December 1, 2011
Website for Giulie
Website for Cecilia
By the Slice
Job hunting! I’ve been doing that myself lately and it is some demoralizing shit. This starts off with a young woman (Gwen) looking for work online and sending out her resume. She gets a call back the next day and gets hired on as a cashier at a pizza place. There wouldn’t be much of a comic if that was the whole story, so she also lucks out and gets a racist asshole of a boss. Not the hood wearing kind of racist, just the kind that has assumptions about entire ethnic backgrounds based on a few bad experiences. So Gwen puts up with it for awhile, as she doesn’t have much choice in the matter and most jobs are shitty anyway, before things finally come to a head. It’s a nice little story, with her friends trying to get her through some of the nonsense and all kinds of examples of the casual racism that always makes Fox News viewers get an odd look on their face when they’re called on it, like it’s impossible for it to be true. I do have one small bone to pick, and it’s a bit of a spoiler, so watch out if you don’t care for such things. In fact, just stop reading now, as the art for this is fantastic and it’s a fun little story, so you should give it a shot, in case that’s what you were wondering about. OK, so the book ends with Gwen having a nice chat with her boss, as she feels bad about quitting the way that she did. He’d been built up as a (rightly) bad guy up until that point, and I didn’t feel the need for the burst of sympathy there, but maybe that’s just my cold, cold heart talking. No price, so $3 maybe?
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Posted by Kevin
November 30, 2011
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Blink: So Far
I’m never entirely sure what to talk about in collected editions of comics that I’ve already reviewed individually. It’s a good chance to update Max’s contact information anyway, so there’s that. This collection seems to cover Blink #1-4 (but maybe not every bit of them), and some of the newer stuff isn’t included, like his “FYI: IDK” mini, which is sorely missed. But some newer stuff IS included, so this is essentially an entirely new book and I’ll go with that. Either way, a collection like this is a good chance to revisit older stuff and see both how it holds up and how it holds together as a cohesive whole. Well, Blink defies the latter kind of analysis because it’s a series of moments and conversations, not the entirety of a depicted life. I’ve always loved the fact that this is a comic about three people in Columbus (two girls and a guy, although mostly about the two girls for this collection) and we’re not bombarded with relationship nonsense or much in the way of serious drama. These are mostly the moments between those bigger moments, and I’m glad that Max has spent a good chunk of his last 7 years pointing those moments out. As for how it holds up, it holds up pretty damned well. The earliest pages show that he’s improved in the years since, but it’s not like he was terrible even back then. And if you haven’t read any of his individual issues of Blink, you’ve finally waited long enough to have most of it in one collection (although I’d still recommend finding the uncollected minis). Stories in here include stopping to enjoy a moment on a playground during a nice day, Sam bouncing crossword clues off Blink (even though Blink is terrible at it, their back and forth seems to lead Sam to the right answers), Sam talking Blink through some writing anxiety, Blink playing in the snow to avoid dealing with said writing problems, the two of them going to a poetry reading (although all we see is them talking about with a punchline from an observed conversation, which again perfectly sums up the charm of the book), the two of them staring at the stars and talking, a conversation around a campfire with the three of them, and Hank and Blink talking about Hank’s fear of lightning. The biggest story here is also probably my favorite, as Sam meets Hank for the first time and takes him to task for not understanding the blues. The back of the book says that this is a book about the three of them, but really it’s about the two ladies and their friendship. No big space battles, no mutants of any kinds (although those squirrels were making some very strange noises, so no guarantees), just regular old solid conversations. And images of Columbus spread out throughout the pieces, which tied it all together. I liked the minis, so of course I like the collection too, but people who haven’t read it yet should definitely give it a try. Or hell, even if you have read them and just want a nicer edition for your bookshelf. $10
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Posted by Kevin
November 29, 2011
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King Cat #72
I know I’ve said this before in these reviews, but why in the world isn’t John Porcellino rich and famous? Granted, you could say that very few people from this business end up rich and famous, and even those people are only famous in an underground kind of way (there’s Robert Crumb, Dan Clowes, and…), but it’s a fucking shame. I mention this because John talks about his recent divorce, his moving to Florida for another relationship and then having that fall apart too, ending up with him in a small town on the Illinois/Wisconsin border. At every step of the way there are money concerns, ending up with him living with his mother for a while, and it’s just maddening to me. I know that nobody is owed anything in this world, but quality like this should get some tangible rewards. So what did I think of the comic? You’re kidding, right? This is #72Â of the series, my love for this thing is well established by now. This issue starts off with John with a shattered heart, follows him along a walk with a conclusion that makes you ache for the guy, before eventually ending up with him in his new home. He does a few pages of three panel journal strips (which may or may not be the first time he’s done this, my memory is too lousy to be sure) that show his life slowly getting better, then a big ending story about a bat that wandered into his house, how his cats reacted and how the situation was ended. There’s also a story about a very young John on LSD and how he asks a sister of a friend to marry him. That goes about as well as you’d expect. Every time I think he must have already mined all of the great stories from his youth, I realize that he still has plenty more to go. Another solid issue, and seriously, if there is even one rich person reading this with money to burn on the holidays: just give him a pile of money, OK? For the rest of you, buy his comics. He just finished illustrating a book called The Next Day (which involves interviews with four suicide survivors) and has another book coming out from Drawn & Quarterly next year, one of which would make an excellent holiday gift, and the other (when it comes out) will make an excellent Easter gift. If it’s out by then, of course, if not it’ll make a good whatever day it comes out gift.
