BIG THING

Big Thing Set
All nine Big Things, magazines, comics and digests, with free "They're Loose!" 1997 tour stickers by Colin Upton, Roberta Gregory and Donna Barr! The only place to get Big Thing #2!
No Longer Available

Colin Upton's BIG THING #1 (Big Thing #0)
My first "full size" comic book, a collection of autobiographical short stories including: "Meet Colin Upton" (introduction written by Harvey Pekar) "Raspberry Girls", "Bordercrossing", "Hockey Night at Home", "Famous Bus Rides", "Gerald Watch TV", "A Family Christmas in Peachland", "Untitled Incident", "New Years at the Purple Aura of jazz Appreciation Society", "Loonys" and "My Last Comiccon".
Ed Varney, 1990, magazine, 32 pages, $2.95, $4.50 CDN

Colin Upton's Other BIG THING #1
Another collection of short stories but this time featuring a variety of stories, autobiography and beyond. Including: "I'm Not English" (Autobio), "Incatpacitated" (Humour), "Visiting Bremerton" (Autobio), "The German Show" (Autobio), "Stalingrad" (Fantasy), "The Franco-Prussian War, a one page History" (History), "What I Know About Sikhs" (Educational), "A Proud Moment" (Autobio), "Pay-Phone" (Urban Fiction) and "Famous Bus Rides" (Autobio)
Fantagraphics Books, 1991, magazine, 32 pages, 2.75 $3.50 CDN

Colin Upton's Other Slightly Smaller BIG THING #2
"The Battle of Fort Casey", the true story of the rout of the legendary performance noise art group "The Haters" in an ill-fated invasion of a Washington State Park. A tale of borders, paranoia, art wanks breaking things and pushing the limits of friendship. With special guest panels by "Naughty Bits" and audience member creator Roberta Gregory.
Fanatagraphics Books, 1991, comic, 24 pages $2.25 $2.75 CDN
SOLD OUT!

Colin Upton's Other Other Slightly Smaller BIG THING #3
"The Home Front", is an emotional personnel diary of my life during wartime following the events of the Gulf War from the protests in the streets of Vancouver to the lonely raging at the television in my living room. An account of the opposition to the war that the media ignored and you won't find in the historical records of Canada's first war since Korea. Back cover illustrated by Bryce Rasmussen.
Fantagraphics Books, 1992, comic, 24 pages, $2.25, $2.75 CDN

Yet Another Colin Upton's Other Other Slightly Smaller BIG THING #4
"Autobiography and other lies." (This refers to the impossibility of achieving total objectivity) A collection of short stories, including: "Get a job!" (autobio), "The Home Front, An Epilogue" (autobio), "Some Enchanted Evening" (autobio), Cricket (autobio), Making Oatmeal (fantasy), Fuck (rant, no relation to the Chester Brown series) and a "Famous Bus Rides" (autobio) that was commissioned by a Japanese publisher as a test story. It was rejected as "being from a readers and not a writers viewpoint". Manga parody Colin cutey "Japanese" back cover.
Fantagraphics Books, 1992, comic, 24 pages, $2.50, $2.95 CDN

Yet Another Colin Upton's Other Other Even Bigger Than Slightly Smaller That got Bigger BIG THING, The One-Shot (Aeon Focus #2)
An expanded version of the small press digest Big Thing #5 (out of print) with new stories and artwork. Including the Pythonsque "Upton's Lives of the Saints: St.Anthony of Padua" (humour), "I'm Not Angry, Anymore" (autobio), "Chris" (fiction, this story was reprinted in Cerebus) "Happy Shiny People" (humour) and "Nightmares" (autobio). Featuring a back cover painted in white out.
Aeon, 1994, comic, 32 pages, $2.75, $3.75 CDN
SOLD OUT!

Colin Upton's Authorized BIG BLACK THING
This comic began as one of a series of pranks against Fantagraphics Books by persons unknown. Comics pros began to receive copies of "Big Black Thing" in the mail, with black glossy covers and black pages inside. It was even plugged on the back cover of Dirty Plotte! In reply Starhead put out the authorized version featuring highlights from the small press mini-comics catalogue. Original introduction co-written by Dennis Eichhorn, who himself was suspected of being behind the pranks.
Starhead 1994, comic, 24 pages, $2.50 $2.95 CDN