Cheap Novelties: The Pleasures of Urban Decay

Ben Katchor brought Julis Knipl ("Knipl" is the Yiddish word for "nest egg") to life in the pages of the alternative newspapers once found in city street corner coin boxes: the New York Press, the Miami New Times, Providence, R.I. Nice Paper and others. What a gift! "Cheap Novelties" collects 86 short (mostly one-page, eight panel entries) and one long story, the aptly named "Cheap Merchandise District" - to make up the first of three collections of Julis Knipl, Real Estate Photographer" strips. It is not the best known, that honor goes to "Julius Knipl, Real Estate Photographer" (1996), but it is the mother lode. Edward Sorel, reviewing the 1996 book for the New York Times called Katchor "the most poetic, deeply layered artist ever to draw a comic strip."This is Americana. To place it in time, think back to the five and dime stores that anchored main street commercial districts before the Wal-Marts of the world took over. In my Maine home town, population 2000 or so before WW II, Turner's 5 cents to $1.00 Store carried some of more mundane merchandise Julius Knipl prowls for in the Cheap Merchandise District of his imaginary metropolis: sets of magnetic Scottie Dogs, moth powder discs, rabbit's foot key chains, live turtles and snow globes.Knipl's decaying metropolis offers all that Turner's did and much more: newspaper weights, peep-o-viewers, city provided mustard fountains, boutonnieres that squirt you with water when you bend down to smell the flower, bald spot removers, hat band rain predictors, and day old bread. Katchor offers us the chance to cast another glance at what gave up when we turned our back on the inner city. Of course, now that we're moving back again, the While U Wait Alterations shops are gone. At least we have Knipl's word for the way things were.End note. Penguin published Cheap Novelties as a "Raw One-Shot" book. "Raw," as you recall, was the oversized format comics and graphics magazine published by Art Spiegelman and associates after "Maus" made its mark. Katchor, Chris Ware and others worked on Raw. The "One Shot" books were those devoted exclusively to the work of a single Raw artist. Cheap Novelties is Katchor's Raw One-Shot book.

There are some real poetic moments here. It is fun, it is comprehensive, it is beautiful,touching and deep. A very nice book.

Love his style . All these details

Not for all, but this collection of graphic vignettes evokes nostalgia and humor. Clever and well-drawn, too.

This was a gift for my dad. He absolutely loved it.

Item arrived in great shape. Thank you!

Well done, People! Thanks a million!

This collection of stories remains one of Katchor's finest. It combines a rare blend of nostalgia, regret, and redemption. The illustrations are realistic but off kilter enough to lend a bizarre and almost surreal quality to the narratives.The stories tend to be contemplative, but there is some wry humor here too.This collection is a must have for all serious graphic novel enthusiasts.

Third time I've bought this book, having lent previous copies and not getting them back, I love it and it would seem so do others.

Ben Katchor's artwork is undoubtedly masterly. One of the milestones in sequential art, Cheap Novelties is a true gem of the comic book art. The beautiful hardcover edition is astounding to hold. A real bargain at this price.