Are there any comics similar to "Optic Nerve" that you would recommend?

[akromyk]

I'm new to comics and "Optic Nerve" by Adrian Tomine really hooked me. I was hoping that someone out there could point me to other similar comics.

I enjoy reading about these open-ended random real life situations of different people. I love seeing how others may live there normal everyday lives. It never gets boring for me. I don't need anything with a climax or elaborate ending, I just want to read about different ordinary people.

Any suggestions?

Thanks.

[ZombieHavoc]

I recommend you check out anything by Andi Watson. His artwork is very stylized, and very different from Tomine, but his stories are everyday life. A lot of it revolves around people's romantic relationships. He has a couple of books that are a little more "fantastical" than what you might want, so I'd start with:

-Breakfast After Noon
-Dumped
-Slow News Day

And if you really dig those slice-of-life'esque stories, check out his less realistic, but just as great work:
-Geisha (kinda sci-fi'ish, but still with that slice-of-life feel)
-Love Fights (his version of a superhero comic, but still, romance and relationships are the crux of the story)

Then, there's also Little Star, and also his first ever work, called Samurai Jam, but I don't recommend those as highly, especially SJ (unless you read all of his other stuff and really love it and want to check out his roots).

Another book I'd recommend is Cheat, by Christine Norrie. It's a little romance/slice-of-life graphic novella, in the vain of Watson's Dumped.

Also, this coming Wednesday, Wonder Lost #2 comes out. I enjoyed the first issue, and you might get into the series as well. Coming-of-age, fucked-up things happening to the writer as he goes through being a teenager.

And obviously Blankets, which I'm sure you're aware of.

Other indie stuff (but not necessarily slice-of-life) that I suggest:
-Black Hole
-Bathroom Girls
-THB
-Heavy Liquid (published by Vertigo, but whatever)
-Pistolwhip
-Tales from the Clerks (if you like Kevin Smith, of course)
-Creature Teach

[yoda510]

Strangers in Paradise

[Katapult]

For an anthology, I suggest Awesome: the Indie Spinner Rack anthology by Evil Twin Comics. Liz Prince, Andy Ruton, Jon Adams, and many others from the indie scene contributed. Plus the proceeds go towards a good cause.
www.indiespinnerrack.com/awesome.htm (http://www.indiespinnerrack.com/awesome.htm)

Then there is my personal favorite, How Loathsome by Ted Naifeh and Tristan Crane from NBM. It's about 4 people living the glamorous life of sex, drugs, and drag shows in San Fransisco. www.howloathsome.com/ (http://www.howloathsome.com/)

Last but not lease is The Killer from Archaia Studio Press. This book was origionally published in France (I think) and the best way I can discribe it is Leon: the Professional meets Albert Camus. You follow him through his day to day life, how all he wants to do is retire to his villa in the caribian and his one final score... but at the same time he might be loosing his edge. Is he just paranoid, or is there really somebody out to get him? http://www.daradja.com/the_killer.php

Hope this helps.

-kat

[matt levin]

True Story, Swear to God
Box Office Poison
The Summer of Love
Strangers in Paradise
Stray Bullets
Love and Rockets

Matt

[Stinky Feet]

I know this is obvious for everyone else but, for a new person... you could take a look at some of H. Pekar's work.

[mgs]

Drawn & Quarterly's, Berlin.

[mauisunset]

If you want to read about the (desperately appalling) everyday lives of people living in warzones, I'd highly recommend Joe Sacco's Palestine or Safe Area Gorazde.

[Ryan Day]

I'll second the recommendations of Andi Watson and Craig Thompson. And a couple others:

Chris Ware, particularly Jimmy Corrigan. Ware's stuff tends to be very bleak and bittersweet, but is beautifully told and perfectly illustrated.

Kevin Huizenga does great slice-of-life stuff, though often mixed with some whimsy. There's a collection of some short work in Curses, and a new issue of Ganges just came out this week. It's excellent.

[Weapon Ick]

A lot of great suggestions have been made already. I'll add a couple more:

Jefferey Brown has a few autobiographical books mostly about his ex girlfriends.

Julie Doucet's My New York Diary and 365 Days is some honest anecdotal stuff.

I highly recommend Diary of a Teenage Girl by Phoebe Gloeckner. It's one of my favorite autobiographical works. Like Tomine's books it takes place in the bay area except it's during the 70's. It's very real.

[mgs]

I highly recommend Diary of a Teenage Girl by Phoebe Gloeckner. It's one of my favorite autobiographical works. Like Tomine's books it takes place in the bay area except it's during the 70's. It's very real.
Her, A child's life is equally compelling/repulsive. Plus, Phoebe is an amazingly talented & kind person now.

[Ryan Day]

I forgot another good one: Chester Brown's I Never Liked You, which is a nice growing up/first love sort of story.