This month was all about comics shows.
Mid month, I went to STAPLE in Austin as a fan. What a terrific show! I definitely recommend that artists and publishers take a step back from tabling and visit some shows as a fan rather than as a vendor. For me its sometimes difficult to capture that feeling of excitement I had as a fan whose only stake was finding something to enjoy. Its a perspective that’s important not to lose. (He said as he went on to talk about tabling…)
The 25th Small Press and Alternative Comics Expo (SPACE) was the last weekend of April. As I’ve said many times in the past… This is my favorite “comics show.” You get the full spectrum of artists and art: From award winning and experienced pros to true beginners sharing their work for the very first time. SPACE is run by Bob Corby, who has worked hard to keep the show affordable and accessible to everyone involved. for vendors, cheaper tables than other shows of similar size and free admission for fans. It’s the community we deserve as artists.
I worry about SPACE, though. It feels like reaching the folks who would enjoy the show is getting more and more difficult. There were plenty of open tables, despite them being cheaper and having no barriers like juried entry. The foot traffic seemed light in comparison to past years. That said, I did OK sales-wise, about the same as last year and enough to break even on Nix Comics expenses for the year-to-date. I just can’t help but wonder why in a town where people get absolutely rabid about losing institutions like WWCD and Rag-O-Rama, a truly local and independent event like SPACE is treated like a red headed step child. (For those of you not from Columbus, I guess you can look up WWCD and Rag-o-Rama. Suffice to say people got really bent out of shape about a radio station crashing and burning and a semi-national vintage clothing chain pulling out of town suddenly. I got my opinions on all that, which are best shared in one-on-one conversations.)
Anyways, SPACE will likely be my last comics show this year. Yep… No CXC. Which is a development that I have mixed and nuanced feelings about. (Again, I’m willing to discuss it, but it’s best left to one-on-one conversations.) Anyways, I’m not going to be seeking out any other comic shows. I’m going to try and make the best out of my investment in the Herbert Cooper Gallery and on-line sales instead.
RECORDS LISTENED TO APRIL 2024
Milestone: Thee Dagger Debs’s self-titled LP was 1000th record I listened to this year was from Kate’s collection. I’m not sure how she got hip to the Dagger Debs, other than just knowing that Damaged Goods is a generally excellent label. However it ended up in my household, I’m happy about it! A loud three piece with a distinctive 60s Mod/R&B bent… Maybe with a touch of 70s glam in the Chin-Chapman vein. Certainly worthy of being a milestone marker in my 2024 vinyl tour
With all the trips and shows and such, I listened to the least number of records/month in April to date this year. My compulsive side hates reporting that, but its not like I’m doing this for money or anything. Just a weird virtue signal about putting my money where my mouth is in terms of enjoying vinyl records. Anyways… Here’s the full April list, even if its comparatively puny:
| Date | Artist | Title | Format | Size |
| 1-Apr | Sweet | Desolation Boulevard | LP | 12′ |
| 2-Apr | Gories | The Shaw Tapes: Live in Detroit 5/27/88 | LP | 12″ |
| 2-Apr | Alberto Y Los Trio Paranoias | Skite | LP | 12″ |
| 2-Apr | Searchers | Meet The Searchers: Needles and Pins | LP | 12″ |
