Artbabe is the fabulous, intelligent and beautifully drawn xeric grant winning real-life comic from Jessica Abel. She has an archive of really good DIY comic resources, for those of you writing their own work.

Tristan Crane and Ted Naifeh wrote a comic called How Loathsome about queers and perverts and ghosts and it has great art and fascinating writing. Actually, it's not about that, at all, but more about identity and desire and, really, if you don't like this comic, I have no fucking clue why you're on this site. I encourage you to visit these sites, and see why they have been nominated for the GLAAD comic award.

Warren Ellis used to be my favourite writers, but I haven't read much of his newer work. Political and unapologetic, his work has a lot to offer, and his webpage has some great resources.

Edward Gorey is amazing.

benjones is one of the best people ever. We have a pretty long history together, and now our history includes being table partners at APE, for 2 years running. His comics are funny, true, and real, and he runs what I hear is an amazing comic shop in New York. I'd also like to add that he is the real bejones, and all others are imitators.

Laurenn McCubbin has created some truly beautiful work in comics. XXX Live Nude Girls contains stories about girls you didn't know you knew, but do. They are sad, or lonely, or tough, or heartbreaking. I met Laurenn at the first APE I ever attended, and besides being jaw-dropping cute, the work she puts out is beautiful, unique and utterly and profoundly moving. Check out her brand new book, Rent Girl, written by Michelle Tea.

Dave Mckean is the man responsible for my love of comics.  When I was 17 I picked up a copy of Mr. Punch because I had read about it in CMJ, and thought it sounded nifty. I was so impressed by the art that I decided then and there that this was the medium in which I wanted to work. 

Alan Moore may be the man who saved comics. I could list off everything he's done, but I'll save that for the site. Write now, I'm wetting myself over Promothea.

The Devils Panties is funny, feminist friendly, and...I've run out of F words. Fuck. Just go read it.

Lowbright is a sometimes sweet, sometimes crude journal of the life and times of people a lot like you. Only, funnier. Written and drawn by Derek Kirk Kim, on whom I have a secret crush. Oops.

nowhere girl will break your heart. But, in a good way.

Redstring - Anime-style and set in a Japanese highschool. It sounds ridiculously cliche, but is done with charm and sincerity that forgives all the ways it sounds like a knock-off.

Drawn and Quarterly puts out beautiful alternative comics, and by alternative comics I do not mean the kind that will give you splinters because the paper is cheap.  I mean, instead, comics that are intelligent and visionary.  Some of my favourites include Julie Doucet's Dirty Plotte and Adrian Tomine's Optic Nerve.

Fantagraphic books is yet another of those really intelligent publishers. They put out Jessica Abel's Artbabe and Roberta Gregory's Bitchy Bitch, amongst many others. 

Oni Press is another good alternative comic source. They are all over the map in styel and content, but worthy of note are Judd Wynick's Barry Ween and Jim Mahfood's Grrl-scouts. Newer titles include the fantastic Hopeless Savages, which is probably one of the best things I've seen from them.

Slave Labor is often considered the reading playground of spooky goth kids, because they publish Roman Dirge's Lenore and Jhonen Vasquez. I like both those artists, but Slave Labor also puts out really good social/political comics, like Action Girl, Dork, and Ariel Schrag's comics about growing up a teenage dyke. Plus I have never laughed so hard as I did when I first squeaked the JTHM "spooky" toy.

Top Shelf is, I think, my favourite publisher. From Renee French's Soap Lady, Alex Robinson's Box Office Poison (which I highly recommend), Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell's From Hell to an entire catalogue of James Kochalka's publications, I have never even once been dissatisfied with anything I've read from them.

The Independent Mind is a web-zine with onlie comics and other forms of media.

Too Much Coffee Man used to be a comic book, now it's a magazine that does reviews of coffee flavored icecream, bottled water and random cook books, while giving you priceless advice about enemas and Christian Porn.

Sequential Tart is a collection of essays, reviews and commentary on the state of comics totday, as told from chick perspective. It's an open resource, and anyone who wants to can write for them, or get otherwise involved. I saw them speak at comicon, and these grrls rock.

Xeric is a foundation started by Peter Laird, one of the creator's of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic books. Now they offer grants to people who want to publish their own comics. If you win one, and I don't, I'm going to be mad at you.

Creating Comics is unattractive, but invaluable with it's links, tips and tricks. If you're self publishing, this site is almost guaranteed to have the information you need.

Comic Book Fonts is more than just fonts, although it does have everything you need for lettering. It had a fantastic catalogue of information about the art of lettering.

The Small Press has resources for publishers, distributors and sundry other useful tidbits.

angrygirl It's a fact that at conventions you'll probably make more money selling merchandise than actual comics. Michelle made all my stuff, and she made really high quality merchandise that got a great response. Plus, her rates are really affordable. She screen prints nearly everything, plus she can make you stickers, badges and patches.