MacLeod and fellow Guelph cartoonists Nick Craine and Jay Stephens.
- SIGNED VERSION SOLD OUT! The Full Place Setting pledge level includes a signed hardcover copy of Dishman, and a set of 4x6" postcards printed on high quality cardstock, drawn by John MacLeod and fellow Guelph cartoonists Nick Craine and Jay Stephens.
- SOLD OUT! The Good China pledge level includes the signed hardcover, the postcard set, as well as an original hand-drawn ink sketch of Dishman by John MacLeod (4x6", artist's choice)
Dishman postcard by John MacLeod
Dishman postcard by Nick Craine
Dishman postcard by Jay Stephens
A sample of the original 4”x6" Dishman sketches by John MacLeod
“I never exactly thought of Dishman as a superhero satire. I
felt like it wasn’t so much that I was satirizing superheroes, but
more like by treating them as rigidly realistic as I could, I gave
them the opportunity to satirize themselves if people wanted to
read it that way. I wasn’t trying to say that superheroes are
ridiculous. I just wanted to say they weren’t realistic.” — John
MacLeod from an interview with Mel Taylor.
* * *
“Great! Brilliant! Hilarious! Dishman is definitely one of the best [...] (and I don't just mean one of the best small press books…).” — Chester Brown , Louis Riel , Paying For It
“An exceedingly clever mini-comic… Dishman was an intelligent send-up of the whole super hero genre, yet managed to employ many of the best elements of that genre to good effect. It made me want to read more…”— Tom Brevoort , VP of Publishing, Marvel Comics
“Dishman offered a brilliant send-up of the superhero genre.”— John Bell , from his book Invaders from the North: How Canada Conquered the Comic Book Universe
“Not all small press artists aspire to the ‘big time.’ Some have characters and series that are perfect for the minicomic format, like John MacLeod‘s Dishman.”— Tom Palmer , “Minicomics, Maxireads Part 1” Wizard No. 32, www.palmerspicks.com
About John MacLeod:
John MacLeod was born in Brantford, Ontario in 1957, relocating to Guelph, Ontario in 1975. He drew his first comic book at age seven and never changed his mind about making them. Dishman remains his best-known work. He has contributed other short works to a number of indie and minicomic publishers. He also created the webcomics Space Kid! (2010-2018) and Not That Magic (2020-present). He further distracts himself by writing novels and learning to paint.
About Black Eye Books :
From 1993–1998, Black Eye Books published such notable cartoonists as Jay Stephens ( Dwellings , Jetcat & Friends , The Land of Nod , Atomic City Tales ), Nick Craine ( Dance Me Outside ), Jason Lutes ( Jar of Fools , Berlin ), Tom Hart ( The Sands ), Jeremy Eaton ( World of Trouble ), Matt Madden ( Black Candy ), James Kochalka ( Quit Your Job ), Ed Brubaker ( Lowlife ), Brian Biggs ( Dear Julia ), and New Zealand's Dylan Horrocks ( Pickle , Hicksville ).
Relaunched in 2019 by publisher Michel Vrana, Black Eye Books continues its pursuit of publishing eclectic and engaging stories told in the form of words and pictures.
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