Comics Features

6 SelfMadeHero Comics to Get Excited for in 2017

As 2017 comes steaming in, the new year promises to deliver an abundance of fresh, exciting comic titles from creators new and experienced. Now in their 10th year of publishing, independent comic publishers SelfMadeHero can certainly class themselves as experienced.

Throughout the first third of 2017, David Bowie, the history of the crossword, Paul Gauguin, and a shape-shifting wannabe actor are all being given the comic treatment thanks to the wide range of imitable writers and artists that SelfMadeHero have exquisite taste in. Read on then to find out 6 SelfMadeHero books you need to watch out for in 2017!

6. Haddon Hall: When David Invented Bowie

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Even before David Bowie‘s unfortunate passing earlier last year, much has been written about him. His chameleon-like approach to adopting musical trends remains as vibrant as ever. Arguably, Bowie’s craft for moulding diverse music together came from his time spent living at Haddon Hall. Writer and artist Nejib is crafting Bowie’s time at the Victorian house into Haddon Hall, a new comic biography of a key chapter in Bowie’s career.

It was here that Bowie lay the groundwork for his early 1970s output. Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars and Aladdin Sane have their roots here, but more interestingly, so is the frisky, folky-punky Hunky Dory, in which Bowie flourished as a songwriter. The Man Who Sold the World was also convinced there, a rugged, Led Zeppelin-esque work which gave a prototype Spiders from Mars license to soar as musicians.

This embryonic era of David Bowie is ripe for encapsulation, and Nejib’s forthcoming comic is one to definitely watch out for.

5. GAUGUIN: The Other World

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GAUGUIN captures a seemingly idyllic life of a man who abandons his wife to find inspiration and liberation in paradise. Famed for his paintings of Tahiti and Polynesia, Paul Gauguin is closely associated with Vincent Van Gough in terms of his work, and like all great artists, his stature has grown since his death.

Writer/artist Fabrizio Dori aims to capture Gauguin’s life and art in the latest instalment of SelfMadeHero’s Art Masters line of biographies.

4. Josephine Baker

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SelfMadeHero may never run out of steam when it comes to biographies, especially if Josephine Baker is anything to go by. Having carved out their niche for tackling obscure/cult personalities such as Roger Casement, Hunter S. Thompson and Samia Yusuf, Josephine Baker tells the story of the bohemian dancer of which the comic is named after.

Set during the Roaring Twenties, Baker‘s dancing career brought her scandal and fame wherever she danced. Writer Catel Muller and artist Jose-Luis Bocquet dig deep into Baker’s exotic, adventure-filled life. From her dancing career to adopting 12 ethnically different children, Josephine Baker looks to be a unique entry in SelfMadeHero’s biography catalogue.

3. FUN

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I’m still keen as hell to tuck into Paolo Bacilleri‘s biography of Tetris (aptly named Tetris: The Games People Play), but he’s already put together a new biography about a game so common we easily take it fore-granted – the crossword. FUN tell us the story of the crossword, from its humble beginnings in pre-World War I New York to contemporary Milan, the history of the crossword is apparently littered in espionage. Can’t wait to read this one!

2. Herman by Trade

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As much as I love the biographies that SelfMadeHero put out, I’ve a thirst to read more of their original fiction. Ricky Rouse Has a Gun, Seconds, The Motherless Oven, the Aama saga and Ruins have all been tremendous reads, and all share a palpable sense of wonder with their adventurous scope. You can imagine, therefore, my excitement in reading The Can Opener’s Daughter, the long-awaited sequel to The Motherless Oven, along with Aimee de Jongh‘s The Return of the Honey Buzzard.

Herman by Trade should then also be savoured, as it’s one of the two original fiction titles SelfMadeHero will be releasing in the first blast of 2017. A most surreal-sounding comic with a theme of self-identity, Herman by Trade follows simple street cleaner Herman’s journey into acting. His unusual talent for changing his physical appearance at will lands him the audition of a lifetime, but what will the results be?

Writer/artist Chris W. Kim announces himself onto the indie comics scene with this debut work.

1. Outburst

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SelfMadeHero close the first third of 2017 with another original fiction comic by writer/artist Pieter Coudyzer. This Gothic-tinged, modern fairy-tale tells the story of Tom, who is introverted, bullied and struggles to make friends. His refuge in the safe confines of nature soon become more confining than he may like, as he soon becomes enveloped by the wilderness and is subjected to a bizarre metamorphosis.

These six books promise to be fine additions to SelfMadeHero’s breath-taking portfolio. Be sure to stay tuned to A Place To Hang Your Cape for further reviews of SelfMadeHero comics, including Stardust Nation, The Return of the Honey Buzzard, Tetris: The Games That People Play, Ghost Stories of an Antiquity, and The Can Opener’s Daughter.


Are you looking forward to SelfMadeHero’s comics this year? Let us know in the comments section or send us a Tweet!

About the author

Fred McNamara