When he was a young man, comics artist John Porcellino worked five seasons as an exterminator - a mosquito abatement man - and wrote about his on-the-job experiences in his award winning, self-published magazine, King-Cat Comics.

Now, La Mano collects all the Mosquito Abatement stories that first appeared in King-Cat, 1989 - 1999 (many of which have been rarely seen before) as well as 30 pages of new material done especially for this volume.

From the raw, spontaneous, punk-inspired energy of the early strips to gentler, more reflective lyricism of the later ones, Diary Of A Mosquito Abatement Man chronicles John's difficult path form a nihilistic belief in the meaninglessness of life to a deep respect for the world as it si, and an acceptance of his place in it.

'John Porcellino's comics distill, in just a few lines and words, the feeling of simply being alive.' -Chris Ware

Staff Review
This book collects the autobiographical stories dealing with Porcellino's career as a mosquito terminator that originally appeared in his long-running King-Cat Comics. Here is autobiographical comicking at its best, showing the progression from raw enthusiasm in killing mosquito larvae to, years later, the karmic (and physical) toll a career in killing (even parasitic bugs) can take on a person. Although a little on the light side (in terms of reading time), it's fun stepping inside Porcellino's world and experiencing his misadventures while not having to deal with the bee stings and mosquito bites.
-Benn Ray, Atomic Books Blog