Highwater Books was a small but influential independent

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 ...

publisher based in

Somerville, Massachusetts Somerville ( ) is a city located directly to the northwest of Boston, and north of Cambridge, in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a total population of 81,045 people. With an area o ...

, noted for its arty editorial direction and production values under publisher Tom Devlin. Highwater began in 1997 and folded in November 2004 due to financial pressure.Spurgeon, Tom. "Devlin Announces Demise of Highwater," The Comics Reporter (Nov. 17, 2004).
Retrieved July 30, 2008.

Artists published

* Marc Bell * Mat Brinkman *

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* Megan Kelso *

James Kochalka James Kochalka (born May 26, 1967, in Springfield, Vermont) is an American comic book artist, writer, animator, and rock musician. His comics are noted for their blending of the real and the surreal. Largely autobiographical, Kochalka's carto ...

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 ...

John Porcellino John Porcellino (born September 18, 1968, in Chicago, Illinois) is a popular creator of minicomics. Porcellino's self-published, photocopied, mostly autobiographical series '' King-Cat Comics'' is among the best-known and longest-running minicomi ...

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* Ron Rege, Jr. The press was also known for its ironically themed "Marvel Comics Benefit" anthology ''Coober Skeber,'' a prolific output of silkscreened posters and promotional materials, a loose association with

Fort Thunder Fort Thunder (1995–2001) was a warehouse on the second floor of a pre-Civil War former textile factory in the Olneyville district of Providence, Rhode Island. From 1995 through 2001, the space was used as a venue for underground music and events ...

(where a number of Highwater artists resided) and Jordan Crane (publisher of ''NON''), distribution of Jef Czekaj's ''Hypertruck'' (née ''R2D2 Is an Indie Rocker''), and a few non-comic works of fiction, including a trio of books by Camden Joy.

List of publications

^* Camden Joy's entries were prose
⁺ Dan Buck's entry was poetry
⁺⁺ Co-published with Alternative Comics Books distributed by Highwater Books * ''Boys'', Ron Regé, Jr.(a), Joan Reidy(w), 28 pages, 6" x 9", blue on pink * ''Hypertruck VI'', Jef Czekaj, 24 pages, 6-5/8" x 10-1/4", b/w * ''Double Happiness'',

Jason Shiga Jason Shiga (born 1976) is an American cartoonist who incorporates puzzles, mysteries and unconventional narrative techniques into his work. Early life Jason Shiga is from Oakland, California. His father, Seiji Shiga, was an animator who worke ...

, 72 pages, 6-5/8" x 9", b/w * ''Stereoscomic'', various, 256 pages, 6" x 9", b/w * ''Col-Dee'', Jordan Crane * ''Epoxy'', John Pham * ''Fancy Froglin's Sexy Forest'',

* ''Orchid'', various * ''Pamplemoussi'', Genevieve Castree, w/ 12" vinyl record * ''Peanut Butter and Jeremy's Best Book Ever!'',

* ''The Imp'' #4, Dan Raeburn * ''Where Hats Go'', Kurt Wolfgang, 144 pages, 4" x 5.75", yeller and brown on cream * ''Lost Valley: A trashy tale of excess'', Megan Kelso(a), Daniel Snyder(w), 32 pages, b/w Solicited books not published * ''Maggots'', Brian Chippendale, , 320 pages, 5" x 6", two color * ''I Pity You'',

Philippe Dupuy Philippe Dupuy (born 12 December 1960, Sainte-Adresse) and Charles Berbérian (born 28 May 1959, Baghdad) are French cartoonists most famous for their series of Franco-Belgian comics albums featuring the character ''Monsieur Jean''. Their colla ...

and Charles Berberian, , 128 pages, 6" x 9", b/w * ''Coober Skeber'' #3, various, , 128 pages, 10" x 12", two color * ''Crum Bums'',

, , 160 pages, 5" x 6", b/w * ''SMB3'', Ben Jones

Quotes

Tom Spurgeon of The Comics Reporter:

Notes

Sources

Arnold, Andrew D. "The Complex Simplicity of John Porcellino," Time.com (Jul. 13, 2001).
* Dean, Michael

''The Comics Journal'' #263 (Oct. 14th, 2004) * ttps://web.archive.org/web/20070313091650/http://www.hour.ca/books/books.aspx?iIDArticle=61 Koepke, Melora. "Bell's Ringing," ''Hour'' (Jan. 22nd, 2004).*
Spurgeon, Tom. "Highwater Books — An Appreciation," ''The Comics Reporter'' (Nov. 21, 2004).
Comic book publishing companies of the United States Defunct comics and manga publishing companies {{comics-company-stub