| 2-Apr | Secret Service | It’s All Happening Here | EP | 12″ |
| 2-Apr | Conway Twitty | What Am I Living For? | Single | 7″ |
| 2-Apr | Sheb Wooley | Purple People eater | Single | 7″ |
| 2-Apr | Conway Twitty | Lonely Blue Boy | Single | 7″ |
| 2-Apr | Wildebeests | Just Like Me | EP | 7″ |
| 2-Apr | Rolling Stones | Dandelion | Single | 7″ |
| 2-Apr | Saints | Let’s Pretend | Single | 7″ |
| 2-Apr | Screamin’ Furies | Self-Titled | EP | 7″ |
| 2-Apr | Sherbert | Worst Friend | Single | 7″ |
| 2-Apr | Ronnie Spector | Try Some Buy Some | Single | 7″ |
| 2-Apr | Rachel Sweet | B-A-B-Y | Single | 7″ |
| 2-Apr | Rachel Sweet | Fool’s Gold | Single | 7″ |
| 2-Apr | Chris Isaak | First comes the Night | LP | 12″x2 |
| 3-Apr | Magic Sam | Easy Baby | LP | 12′ |
| 3-Apr | Boys | Self-Titled | LP | 12″ |
| 3-Apr | Booker T & the MGs | Soul Dressing | LP | 12″ |
| 3-Apr | Dean Martin | Best of Dean Martin | LP | 12″ |
| 3-Apr | Muffs | Self-Titled | LP | 12″ |
| 3-Apr | Johnny Moped | Cycledelic | LP | 12″ |
| 5-Apr | Pill Box | Holly | Single | 7″ |
| 5-Apr | Makes | Music to Suffer By | EP | 7″ |
| 5-Apr | Split: Guitar Wolf & The Statics | Bad Reputation/Rebel Kind | Single | 7″ |
| 5-Apr | Edwin Starr | Agent Double O Soul | Single | 7″ |
| 5-Apr | Rufus Thomas | Willy Nilly | Single | 7″ |
| 5-Apr | Dee Dee Sharp | Mashed Potato Time | Single | 7″ |
| 5-Apr | Untamed Youth | Doin’ me In | EP | 7″ |
| 5-Apr | Clay willis & Billy Blaylock | Lover’s Dream | Single | 7″ |
| 5-Apr | Alex Chilton | Dusted in memphis | LP | 12″ |
| 5-Apr | Marvellettes | My Baby Must Be A Magician | Single | 7″ |
| 5-Apr | Little Richard | Shake A Hand (If You Can) | Single | 7″ |
| 5-Apr | Patrick D Martin | Computer Datin’ | Single | 7″ |
| 5-Apr | Rick Springfield | I’ve Done Everything For You | Single | 7″ |
| 5-Apr | Thee Headcoats | Girl from ’62 | Single | 7″ |
| 5-Apr | Scandal | Goodbye To You | Single | 7″ |
| 5-Apr | Ron Silva & the Monarchs | Self-Titled | EP | 7″ |
| 5-Apr | Jackie Wilson | Baby Work Out | Single | 7″ |
| 6-Apr | Ramones | Leave Home | LP | 12″ |
| 6-Apr | Heretics | Search and destroy | Single | 7″ |
| 6-Apr | Flat Duo Jets | Des Romweber/Simon Chardiet two Great Guitars | Single | 7″ |
| 6-Apr | Deep Reduction | Black Tulip | Single | 7″ |
| 6-Apr | Eyeliners | Do The Zombie | Single | 7″ |
| 6-Apr | Esquerita | Hittin’ on Nothing | Single | 7″ |
| 6-Apr | Carthays | Betty Jo | Single | 7″ |
| 6-Apr | Butterflys | The Swim | Single | 7″ |
| 6-Apr | 1313 Mockingbird Lane | Problems | Single | 7″ |
| 6-Apr | Barry & The Tamerlanes | I Wonder What She’s Doing Tonight? | Single | 7″ |
| 7-Apr | Alberto Y Los Trio Paranoias | Snuff Rock | EP | 7″ |
| 8-Apr | Jimmy Reed | At Soul City | LP | 12″ |
| 8-Apr | Marty Robbins | Greatest Hits | LP | 12″ |
| 8-Apr | Stooges | Rubber Legs | EP | 12″ |
| 8-Apr | Ten Commandments | Weird Out | LP | 12″ |
| 8-Apr | Various-Artists | Wizzz Vol. 2 | LP | 12″ |
| 8-Apr | Various-Artists | Wizzz Vol. 3 | LP | 12″ |
| 9-Apr | Roy Loney & the Phantom Movers | Phantom Tracks | EP | 12″ |
| 9-Apr | David Johansen | Live It Up | LP | 12″ |
| 9-Apr | King Usniewicz & The USniewictones | Doing The Woo Hoo | LP | 12″ |
| 9-Apr | Lazy Cowgirls | A Little Sex and Death | LP | 12″ |
| 9-Apr | Little Phil & the Night Shadows | Patriarchs of Garage Rock | LP | 12″ |
| 9-Apr | Shorty Long | Here Comes The Judge | Single | 7″ |
| 9-Apr | Lost | Who Do You Love | Single | 7″ |
| 9-Apr | Lyres | Stay Away | Single | 7″ |
| 9-Apr | Manual Scan | Self-Titled | EP | 7″ |
