Pete Toms

What are 2-3 books (regardless of genre) that you’ve read over the last year or less that really blew your hair back?

I just re-read a couple of great recent Stanley Lieber books, ACTRON v5 and ACTRON: THE END. I’ve been reading his work since the early 00s and while its sort-of cyberpunk satire setting has remained pretty consistent, our world has changed enough that his books now feel like they’re set in our contemporary reality. Or more like our reality is set in one of his books. I’ve never read a story of his that didn’t immediately make me want to read and create more.

SOFT X-Ray / MINDHUNTERS by Alex Degen is this big epic comic book that tries (and maybe succeeds) in taking apart the structure of the universe and our perceptions of it through a very fun pulp-y narrative. It’s also beautifully drawn and inspiring to me that someone his age is still cartooning at a level like this.

I also recommend Alex Graham’s ANGLOID as much as possible, because it’s probably the best comic I’ve read in the past few years.

Who is someone you admire who does work that you feel really benefits your community, and what kind of work is it that they do?

I think the FWA is trying to do some very positive stuff for people in and around the indie comics community.

What is the least graceful way you’ve been injured?

There are maybe a thousand answers to this, but one time I was going to attempt to imitate Ralph Fiennes’ Voldemort voice and as I inhaled to get ready to do it, I hurt my back. Then because I was laughing so much about hurting my back just by unsuccessfully trying to talk like Voldemort, I totally threw out my back and couldn’t walk or do impressions for 5 days.

Pete Toms

A Slight Incline