Exit Only #1
In my eternal wishy-washiness, I always go back and forth on the mini comics: which is better, one big story per comic or a bunch of little ones? Both have their advantages, sure, but I’ve finally settled on one thing (today, anyway). I’m a big fan, with work that is new to me, of the multiple story format. It allows a much better chance to get a real feel for the talent of the people involved, instead of letting everything ride on one big story. This one has a few different stories, some funny, some not so much. First there’s an intro page, in which we get to see the writer (Matthew) as a bum and the artist (Lonnie) as an alien, and we get a brief intro of everybody else in here. The first big story here deals with life working at a gas station, talking shit to the neighboring gas station and making fun of fat people. It’s funnier than it sounds, trust me, but they go a bit overboard on the fat people. Hey, it’s America, we’ll all get to that stage, unless our hearts explode first. Next up are a few short pieces with the most useless character in the book, a mostly naked cat lady. Mostly naked, you might be saying. That doesn’t sound so bad. In theory, sure, but they milk this of any potential comedic value in three short pages. Not too many places left to go from there, and I have this cynical, sad feeling that she’ll be a money making sensation for these two in five years. Then we get to the highlight of the comic, in which the friend of a young woman lets her have it for dragging her out to be with a pair of musicians when it’s not exactly like said young women would need any help getting into their pants. Following all this is a series of short pieces (one each by Brian Cattapan and Pelcher also), mostly landing on the “funny” side of that great, subjective cosmic scale. All told it’s worth a look if you appreciate juvenile humor with some genuinely funny bits thrown in. $2