| 9-Apr | Various-Artists | Girls with Guitars Know Why | LP | 12″ |
| 9-Apr | Various-Artists | Shutdown 66 | LP | 12″ |
| 10-Apr | Roy Head | Treat Her Right | LP | 12″ |
| 10-Apr | Dyke & the Blazers | So Sharp | LP | 12″ |
| 10-Apr | Lita Ford | Lita | LP | 12″ |
| 10-Apr | Supercharger | Self-Titled | LP | 12″ |
| 10-Apr | Tombstones | Preachin;, Prayin’, Guitar Playin’ | LP | 12″ |
| 10-Apr | Baby Washington | That’s How Heartaches Are Made | LP | 12″ |
| 10-Apr | UK Subs | Another Kind of Blues | LP | 12″ |
| 10-Apr | Records | Rock n Roll Love Letter | EP | 12″ |
| 10-Apr | Slade | In Flames | LP | 12″ |
| 10-Apr | Sons of Hercules | Get Lost | LP | 12″ |
| 10-Apr | Otis Redding | In Person At the Whisky A Go Go | LP | 12″ |
| 16-Apr | Wild Zeros | Homesick | Single | 7″ |
| 16-Apr | Brentwoods | Self-Titled | EP | 7″ |
| 16-Apr | Feelers | Nothing Always | EP | 7″ |
| 16-Apr | Elvis Costello | I Don’t Want To Go To Chelsea | EP | 7″ |
| 16-Apr | Question Mark & the Mysterians | (Girl) You Captivate Me | Single | 7″ |
| 16-Apr | Herman’s Hermits | I’m Into Something Good | Single | 7″ |
| 16-Apr | Psycotic Pineapple | I Wanna Get Rid of You | Single | 7″ |
| 16-Apr | Pretty Things | Big City | EP | 7″ |
| 16-Apr | Coasters | Yakety Yak | Single | 7″ |
| 16-Apr | Larry G Hudson | shop Around | Single | 7″ |
| 16-Apr | Jerry Lee Lewis | No More Hanging On | Single | 7″ |
| 16-Apr | Bangles | Walk Like An Egyptian | Single | 7″ |
| 16-Apr | Tom Petty | Apartment Song | Single | 7″ |
| 16-Apr | Dave Clark Five | Can’t You See She’s Mine | Single | 7″ |
| 16-Apr | Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers with Stevie Nicks | Needles and Pins | Single | 7″ |
| 16-Apr | Archie and the Bunkers & The Cleveland Steamers | Archie and the Bunkers Meet The Cleveland Steamers | Single | 7″ |
| 16-Apr | Beach Boys | Surfin’ Surfari | Single | 7″ |
| 16-Apr | Pretenders | Back on the Chain Gang | Single | 7″ |
| 16-Apr | Bantam Rooster | Miss Luxury | Single | 7″ |
| 16-Apr | Peach Kelli Pop | Mind reader | Single | 7″ |
| 16-Apr | Real Kids | Outta Place | LP | 12″ |
| 17-Apr | Supremes | Meet the Supremes | LP | 12″ |
| 17-Apr | Gants | Road Runner | LP | 12″ |
| 17-Apr | Clash | Self-Titled | LP | 12″ |
| 17-Apr | Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers | Hard Promises | LP | 12″ |
| 17-Apr | Cars | Greatest Hits | LP | 12″ |
| 18-Apr | Jack Scott | Groove | LP | 12″ |
| 18-Apr | Drags | 45×3 | LP | 12″ |
| 18-Apr | Cramps | Smell of Female | EP | 12″ |
| 19-Apr | Metros | Self-Titled | LP | 12″ |
| 19-Apr | Bob Dylan | Greatest Hits | LP | 12″ |
| 19-Apr | Mighty Mofos | Mighty Mofos EP | EP | 12″ |
| 19-Apr | Mants | Do the Dummy | EP | 12″ |
| 19-Apr | Shoes | Tongue twister | LP | 12″ |
| 19-Apr | Various-Artists | Indie Scene ’77 | LP | 12″x |
| 20-Apr | Real Kids | Shake Outta Control | LP | 12″ |
| 20-Apr | Man or Astroman? | Defcon 5… 4… 3… 2… 1… | LP | 12″ |
| 20-Apr | Hank McCoy & the Deadringers | Self-Titled | LP | 12″ |
| 21-Apr | Thee Mighty Caesars | Ides of March | LP | 12″ |
| 21-Apr | Jimmy Ruffin | Sings Top Ten | LP | 12″ |
| 21-Apr | Joe Turner | Rock & Roll | LP | 12″ |
| 21-Apr | Preacher Jack | Rock & Roll Preacher | LP | 12″ |
| 22-Apr | Various-Artists | Fire on the Strings | LP | 12″ |
| 22-Apr | Clovers | Their Greatest Recordings | LP | 12″ |
| 22-Apr | Doll | Desire Me | Single | 12″ |
| 22-Apr | Dagger Debs | Self-Titled | LP | 12″ |
| 22-Apr | Replacements | Unsuitable for Airplay The Lost KFAI Concert | LP | 12″x2 |
