Black Eye Books (formerly called Black Eye Productions) is a small but influential Canadian
comic book
A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...
publishing company founded by Michel Vrana. Under the auspices of Vrana, Black Eye was known as a publisher of artfully designed
alternative comics
Alternative comics cover a range of American comics that have appeared since the 1980s, following the underground comix movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Alternative comics present an alternative to mainstream superhero comics which ...
and
graphic novels
A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...
, most of whose cartoonists have gone on to successful careers with fellow Canadian publisher
Drawn & Quarterly
Drawn & Quarterly is a publishing company based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, specializing in comics. It publishes primarily comic books, graphic novels and comic strip collections. The books it publishes are noted for their artistic content, ...
. For several years, Vrana acted as Drawn & Quarterly's exclusive outside design consultant. In 2019 the company was relaunched as a micro-press with a focus on using crowdfunding to bring projects to fruition.
History
Vrana's first worked with publisher Tragedy Strikes Press, which operated out of
Guelph
Guelph ( ; 2021 Canadian Census population 143,740) is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Known as "The Royal City", Guelph is roughly east of Kitchener and west of Downtown Toronto, at the intersection of Highway 6, Highway 7 and Wel ...
,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
, from 1991–1993. Comics published by Tragedy Strikes Press included Nick Craine's ''The Cheeseheads'', the anthology series ''Reactor Girl'',
Jay Stephens
Jay Stephens (born March 22, 1971) is a Canadian cartoonist and animator currently living in Guelph, Ontario. He is best known as the creator of Discovery Kids's animated television series ''Tutenstein'' , Cartoon Network's ''The Secret Saturda ...
' ''Sin'', Carol Swain's ''Way Out Strips'', and the first issue of
Dylan Horrocks
Dylan Horrocks (born 1966 in Auckland, New Zealand) is a cartoonist best known for his graphic novel '' Hicksville'' and his scripts for the ''Batgirl'' comic book series.
His works are published by the University of Auckland student magazine '' ...
' ''Pickle''. ''Sin'' and ''Pickle'' were picked up by Black Eye Books; ''Way Out Strips'' was picked up by
Fantagraphics
Fantagraphics (previously Fantagraphics Books) is an American publisher of alternative comics, classic comic strip anthologies, manga, magazines, graphic novels, and the erotic Eros Comix imprint.
History
Founding
Fantagraphics was found ...
.
Black Eye acted as a comic book publisher from 1992 to 1998, when Vrana transitioned the business to graphic design studio."Black Eye Rolls with the Punches: Publisher Vrana Shifts Company Focus Following Turbulent Period", ''The Comics Journal'' no. 203 (Apr. 1998), p. 18-19. In 2019, Vrana relaunched Black Eye Books to publish the previously cancelled 11th issue of ''Pickle'', by Dylan Horrocks. This was followed by the publication of ''Dejects'', by Jay Stephens, the first full-colour publication from Black Eye. It currently publishes "Dwellings (vol. 3)" and the popular "Dishman".
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
* ''Atomic City Tales'' (Jay Stephens, 1994)
* ''Black Candy'' (Matt Madden, 1998)
* ''A Complete Lowlife'' (Ed Brubaker, 1997)
* ''Dance Me Outside: The Illustrated Screenplay'' (Nick Craine, 1994)
* ''Dejects'' (Jay Stephens, 2019)
* '' Hicksville'' (Dylan Horrocks, 1998)
* ''Human Remains'' (Darren Raye & Sean Scoffield, 1994)
* '' Jar of Fools'' (Jason Lutes, 1995)
* ''The Land of Nod Treasury'' (Jay Stephens, 1994)
* ''The Sands: a Picture Story'' (Tom Hart, 1998)
Cartoonists associated with Black Eye
*
Brian Biggs
Brian Biggs (born March 9, 1968, in Little Rock, Arkansas) is a children's book author and illustrator. He has been published by HarperCollins and Random House, among others, and has illustrated two Little Golden Books.
Early work
Brian Biggs g ...
*
Ed Brubaker
Ed Brubaker (; born November 17, 1966) is an American comic book writer, cartoonist and screenwriter who works primarily in the crime fiction genre. He began his career with the semi-autobiographical series '' Lowlife'' and a number of serials i ...
Dylan Horrocks
Dylan Horrocks (born 1966 in Auckland, New Zealand) is a cartoonist best known for his graphic novel '' Hicksville'' and his scripts for the ''Batgirl'' comic book series.
His works are published by the University of Auckland student magazine '' ...
*
Jason Lutes
Jason Lutes (born December 7, 1967) at Comic Creator is an American
Matt Madden
Matt Madden (born 1968 in New York City) is a U.S. comic book writer and artist. He is best known for original alternative comics, for his coloring work in traditional comics, and for the experimental work '' 99 Ways to Tell a Story: Exercises in ...
* Darren Raye
*
Sean Scoffield
The Beguiling is a comic shop in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It specializes in underground and alternative comics, classic comic strip reprints, and foreign comics. It has built an international reputation for focusing on and promoting non- sup ...
*
Jay Stephens
Jay Stephens (born March 22, 1971) is a Canadian cartoonist and animator currently living in Guelph, Ontario. He is best known as the creator of Discovery Kids's animated television series ''Tutenstein'' , Cartoon Network's ''The Secret Saturda ...
Grand Comics Database
The Grand Comics Database (GCD) is an Internet-based project to build a database of comic book information through user contributions. The GCD project catalogues information on creator credits, story details, reprints, and other information useful ...