Todd Herman

Described as "EC by way of Looney Tunes," multiple award-winning cult hit The Goon has quickly risen to the forefront of hot creator-owned titles. Now a heapin' helping of the top names in comics and comedy put a new spin on their favorite characters! Among the distinguished creators featured in this, the very first Goon anthology, are comedians Patton Oswalt and Brian Posehn (both of Comedy Central's Comedians of Comedy and Mr. Show), Reno: 911 co-creator Thomas Lennon, B.P.R.D. scribe John Arcudi, comics great Kevin Nowlan (Tomorrow Stories, Sandman, Superman), fan-favorite Humberto Ramos (Revelations, Spider-Man), Steve Niles, Ryan Sook, Mike Ploog, Bill Morrison, Arvid Nelson, Tony Moore, Hilary Barta, Roger Langridge, Scott Allie and Todd Herman. Powell himself and frequent co-conspirators Tom Sniegoski and Mark Farmer also present the three-part "Peg Leg Full of Heaven," featuring the Little Unholy Bastards, and erstwhile publisher Dwight T. Albatross contributes a little somethin' for the ladies. See the Goon universe as never before in The Goon Noir!

A respected jazz guitarist, Ernest Ranglin is one of the foundation musicians for Jamaican ska and reggae, and his contributions at the legendary Studio One have earned him the right to cross genres at will. This collection is a reissue and remix of his 1977 album Ranglin Roots, with added tracks that more than double the length of the original release without breaking or shifting its tone.

This year promises no shortage of great local jazz releases, but Love might end up being the best of the lot. It’s the second album by trombonist Reginald Cyntje, whose 2011 record, Freedom’s Children: A Celebration, established his compositional chops. It also established his recurring motives: Caribbean traditions (Cyntje is from St. Thomas), humanism, and social justice. The last of these is less apparent on Love, though it looms in the background like Hemingway’s Great War; meanwhile, the album explores Cyntje’s other drivers through a study of seven virtues.

Music From Free Creek is a 1970 album featuring a diverse range of special guests, some under their real names, some not. They include people like King Cool (Eric Clapton), Todd Rundgren, Linda Ronstadt, Valerie Simpson, Delaney Bramlett, A.N. Other (Jeff Beck), Keith Emerson, Dr. John, and many more. This was originally released on the Charisma label, this is taken from a one-time CD pressing released by Lake Eerie in 2008.