Willie & Joe: Back Home brilliantly chronicles the struggles and disillusionments of these early post-WWII years and, in doing so, tells Bill Mauldin’s own extraordinary story of his journey home to a wife he barely knew and a son he had only seen in pictures. The drawings capture the texture and feel, the warp and woof, of this confusing time: the ubiquitous hats and cigarettes, the domestic rubs, the rising fear of another war, and new conflicts over Civil Rights, civil liberties, and free speech. This second volume of Fantagraphics’ series reprinting Mauldin’s greatest work identifies and restores the dozens of cartoons censored by Mauldin’s syndicate for their attacks on racial segregation and McCarthy-style “witch hunts.” Mauldin pleaded with his syndicate to let him out of his contract so that he could return to the simple quiet life so desired by Willie & Joe. The syndicate refused, so Mauldin did battle, as always, through pen and ink.

From his first performance at age four, Willie Nelson was driven to make music and live life on his own terms. But though he is a songwriter of exceptional depth - "Crazy" was one of his early classics - Willie only found success after abandoning Nashville and moving to Austin, Texas. Red Headed Stranger made country cool to a new generation of fans. Wanted: The Outlaws became the first country album to sell a million copies. And "On the Road Again" became the anthem for Americans on the move. A craggy-faced, pot-smoking philosopher, Willie Nelson is one of America's great iconoclasts and idols. Now Joe Nick Patoski draws on over 100 interviews with Willie and his family, band, and friends to tell Nelson's story, from humble Depression-era roots, to his musical education in Texas honky-tonks and his flirtations with whiskey, women, and weed; from his triumph with #1 hit "Always On My Mind" to his nearly career-ending battles with debt and the IRS; and his ultimate redemption and ascension to American hero

Born and raised in the projects of Newark, NJ, Willie Joe Cunningham aspires to become a professional basketball player. Surrounded by everything from race riots to drug and alcohol abuse, Willie Joe manages to rise above his humble beginnings. Guided early by a few caring mentors, he now has to confront the issues of race and politics. After qualifying for a spot on a professional basketball team, he suffers an inury and a career setback. Willie Joe overcomes his injury, marries his college sweetheart and becomes a successful college basketball coach. He settles in suburbia. His perfect world is unsettled by the appearance of a former teammate, who implores him to come home andhelp the youth of his native city of Newark. Torn between two worlds, he finds major obstacles that include a wanting wife and an even more wanting ex-lover. Willie Joe's story concerns the search for one's own moral compass. It is everyone's story, regardless of his or her circumstances.

It is the spring of 1980, and Waynesville State University students Jeremy McCutchin and Rodney Blake have just spent two glorious weeks in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. They are returning to New York and to school when the unthinkable happens. The two best friendsone white and one blackare nearing the end of their prescribed 600-miles-per-day driving limit when they feel the new 1980 black convertible hit something on the dark stretch of county road. They investigate, see nothing, and decide the best course of action is to report the incident to the authorities. In this small town of 595 people, Jeremy and Rodney report the incident to Sheriff Relliford. He tells them there is probably nothing to worry about, but impounds their car for good measure. But the sheriff is mistaken. The boys are charged with vehicular homicide and must defend themselves in court. In this time of racial turmoil in the United States, Jeremy and Rodney fight for their freedom and come of age in a very difficult way.

Reveals the inside story of the Oklahoma City Police from 1889-1995.