Black Eye Books is pleased to present this raw and unedited limited edition collection of early works by Ho Che Anderson; the acclaimed artist of the graphic novel King, and the sci-fi duology Godhead.
This 8 x 10", newly expanded to 300 page collection will be printed in full colour, reproducing Ho Che's early works in their original form — white out, cut and paste, margin notes — all the trappings of the creative process intact. Join Ho Che as he takes you through the archives of his youth, warts and all. A fascinating journey through the budding days of this celebrated cartoonist and Canadian Comic Book Hall of Fame inductee.
You could win this original 9x12" 2023 drawing by Ho Che!
From The Intro By Ho Che Anderson
A few words about the book from Ho Che
This collection of comics and drawings was created back in the 1980s, between the ages of sixteen and nineteen. It represents a kid learning his craft in the safety of his own four walls with no one watching or judging or caring.
All I did in these years was sit in my room and write and draw stuff. Friends had to drag me out of the house; when I was with them half my mind was back at my wooden drawing board. My obsession was uncovering the secrets my heroes already knew. I wanted to inhabit their minds and bodies and take their skills for myself. So I drew. And drew. And drew. And experimented. And stole. And I never threw anything away. Not even a doodle.
This stuff was never intended to be seen by anyone, other than the select pieces I photo-copied and fired off to publisher after publisher. Putting this book into the world is one of the most exciting things I've ever done professionally, as well as one of the most embarrassing.
These pages represent a personal golden age. They're soaked in sepia and wrapped in the warm and fuzzies. I look at them and I feel the joy and the urgency and the aspiration, I hear the music I was listening to, I see the girls I was crushing on, I tense at the family stress my decisions were creating.
Embarrassing as a lot of this book is, it exists as an attempt to inspire: if you're thinking of making that leap then right now some version of "If this dude found a way to publish this work then there's no way I can lose," should be coursing through your mind. That's what this book is all about.
Shipping this fall, printed on high quality uncoated paper stock in full colour, with a matte laminated cover, The Most Embarrassing Things I've Ever Done includes:
- Hundreds of previously unpublished short comics stories and strips
- Meticulously scanned pages preserve each piece's authenticity
- Pin-ups, sketches, experiments, and pitches
- A brand newillustrated introduction by Ho Che
Get the Deluxe Edition: a signed copy of the book, with a randomly selected original 4x6 sketch by Ho Che.
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Three of the original sketches, drawn in 2024, included with the Deluxe Edition. (Selected at random)
And feast your eyes on some sample pages below, and pledge for your copy of this limited edition collection today!
Self-promo illustration
Mister X Pin-Up
The Violent Gangster Promo Image
Indian Summer Cover No. 2
1952 Page 1
Grendel Sample Page
Heat and Passion Promo Image
About Ho Che Anderson:
Born in London, England, Sheridan College graduate Ho Che Anderson was named after the Vietnamese and Cuban revolutionaries, Ho Chi Minh and Che Guevara. Anderson is the author of numerous graphic novels including King, Godhead, and Scream Queen: Sand & Fury, and has also written for Marvel Comics with projects including Luke Cage, Spider-Man, Killmonger, and the up- coming Blade: Black, White, and Red, which he also drew. Anderson is a former reporter for The Toronto Star, and a camera assistant with IATSE Local 667 where he worked on numerous shows including Reign, Taken, and Designated Survivor, before graduating to directing with the Telefilm feature, Le Corbeau, and the animated short, The Big Reset: Governance for the National Film Board of Canada. Anderson is a member of both the Writers and the Directors Guilds of Canada. Upcoming projects include Stone for Faster Horse Pictures and The Resurrectionists for Megascope/Abrams Books. Anderson is represented by Sam Hiyate at The Rights Factory.
About Black Eye Books:
From 1993–1998, Black Eye Books published such notable cartoonists as Jay Stephens (The Land of Nod, Atomic City Tales), Nick Craine (Dance Me Outside), Jason Lutes (Jar of Fools, Berlin), Tom Hart (The Sands), Jeremy Eaton (World of Trouble), Matt Madden (Black Candy), James Kochalka (Quit Your Job), Ed Brubaker (Lowlife), Brian Biggs (Dear Julia), and New Zealand's Dylan Horrocks (Pickle, Hicksville). Relaunched in 2019 by publisher Michel Vrana, Black Eye Books continues its pursuit of publishing eclectic and engaging stories told in the form of words and pictures, including the award-winning horror series Dwellings by Jay Stephens.
