What is an indie comic? I think Americans often have the misconception - be it in comics, music, or film - that "indie" is some sort of genre. For example, a band is not indie because they sound a certain way, they are indie if they are signed to an independent record label, or distribute their own music in someway. I recall a moment in film school in which a student blindly asked the professor if the movie Garden State was an independent movie, and when he responded "yes", she looked confused and declared "Really? Because people were laughing..." Of course, this has nothing to do with anything. Obviously, an independent movie is a film that is made without the backing of a major studio. In comics, the general stigma is that books without superheroes in the pages are indie books. Of course, this isn't true, as there are plenty of indie books that feature heroic characters, capes and all. 

For our purposes, the general rule is nearly anything that is not under the umbrella tree of DC, Marvel, Dark Horse or Image (the big four), is a smaller/specialty press (independent of a large corporation!) book. As such, independent books encompass a wide variety of genres ranging from superheroes, to humor, memoir, and the spaces in between. If you have been looking to find some new and interesting work amongst a sea of uber-events, look no further than the work on this list. The best part is, no matter where you begin, the first thing you find and enjoy, there will be a dozen different places to go to next.

10. Meow, Baby! by Jason

If you've never experienced any of Jason's work, then allow me to summarize for you, with the "About the Author" from Meow, Baby!: "On the day of Jason's 12th birthday, Elvis died. He lives currently in Montpellier, France. Jason, that is." I think that alone best categorizes the humor contained within his work. Meow, Baby!, in particular, is a collection of short comic strips featuring Jason's trademark bird/dog people, mummies, zombies, aliens, and more - all with genuinely clever setups, punchlines, and situational humor. 

One particular favorite strip included in Meow, Baby! involves two skeletons out for a smoke break from their caskets, as they discuss Seinfeld and U2, only to realize neither of them get in much pop culture. Ultimately, they deem it time to "head back down", as though laying in their graves is their profession. This theme is what truly charms me about Meow, Baby!; it takes these generalizations of death or horror - like zombies - and turns them to the point of view of said creature, where they ultimately view their stigma as a day job.

If you're looking for a quick entry way into the broader world of alternative comics, this is it.