(with thanks to Dez Skinn for the tip off): Over the last few years, there has been a plethora of rushed and badly researched books on the top graphic novels, often too tightly focused on
US product.
But writer Jody MacGregor has slowly and painstakingly been putting together a superb choice of top titles on his blog that top editor and writer Dez Skinn strongly recommends you have a read of.
“For over three years now I’ve been slowly amassing a series on my blog called, with tongue somewhat in cheek, 100 Comics To Read Before You Die (or grow out of them),” Jody says. “For the next couple of weeks, I’ll be posting the final 10.
“It’s been a pretty big project and it may have taken its toll on my sanity a little bit there.”
The list is impressive, including titles by British creators such as Grant Morrison’s Seven Soldiers of Victory (at Number 17); Raymond Briggs Ethel and Ernest (No. 19), Dave McKean’s Cages, Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie’s Phonogram, Hannah Berry’s Britten and Brulightly, Warren Ellis’s NextWave, Pat Mills and Hunt Emerson’s Diceman, Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing and many others, as well as some terrific titles from the US, manga and other countries.
It will be intriguing to see if any British creators make it into Jody’s Top Ten – but based on his list so far, we think it’s a safe bet. Pay credit to this mammoth task and take a look.
• Chck it out at: http://jody- macgregor. livejournal. com/tag/100comics
The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.
He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: Links
Festivities Distraction: Doug Gilford’s MadCoverSite 
From The Web: Ten years on: Iain M. Banks (1954 – 2013) 
In Review: This Comic is Haunted #1 
WebFind: “The Strange and Surprising Adventures of Jumbo Crusoe”
Here is the final list, in handy linkable form — or at least as handy as Jody can get with the limitations of LiveJournal — http://jody-macgregor. livejournal.com/104396.html
“I feel like a great weight has been lifted from me, although a great one has been added to my bookshelves over the last three years as I read more and more books in researching the list as I created it,” says Jody. “There are plenty that didn’t make the final cut because I ran out of room or couldn’t get hold of a copy or didn’t have anything to say about them, so I hope exclusions aren’t taken as insults.
“I also tried not to revisit the same creators too many times, because a list with about 20 Alan Moore books on it would amuse me but probably not many others.”