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Keyhole (comics)
Encyclopedia
Keyhole was a critically acclaimed black-and-white alternative
comic book
published from 1996–1998. A two-man anthology
by cartoonists Dean Haspiel
and Josh Neufeld
, Keyhole was published by two different publishers, starting with Millennium Publications
and ending up at Top Shelf Productions
.
, Comics Buyer's Guide
, and elsewhere, it was then picked up by Millennium, which published the first full-sized issue in June 1996. With its fourth issue, Keyhole was released under Millennium's new imprint, Modern Comics
. Top Shelf picked up the comic for its fifth and sixth issues.
In 2002, Haspiel, Neufeld, and Alternative Comics
announced plans to publish Keyhole vol. II, but the comic never appeared, and the two cartoonists have since moved on to other projects.
's American Splendor
and Los Bros Hernandez
' Love and Rockets
, a typical issue of Keyhole featured an autobiographical travel story by Neufeld, a Billy Dogma story by Haspiel, and short recurring features such as R. Walker
and Neufeld's "Titans of Finance," Neufeld's one-page "Travel Tips," and the Haspiel/Neufeld collaborative feature "Lionel's Lament." Other stories appearing in Keyhole included short autobiographical pieces by Haspiel, and assorted collaborations with other writers (including one memorable piece with The Duplex Planets David Greenberger
).
Haspiel debuted his existential antihero, Billy Dogma, in Keyhole, a character whose adventures have since been published by Modern Comics, Top Shelf, Alternative Comics
, and Image Comics
. In addition, Haspiel collected many of the autobiographical stories from Keyhole in Opposable Thumbs (2001), published by Alternative Comics, and used those stories as a jumping-off point for the Street Code stories he has been telling on DC Comics
' webcomics imprint Zuda Comics
.
Neufeld, in turn, collected the "Titans of Finance" stories in a self-titled comic published by Alternative in 2001. In 2004, he collected his Keyhole travel stories (as well as subsequent ones) in the Xeric Award-winning graphic novel A Few Perfect Hours.
In addition, both cartoonists have since become regular illustrators for Harvey Pekar and his American Splendor projects.
Alternative comics
Alternative comics defines a range of American comics that have appeared since the 1980s, following the underground comix movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Alternative comics present an alternative to "mainstream" superhero comics which in the past have dominated the US comic book industry...
comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
published from 1996–1998. A two-man anthology
Anthology
An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
by cartoonists Dean Haspiel
Dean Haspiel
Dean Edmund Haspiel is an American comic book artist. He is known for his collaborations with writer Harvey Pekar on his American Splendor series as well as the graphic novel The Quitter. He has been nominated for numerous Eisner Awards, and won a 2010 Emmy Award for TV design work.-Early...
and Josh Neufeld
Josh Neufeld
Josh Neufeld is an alternative cartoonist known for his nonfiction comics on subjects like Hurricane Katrina, international travel, and finance, as well as his collaborations with writers like Harvey Pekar and Brooke Gladstone...
, Keyhole was published by two different publishers, starting with Millennium Publications
Millennium Publications
Millennium Productions was an American independent comic book publishing company founded by Mark Ellis, Melissa Martin and Paul Davis. Initially known as a publisher of licensed properties, Millennium adapted works by Arthur Conan Doyle, Lester Dent, Frank Frazetta, Robert E. Howard, Harlan...
and ending up at Top Shelf Productions
Top Shelf Productions
Top Shelf Productions is an American publishing company founded in 1997, owned and operated by Chris Staros and Brett Warnock and a small staff. The company is based in Marietta, Georgia, Portland, Oregon, and New York City, New York....
.
Publication history
Keyhole began as a self-published mini-comic by the long-time friends Haspiel and Neufeld. Keyhole Mini-Comics ran for four issues in 1995. Reviewed in Factsheet FiveFactsheet Five
Factsheet Five was a periodical mostly consisting of short reviews of privately produced printed matter along with contact details of the editors and publishers....
, Comics Buyer's Guide
Comics Buyer's Guide
Comics Buyer's Guide , established in 1971, is the longest-running English-language periodical reporting on the American comic book industry...
, and elsewhere, it was then picked up by Millennium, which published the first full-sized issue in June 1996. With its fourth issue, Keyhole was released under Millennium's new imprint, Modern Comics
Millennium Publications
Millennium Productions was an American independent comic book publishing company founded by Mark Ellis, Melissa Martin and Paul Davis. Initially known as a publisher of licensed properties, Millennium adapted works by Arthur Conan Doyle, Lester Dent, Frank Frazetta, Robert E. Howard, Harlan...
