It’s rare that two brothers can cooperate long enough to create a work of art, much less continue doing it for any length of time. In the entertainment industry, the Coen brothers are probably the best known example, crafting such hits as Fargo, The Big Lebowski, and No Country for Old Men. However, a new super-team of brothers has hit the world of web comics, and their clout in the industry has growing. The brothers are Malachai Nicolle, writer, and Ethan Nicolle, artist, and together, they are the creators of “Axe Cop.” Both artists are young and ambitiousEthan is 29, and Malachai is5.The project originated when graphic artist Ethan (Chumble Spuzz) and Malachai (come on, he’s 5) were playing together. Malachai came up with the character of “Axe Cop” while running around with a toy fireman’s axe, and Ethan drew some strips as a way of practicing the webcomic medium. During the same playtime, the character of Flute Cop (Axe Cop’s brother, though neither knows this) was created. (Read the rest of this story.)

The pronunciation of cartoonist Peter Bagge‘s last name is ironic, since he somehow manages to make his characters on the paper page look as though they were made of plastic. Bagge has brought his malleable style to a variety of genres, from superhero to comedy to social commentary, often combining one or more elements. In his early days, Bagge even worked under the tutelage of comics legend Robert Crumb, and published his early strips in Crumb’s anthology Weirdo. In 1983, Crumb named Bagge editor of the magazine, a position he held for the next three years.Bagge is one of the few artists in comics to work for both independent and mainstream comics publishers. His early work for Fantagraphics, the series Neat Stuff and Hate, introduced both Bagge’s iconic characters the Bradleys as well as Bagge’s “elastic” style, which portrays typical alternative comics themes (such as the alienation of modern youth) in art which borrows from early Warner Brothers cartoons. (Read the rest of this story.)

With the recent increase in comics scholarship, comics anthologies have experienced a resurgence. Yale University Press’s 2-volume An Anthology of Graphic Fiction, Cartoons, and True Stories is a great introduction to alternative cartoonists after about the mid-1950s. However, even those early pieces show only half the lineage of Western comics, leaving out the experimentalism of early practitioners of the art. Dan Nadel has taken it upon himself to recapture these hidden experiments for modern consumption.His first volume, Art Out of Time: Unknown Comics Visionaries, 1900-1969, was published in 2006. Despite the title, the book is heavy on the first thirty years of the 20^th century, with Gustave Verbeek’s 1904 series “The Upside-Downs of Little Lady Lovekins and Old Man Muffaroo” representing one of the earliest (and still most interesting) inclusions. The book also spotlight Charles Forbell’s 1913 strip “Naughty Pete,” along with humorists like Milt Gross and Harry Hershfeld. (Read the rest of this story.)

The New York Times Magazine has become one of the most mainstream outlets for alternative cartoonists. In the past, the magazine’s featured continuing strips by Rutu Modan (The Murder of the Terminal Patient), Jason (Low Moon), Daniel Clowes (Mister Wonderful), and more. Megan Kelso’s Watergate Sue ran from April 1 to September 9, 2007, and told the story of a womanSuehaving her first baby. At the same time, she’s struggling to get the story of her own birth during the Watergate scandal from her mother. The entire storyline can be read at the Times’ “The Funny Pages” site.Kelso’s style in Watergate Sue is accomplished but casual, with characters that move naturally but look like they’re made of rubber. There’s even a visual connection with the characters of the old Hanna-Barbera cartoon The Flintstones, since both feature bold black outlines, rounded faces, and eyes with no pupils. (Read the rest of this story.)

Unlike many alternative comic artists, Chris Ware’s name has found its way into the mainstream media time and time again. This is largely attributable to his 2000 graphic novel Jimmy Corrigan, the Smartest Kid on Earth, which collected work done between 1995 and 2000. Critics worldwide praised the book, from Time Magazine putting it on their list of the 10 best graphic novels to the Guardian awarding it their First Book Award.Ware’s style is instantly recognizable for its clinical, geometrical layouts and circle-headed characters. Ware is an avid collector of early 20^th century art and cites many of these artists as his influences, including newspaper comic artists Winsor McCay (Little Nemo in Slumberland), Frank King (Gasoline Alley), and Charles Schulz (Peanuts). He’s also mentioned Surrealist artist Joseph Cornell and alternative comic artist Richard Mcguire as influences on his storytelling, which often unfolds in non-linear, parallel narratives. (Read the rest of this story.)