| 23-Apr | Gene Simmons | Good Ole’ Country Music (Rock & Roll Music) | Single | 7″ |
| 23-Apr | Chuck Sims | Life ISn’t Long Enough | Single | 7″ |
| 23-Apr | Sir Bald Diddley & His Right Honourable Big Wigs | Introducing Sir Bald Diddley and his Right Honourable Big WIgs | EP | 7″ |
| 23-Apr | Sit N’ Spin | Primate Mixer Party | Single | 7″ |
| 23-Apr | Sit N’ Spin | Invisible Man | Single | 7″ |
| 23-Apr | Mickey & Ludella | Self-Titled | LP | 12″ |
| 24-Apr | Jackie Wilson | Jackie Sings the Blues | LP | 12″ |
| 24-Apr | Fleshtones | Wheel of Talent | LP | 12″ |
| 24-Apr | Prisoners | Wisermiserdelmeza | LP | 12″ |
| 24-Apr | Ventures | Wild Thing | LP | 12″ |
| 24-Apr | X | Los Angeles | LP | 12″ |
| 25-Apr | Replacements | Not Ready for Prime Time Live at the Cabaret Metro, Chicago, January 11, 1986 | LP | 12″x2 |
| 25-Apr | Bobby Fuller Four | I Fought The Law | LP | 12″ |
| 25-Apr | Dyin’ Shames | Self-Titled | LP | 12″ |
| 25-Apr | Grandpa Jones | Everybody’s Grandpa | LP | 12″ |
| 25-Apr | T-Rex | Slider | LP | 12″ |
| 25-Apr | Ramones | Too Tough To Die | LP | 12″ |
| 25-Apr | Radio Stars | Songs for Swinging Lovers | LP | 12″ |
| 26-Apr | Trash Brats | Must Be The Cocaine | Single | 7″ |
| 26-Apr | Von Zippers | Twist Off | Single | 7″ |
| 26-Apr | Witch Doctors | Going To A Graveyard | EP | 7″ |
| 26-Apr | Rusty York | Truck Driver’s Blues | Single | 7″ |
| 26-Apr | Johnny Thunders | Critic’s Choice | EP | 7″ |
| 26-Apr | Supersuckers | Junk | Single | 7″ |
| 26-Apr | Real Kids | All Kindsa Girls | Single | 7″ |
| 26-Apr | Paul Revere & the Raiders | Ups and Downs | Single | 7″ |
| 26-Apr | Boss Tweeds | Goin’ Away | Single | 7″ |
| 26-Apr | Rezillos | Scuba Scuba | Single | 7″ |
| 26-Apr | Cozmik Elektras | That’s Girl Action! | EP | 7″ |
| 26-Apr | Chubbies | I Love My Label | Single | 7″ |
| 26-Apr | Ray Davies | Quiet Life | Single | 7″ |
| 26-Apr | George Darro & the Vikings | Viking Twist | Single | 7″ |
| 26-Apr | Fleshtones | Girl From Baltimore | Single | 7″ |
| 26-Apr | Fabulous Poodles | Work Shy | Single | 7″ |
| 26-Apr | Insomniacs | Sylvia Gray | Single | 7″ |
| 26-Apr | Hellacopters | Riot on the Rocks | Single | 7″ |
| 26-Apr | Lazy Cowgirls | Long Goodbye | EP | 7″ |
| 26-Apr | Kingsnakes | Round Trip Ticket | Single | 7″ |
| 26-Apr | George Jones | Stranger In the House | Single | 7″ |
| 26-Apr | Nick Lowe | My Heart Hurts | EP | 7″x2 |
| 29-Apr | War | Why Can’t We Be Friends | Single | 7″ |
| 29-Apr | Nick Lowe | Keep It Out of Sight | Single | 7″ |
| 29-Apr | Al Perry | Ol’ What’s Her Name | EP | 7″ |
| 29-Apr | Permanent Wave | Self-Titled | EP | 7″ |
| 29-Apr | Pebbles | I Want To Be Loved By You | Single | 7″ |
| 29-Apr | Jerry Lee Lewis | Original Greatest Hits | LP | 12″ |
| 29-Apr | Chinese Millionaires | Detroit Double Cross | LP | 12″ |
| 29-Apr | Brownsville Station | Air Special | LP | 12″ |
| 29-Apr | April March | Paris In April | LP | 12″ |
| 29-Apr | Holly Golightly | Serial Girlfriend | LP | 12″ |
| 30-Apr | Dick Dale | Tribal Thunder | LP | 12″ |
| 30-Apr | Tommy Tutone | Self-Titled | LP | 12″ |
| 30-Apr | Subsonics | A Lot to Forget | LP | 12″ |
| 30-Apr | Small Faces | History of the Small Faces | LP | 12″ |
| 30-Apr | Various-Artists | Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs Motion Picture Soundtrack | LP | 12″ |
| 30-Apr | Sir Bald Diddley & His Right Honourable Big Wigs | What’s in Your Fridge | LP | 12″ |
| 30-Apr | 999 | High Energy Plan | LP | 12″ |
| 30-Apr | Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels | Take A Ride | LP | 12″ |