While "researching" the latest Nexus Graphica, I had reason to look through my collection of Comics Of Unusual Size. This set of the big and small and odd of comicdom contains many gems. Deciding that I really should share some of these largely forgotten and sometime rare pieces, I’m taking you through a tour of my unusual collection.

Today’s selection comes courtesy of musician/artist Isaac Priestley. In 1994, Priestley produced the mini-comic Drug Abuse Is Fun! under his Hand of God Productions.

Judging from the one issue (#2) I have, the title and covers are the best parts.

Priestley relates the well worn tale of 90s Austin slacker culture, where everyone sat around talked about being in a band.

Rushpunk?!?!

For a comic titled Drug Abuse Is Fun!, there is an amazing absence of drug use. Given the time, place, and people that Priestley writes about, marijuana use should be commonplace.

Thankfully for Priestley in the ensuing 14 years, his art improved dramatically.

Page from the webcomic Progressions

While "researching" the latest Nexus Graphica, I had reason to look through my collection of Comics Of Unusual Size. This set of the big and small and odd of comicdom hides many gems. Deciding that I really should share some of these largely forgotten and sometime rare pieces, I’m taking you through a tour of my unusual collection.

I begin with the reason for the research and perhaps one of the most widely distributed mini-comics of all time. The caffeine-fueled hero, Too Much Coffee Man appearing in a self-titled mini-comic, premiered at the 1991 Dallas Fantasy Fair as a promotional tie-in for Shannon Wheeler‘s first collection Children With Glue.

Too Much Coffee Man #1

Wheeler would eventually produced five TMCM minicomics and evolve the character into a mini-empire complete with a newspaper syndicated strip, a regularly produced comic book, a pop culture magazine, four collections, an animated Converse commercial, merchandising paraphernalia galore (mugs, coffee, t-shirts, and even toilet paper!) and most recently, an opera. The combined sales of the five issues would reach into the tens of thousands.

Too Much Coffee Man #2-3

Too Much Coffee Man #4-5