"An impeccably researched and well-presented collection”
- Richard Pound, The Comics Journal

"A fascinating close-up of a master developing a visual language for comedy and storytelling."
- Steve Smith, Panels & Prose

“Paul Tumey is one of today's most insightful comic art historians … I have been involved in the comic strip field for over 40 years and still learned so much from Tumey's history of Judge magazine in the book.”
- Rob Stolzer, Inkslingers

A lost chapter of comics history, restored and brought back to life. This first volume in an ambitious ongoing series collects every Judge comic and cartoon Milt Gross created between 1923–24—fully restored, annotated, and placed in context.

In these early works, Gross pushes himself to master pantomime storytelling, laying the foundation for his later breakthroughs. As Paul C. Tumey argues, this brief but explosive period captures the birth of Gross’s signature style: kinetic, inventive, and tightly controlled.

Featuring a foreword by Drew Lerman and a special contribution by Noah Van Sciver, this richly produced volume also includes a 60+ page supplements section with rare material and a complete run of Hitz and Mrs. A must-have for fans and a major contribution to comics scholarship.

All orders include a randomly selected archival postcard from the Erratic Press collection.

A professional comics historian’s working archive of rare, hard-to-find comics history—opened to the public.

Discover new cartoonists, rare comics history, and unexpected connections—without spending years digging through archives yourself.

This is for readers who enjoy discovery—who like seeing the material behind the finished story.

A 70-page digital magazine drawn from a private archive of over 150,000 items assembled over 15 years: obscure cartoonists, forgotten strips, unusual documents, and visual oddities that rarely surface in print.

This is not a finished monograph—it’s a curated window into the research process itself, presented with the same care and visual attention as my published work.

Created by Paul C. Tumey, Eisner-nominated author of Screwball!The Cartoonists Who Made the Funnies Funny and The Art of Milt Gross series.

• A featured dossier on little-known 1940s cartoonist Bandel Linn

• Rare and unexpected material on Ethel Hays, George Roussos, Dr. Seuss, Bill Holman, and more

• Rare archival images and documents

• Early strip material and forgotten visual experiments

• Research leads and open questions for further exploration

• Unexpected connections across comics history

“Wonderful stuff, thanks for your research, Paul! Definitely an author portrait to be inspired by!”- Kalen Knowles, Octal Press

“The Erratic Files" is a great idea, there are so many lost stubs out there to be traced.”- YouTube

This lightweight super-soft cotton tee features a delightful restored vintage cartoon by A. Viale, circa 1930, presented in sepia tones.

A mock stained glass window of a fictional Comical Church, the image includes Vitale's versions of dozens of comic strip characters from classic features, including Krazy Kat, Bringing Up Father, Mickey Mouse, Popeye (Thimble Theater), The Timid Soul, Mutt and Jeff, Barney Google, Toonerville Folks, Count Screwloose, Tillie The Toiler, and many more -- all playfully interacting with each other.

The arched window frame and dense art invites you to lean in and study closely. How many characters can you identify? Perfect for the fan of vintage Americana and classic comics.

Wear it layered under a denim jacket for slow city walks or alone on sunlit afternoons; it sits quietly, letting the artwork start conversations without shouting. Soft, breathable, and structured at the collar, it moves with you and keeps its shape after repeated wear, so the drawing stays the focal point every time you put it on.

Product features
- 100% ring-spun cotton (lightweight 153 g/m²) — soft, breathable year-round wear
- Tubular knit, no side seams — cleaner silhouette and reduced fabric waste
- Ribbed collar with shoulder tape — retains shape and prevents stretch
- Oeko-Tex certification — comfortable and safety-assured

Care instructions
- Do not dryclean
- Do not bleach
- Tumble dry: low heat
- Iron, steam or dry: low heat
- Machine wash: cold (max 30C or 90F), with similar colors

An 82-page digital magazine (presented in spreads) drawn from a private comics history research archive of over 150,000 items assembled over 15 years: obscure cartoonists, forgotten strips, unusual documents, and visual oddities that rarely surface in print.

Feature Story: Lost comics found in employee magazines, including rare early work by George Swanson ($alesman $am)

Strip reprint: The first week of two great-but-obscure comic strips, Vanilla and The Villains by Darrell McClure (and likely written by Harry Hershfield) , and Inventions of Mr. Knickknack by Don Herold

Recovered article: "How The Comikers Regard Their Characters" (1917, Cartoons magazine)

Comic Book find: A complete Air Wave story penciled, inked, lettered, and colored by George Roussos

Lost Document: A complete twelve-page 1961 National Cartoonist Society (NCS) newsletter - loaded with candid information

And more surprises!