. Top Shelf picked up the comic for its fifth and sixth issues.
In 2002, Haspiel, Neufeld, and Alternative Comics
Alternative Comics (publisher)
Alternative Comics is a U.S. independent graphic novel and comic book publisher which operated from 1993–2007. Located in Gainesville, Florida, it is owned and operated by its founder, attorney Jeff Mason...
announced plans to publish Keyhole vol. II, but the comic never appeared, and the two cartoonists have since moved on to other projects.
Form and content
Equally inspired by Harvey PekarHarvey Pekar
Harvey Lawrence Pekar was an American underground comic book writer, music critic and media personality, best known for his autobiographical American Splendor comic series. In 2003, the series inspired a critically acclaimed film adaptation of the same name.Pekar described American Splendor as "an...
's American Splendor
American Splendor
American Splendor is a series of autobiographical comic books written by the late Harvey Pekar and drawn by a variety of artists. The first issue was published in 1976 and the most recent in September 2008, with publication occurring at irregular intervals...
and Los Bros Hernandez
Los Bros Hernandez
Los Bros Hernandez is the collective name given to the Hernandez brothers responsible for the acclaimed independent comic series Love and Rockets. The artists behind the series are Jaime and Gilbert , and, to a lesser extent, Mario....
' Love and Rockets
Love and Rockets (comics)
Love and Rockets is a black and white comic book series by Gilbert Hernandez and Jaime Hernandez, sometimes cited jointly as Los Bros Hernandez. Their brother Mario Hernandez is an occasional contributor...
, a typical issue of Keyhole featured an autobiographical travel story by Neufeld, a Billy Dogma story by Haspiel, and short recurring features such as R. Walker
Rob Walker (journalist)
Rob Walker is an American author and freelance journalist. He is a contributing writer to The New York Times Magazine and blogger for Design Observer....
and Neufeld's "Titans of Finance," Neufeld's one-page "Travel Tips," and the Haspiel/Neufeld collaborative feature "Lionel's Lament." Other stories appearing in Keyhole included short autobiographical pieces by Haspiel, and assorted collaborations with other writers (including one memorable piece with The Duplex Planets David Greenberger
David Greenberger
David Greenberger is an American artist, writer and radio commentator best known for his Duplex Planet series of zines, comic books, CDs, and spoken word performances and radio plays...
).
Legacy
Although Keyhole only ran six issues, it was a critically acclaimed project which proved to be a launching pad for both Haspiel and Neufeld's careers. The Comics Journal characterized Keyhole this way: "Brought together in a single, independent magazine, these artists' strong, disparate talents create a broad reading experience, and a blending of artistic intentions and personal expression like very few others available today in American comix."Haspiel debuted his existential antihero, Billy Dogma, in Keyhole, a character whose adventures have since been published by Modern Comics, Top Shelf, Alternative Comics
Alternative Comics (publisher)
Alternative Comics is a U.S. independent graphic novel and comic book publisher which operated from 1993–2007. Located in Gainesville, Florida, it is owned and operated by its founder, attorney Jeff Mason...
, and Image Comics
Image Comics
Image Comics is a United States comic book publisher. It was founded in 1992 by high-profile illustrators as a venue where creators could publish their material without giving up the copyrights to the characters they created, as creator-owned properties. It was immediately successful, and remains...
. In addition, Haspiel collected many of the autobiographical stories from Keyhole in Opposable Thumbs (2001), published by Alternative Comics, and used those stories as a jumping-off point for the Street Code stories he has been telling on DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
' webcomics imprint Zuda Comics
Zuda Comics
Zuda Comics was DC Comics' webcomics imprint from 2007 until 2010. It featured comics for Flash player instead of in a web page. Announced in a press release on July 9, 2007 and the first ongoing series and competing comic entries went live October 30, 2007...
.
Neufeld, in turn, collected the "Titans of Finance" stories in a self-titled comic published by Alternative in 2001. In 2004, he collected his Keyhole travel stories (as well as subsequent ones) in the Xeric Award-winning graphic novel A Few Perfect Hours.
In addition, both cartoonists have since become regular illustrators for Harvey Pekar and his American Splendor projects.