Add one of the world's best comic book companies to one of the world's best stories, and you've got a great book. Hip Hop Family Tree #1 is a Fantagraphics (Ghost World etc) comic telling the origin stories of hip hop. Printed on gorgeous paper, they've recreated the nostalgic feel of cheap comic book paper on a high quality stock. The artwork and colouring are stunning.

Ed Piskor told Red Bull magazine how his plan to give the comic a unique retro look was a sticking point with some companies, leading to working with Fantagraphics.

"I just knew it would turn out pretty cool, because a lot of people were coming at me trying to publish it. So I had the option to see who I wanted to go with. Ultimately I wanted the book to look in a very specific way, and a lot of the companies didn’t quite see my exact vision. But Fantagraphics never said no, so the final book is exactly what I wanted. That’s why I worked with them, it wasn’t out of monetary gain or anything like that… It was more: If we’re gonna kill trees these days to make books, it better be the best looking books that we can."

Definitely worth a hoon, you can find it in Auckland Libraries' catalogue and request it here.