Gross America

Sure, you could use your vacation days to take the family to the beach again. Or, you could plan a trip to see brains in jars, frozen dead guys, and visit a factory that makes candy-coated insects.  You can:

• head down to Houston, Texas, and walk inside a 27-foot model of the human intestinal system
• visit a Civil War battlefield embalming diorama
• head over to explorers Lewis & Clark's latrines
• look at the world's largest fungus
• visit the Museum of Jurassic Technology in Culver City
• touch the oldest human turd
• recoil from a massive human hairball that grew for seven years before it was surgically removed from the stomach of a 12-year-old girl who suffered from compulsive hair nibbling
• see the corroded mandible of a Tyrannosaurus Rex at the nation's largest natural history museum in Chicago
• visit the first funeral home to offer flameless cremation services
• make a pilgrimage to Chicago to visit America's last remaining plastic vomit factory
• journey to Cambridge, Massachusetts, to see a dog poop–fueled streetlamp
• travel to Nederland, Colorado, for “Frozen Dead Guy Days,” an annual celebration of at-home cryogenics experiments
• spend some time among the preserved human brains at Philadelphia's Mutter Museum
• take in the acclaimed cockroach dioramas of Plano, Texas

Gross America is a coast-to-coast catalog of the most grandly gross science experiments, beautifully bizarre art, and delightfully disgusting historical sites that America has to offer. Part travel atlas, part trivia guide, Gross America presents these United States as you've never seen them before—weird, wonderful, strange, and totally, utterly gross.

Standard and Primary covers are widely available through general retailers. They often have higher print runs and can be cheaper, especially during sales.

In contrast, Direct Market (DM) and variant covers are primarily sold in comic shops. DM editions tend to have more limited availability and may be more valuable to collectors.

The main differences lie in artwork style, availability, price, and collector appeal. Ultimately, the choice between standard and variant covers depends on personal preference, budget, and individual collecting goals.

Comic book enthusiasts have various formats to choose from when collecting their favorite stories.
Here's a brief overview of the main types:

Omnibus

• Large, hardcover collections
• Usually contain complete runs or extensive story arcs
• Typically 800-1000+ pages
• Higher price point, often €100-€150

Oversized Hardcover (OHC)

• Similar dimensions to omnibus, but thinner
• Collect shorter runs or story arcs
• Usually 300-600 pages
• Priced between €30-€50

Hardcover (HC)

• Standard-sized hardcover books
• Collect 6-12 issues typically
• Similar dimensions to single issues, but with a hard cover
• Priced around €25-€35

Trade Paperback (TP)

• Softcover collections
• Standard comic book size
• Usually collect 4-6 issues
• Most affordable option, typically €15-€25

Other Formats

• Absolute Editions: Oversized, deluxe hardcovers (mainly DC Comics)
• Compendiums: Massive paperback collections
• Graphic Novels (OGN/GN): Original stories not previously released as single issues

The choice between these formats often depends on personal preference, budget, and collecting goals. Omnibus and OHC editions offer larger artwork and more content but at a higher price, while TPs provide a more affordable way to collect complete story arcs