At the Kilgore Books birthday party

Last Saturday was the one year anniversary of independently owned Kilgore Books, 624 E. 13th Ave.

The afternoon celebration featured performances next door at longtime Denver staple Wax Trax Records by local musicians Married In Berdichev, with smoky ethereal noise, and Milton Melvin Croissant III, his wailing, pounding sound reminding of “pop in a desert” in the words of local underground sophisticate Brittany, one of many filing into Kilgore Books to celebrate this milestone. All these people winding around the narrow store observed by shelves of Denver’s great used books--the whole store looking at them, packed with quality books!

Co-owner Dan Stafford was kind enough to reserve a copy of Please Kill Me in my name. I spotted it after I’d spent all my money on a copy of the questionable Charles Bukowski biography The Hunchback of East Hollywood. (I got that book at Kilgore! Seven dollars!) Everybody walking back and forth between Wax Trax and Kilgore itself, where a participatory comics jam was happening. Besides providing a welcome forum for performance on the part of the audience, this portion of the program featured the graphic dexterity of Denver artists Noah Van Sciver and John Porcellino, creator of King Cat Comics—though primarily an artist, Porcellino sang a couple songs, including one by Frank Sinatra.

Also featured was a talk by Stan Yan and readings from 24 Hour Comics People II, Dead By Dawn, the latest compilation by Denver's Squid Works of a day of deliberate commitment to the ethic of imagination and invention from comics people everywhere. Kilgore Books (incidentlally voted this year’s best “Hole in the Wall Comics Store” by Westword) is an encouraging testament to the occasional striking success of good ideas in trying economic times.

 More about John Porcellino HERE

Please see my reviews of two comics from this event HERE and HERE