About this project

At Floating World Comics, one of our goals is to bring new and exciting art to comics fans who are looking for something different. In 2008 I started publishing a FREE comics newspaper called Diamond Comics. Equally inspired by Fort Thunder's Paper Rodeo and international art magazines like Faesthetic or Rojo, Diamond features experimental art and comics from around the world.

The majority of the print run is given away free in Portland, at coffee shops, records stores, bars, and other venues. I love the fact that someone might find this mysterious art object at a coffee shop and wonder how it got there. Just as Paper Rodeo inspired me when I first saw a copy, I hope Diamond will do the same for a new generation.

I'm excited to announce a number of cool changes for the fifth issue of Diamond Comics.

First of all the print run is quintupling from 2000 to 10,000 copies, and 9000 of those will be included as a FREE insert in the April 21st 'Comics Month' issue of the Portland Mercury! The remaining 1000 will be distributed through the shop, the artists and sponsors, FREE at local cafes, bars and shops, and through other cool stores internationally. That issue of the Mercury will also feature Stumptown Comics Fest coverage which is that weekend (April 24-25), so we're expecting to reach maximum eyeballs.

Secondly the entire issue will be FULL COLOR.

Finally, we're going to have repeat artists for the first time. I had an unofficial rule where I wasn't repeating artists in Diamond. Which is cool because there's so much great art out there. But also it's odd because that prevents us from working with the artists we loved from past issues. Isn't that how anthologies develop a following? So to celebrate the new format and the new distribution with the Mercury, we're putting our best foot forward by working with none other than our favorite artists from previous issues:

Derek Ballard (Diamond #4)
Michael Deforge (Diamond #4)
Stanley Lieber (Diamond #1)
Benjamin Marra (Diamond #2)
Panayiotis Terzis (Diamond #3)
Pete Toms (Diamond #1)

We're welcoming one new artist, Cleon Peterson (Obey Giant), providing the center spread and a planned cover by Al Columbia.

Because of the larger print run and the color printing, our costs are a bit higher. Publishing projects like Diamond are fruits of the labor that is Floating World. I've had people from other states and countries tell me they love the store (even though they haven't been here), but because of projects like these that they're aware of. My comics curating relationship with Arthur Magazine gets more and more involved and we've got some cool ideas for more collaborations coming soon. Thanks again for all your support. I would probably do it even without the sponsorship help, but only once every year or two. With your sponsorship help we can get these out 3-4 times a year. Exciting!

Sample pages from Diamond 4: http://superduper.shapesofsweetness.com/2009/10/25/diamond-comics-4/

http://www.floatingworldcomics.com/main/diamond-comics-4-available-now/

More comics here: http://www.arthurmag.com/contributors/comics/

Project location: Portland, OR

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Floating World Comics

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“Floating World is the most innovative and art-conscious of (Portland’s comics shops).”
-Steve Duin
The Oregonian A&E, Oct. 9, 2008

Floating World Comics is the record store of comics stores. By that, I mean that there’s a different type of vibe here. We’re a bookstore that just happens to carry the coolest books of all - comics. But also art books, international art magazines, graphic design, illustration, animation, music and movie related items, anything that might serve as inspiration for creative folks looking for something new. We’re also a gallery with First Thursday art openings and we’ve just branched out into publishing. I’ve started publishing a quarterly art comics newspaper and just released my first comic, a reprint of Jeff Lint’s hyper-sane 70’s action book, THE CATERER. Dream projects.

I opened the store in 2006 because Portland is the greatest comics town in the country and we deserve a great comic store. From the start, my goal was to provide excellent subscription box service for the regular Wednesday customers, and also, to create new readers - expose them to the best that comics has to offer. I’m very proud of everything the store’s done so far. Our monthly art shows have brought some amazing cartoonists to visit: Al Columbia, Jim Woodring, Nicholas Gurewitch, Christophe Blain, Peter Bagge, the Spacenight Bill Mantlo benefit, artists from Serbia and many more. Each of our yearly animation fests has featured a retrospective on an important avant garde animator: Adam Beckett in 2007 and Bruce Bickford in 2008. My love and thanks to the Portland art community, the global comics community and you the customer. Continue giving love, the universe has an endless supply to give back.

1. floatingworldcomics.com