Discover new cartoonists, rare comics history, and unexpected connections—without spending years digging through archives yourself.

This is for readers who enjoy discovery—who like seeing the material behind the finished story.

This is not a finished monograph—it’s a curated window into the research process itself, presented with the same care and visual attention as my published work. In many cases, the material I am sharing points the way to further veins of research, where more comics gold can be found.

Created by Paul C. Tumey, Eisner-nominated author of Screwball! The Cartoonists Who Made the Funnies Funny and The Art of Milt Gross series.

An Erratic Press publication!

This sturdy cotton canvas tote brings slow-drawn illustration work into everyday life. The heavy 12 oz canvas holds shape and weight—comic books, groceries, sketchbooks, or a day's worth of flea market finds—while the flat, compact silhouette slips easily under your arm or over a shoulder. The printed panel shows a mock stained glass window of a fictional Comical Church, the image includes Vitale's versions of dozens of comic strip characters from classic features, including Krazy Kat, Bringing Up Father, Mickey Mouse, Popeye (Thimble Theater), The Timid Soul, Mutt and Jeff, Barney Google, Toonerville Folks, Count Screwloose, Tillie The Toiler, and many more -- all playfully interacting with each other.

The arched window frame and dense art invites you to lean in and study closely. How many characters can you identify? Perfect for the fan of vintage Americana and classic comics.

Product features

- 100% heavy cotton canvas (12 oz/yd²) for durability and structure

- Flat-corner construction for a slim, compact profile

- Reinforced self-fabric carrying handles for reliable everyday use

- Sewn-in label; blank sourced from India

- Available in natural and black colorways

Care instructions

- Do not iron directly over the printed area - print may stick to the iron.

- Spot clean

- Do not bleach

- Line dry

Inject a little screwball humor into your life with this fun sticker of the Little Hitchhiker from Gene Ahern's Squirrel Cage comic. A quirky, 3×3 inch, vintage-style sticker that brings a wink of old-school comic charm to your everyday gear.

The glossy finish makes the colors pop on laptops, journals, water bottles, or window panes, while the kiss-cut edge gives a neat, die-cut look that blends into surfaces without bulky borders. This sticker feels like a found relic you’d tuck into a sketchbook or slap on a travel case to spark smiles and start conversations at coffee shops, zine fairs, or comic meetups. I've got mine on my computer. Only one question remains: Nov shmoz ka pop?

Product features

- Glossy, scratch-resistant paper finish for vivid shine

- Durable vinyl with permanent acrylic adhesive for long-lasting placement on smooth, flat surfaces

- Printed with eco-solvent inks for bright, true-to-art colors

- Quick, bubble-free application; not waterproof (indoor use recommended)

Care instructions

- Use a soft, clean and dry cloth to gently brush any dust or dirt off from the center of the sticker outwards.

Seldom seen presentation art by the creator of Krazy Kat

• 8 full-color 4×6 Continental-sized thick postcards

• 8 × 14-inch foldout poster

• Original essay by Paul C. Tumey

• Archival notes on each image

• Bonus postcard

This curated collection offers a rare chance to experience Herriman’s personal gift paintings — richly colored visions of Krazy Kat and friends in Coconino County, only recently emerged from private archives.

“A very nice addition to anyone's Krazy Kat collection.”- nofaps (confirmed purchase)

“I love the cards and posters. High quality.” - daywell (confirmed purchase)

“Super pleased with this presentation packet. High quality; arrived in protective packaging and in excellent condition. Good value for the money.”- kajoh_5991 (confirmed purchase)

• 7 postcards featuring Gross’s screwballs

• 20-page illustrated booklet with three Social Notes columns and original essay by comics historian Paul C. Tumey

• Bonus postcard: Gross photo- collage self-portrait (1925)

This riotous collection invites you into the wild world of Milt Gross — master of American screwball humor. Drawn from rare 1920s and 30s publications and never before reprinted, the postcards and illustrated booklet unleash Titus A. Drum, Cecil Cesspool, Senator Snifter, and a whole parade of absurd, high-society nuts. This collection reveals a little-known — but equally hilarious — aspect of Milt’s work.

• 8 restored documentary photo postcards

• Featuring Superman, Dick Tracy & the Sunday funnies

• Exclusive illustrated essay by Paul C. Tumey

• Image-by-image historical notes

Step into the Golden Age itself — real Americans, in kitchens, farmhouses, and city streets, absorbed in the comics that shaped a generation. Selected from over 170,000 government documentary photographs of the era, this collection reveals comics not as nostalgia, but as lived culture.

Includes work from some of the greatest American photographers of the twentieth century, including Dorothea Lange, Gordon Parks, Esther Bubley, and Russell Lee.