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Posted by Kevin
November 28, 2011
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Stranger Two Stranger #2
I’m so happy that Robert decided to keep going with this. Sure, it’s a simple concept: illustrating the best/oddest Craigslist personal ads, which he started doing after being inspired by the “I Saw You…” anthology edited by Julia Wertz (which I’ve been meaning to review for ages now). Still, the guy has the judgement needed to pick out some of the best ads, which goes a long way in a book like this. Ads that he adapted include the one I sampled below (and it’s always a bit dicey to start the book with the best ad, as that gives you a lot to live up to in later pages), a tube of scabies medicine left over after a hookup (and the desire to see the person again anyway), a regretful ad about a guy who died before the poster got to say good-bye, trying to get in contact with the guy with the webbed feet from the gym shower, a helpful letter to the ladies about the power of their boobs, missed connections from being a faithful husband, a tiny bearded man, a lady in a freezer, and a flasher showing up at the wrong house. There are also a couple poems, one a little heartbreaking and one a bit of a mess. His illustrations really bring out the emotions of these ads, and three cheers to the man for keeping this up. $2
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Posted by Kevin
November 18, 2011
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Kid Space Heater
Is it possible to smack a scanner into compliance? I imagine it actually involves learning how to work the thing and fixing it that way, but all these images being too large to put on my website (when they’re nothing of the sort) is getting on my nerves. Luckily I found another cover image online, not that you needed to know any of that, but I ramble even more than usual on Fridays. Kid Space Heater! A look at that cover would give you one impression for this book, and that impression would almost certainly be wrong. Things start off with the prospective lead character leaping from a plane. Why he was dropping was never fully explained, but his parachute didn’t open and he ended up as a splat on the pavement, so it’s a moot point. I also have to mention the fact that the pilots were an alligator wearing sunglasses and what looked like a mountain goat, purely because that image was wonderful to behold. So five pages in we have a dead hero and pedestrians are looting his body. Among these looters is a kid who touches a cube. This cube tries explaining what it is to the child, who couldn’t care less about long explanations and whines about it until he is let out of the training course. Unfortunately a couple of thugs are coming to steal the cube and the cube talks the kid into shooting the thugs. Or maybe they were nice people? Again, never explained, and I loved the ambiguity. The kid had no interest in becoming a killer, but the gun tricked him into it, which leads to the rest of the issue and a few more of his adventures (told in short, highlight reel-like fashion) before ending the same way that it started: with a leap from a plane. Fantastic shit all around, with Josh’s skills really shining through with some of those intricate and ridiculous backgrounds. Only real haters of anything to do with science fiction should avoid picking this one up, and even those people should probably at least give it a shot. No price, but it’s hefty so…$6!
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Posted by Kevin
November 17, 2011
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It’s a Man’s Life in the Ice Cream Business #1
OK, maybe not the catchiest title in the world, but a new comic from Rob is always welcome around these parts. In this one he says he’s going “back to basics” and tells the story of how he quit his job and what he’s doing for cash these days. Things start off with a few pages of very simple, Austin English-esque pencil drawings explaining his motivation for quitting his pointless job and trying to sell ice cream at outdoor markets for a living. Once he starts telling that story the art shifts back to his usual, tighter style, and we get reports about the 21 markets he attended to start his new career. There’s a second issue coming, so we’ll see what happens next, but this tells a familiar story of fits and starts as he tries to get things going. Weather is key to selling ice cream (hot days are obviously the best), and he also has a lousy time of it during the early hours (nobody wants ice cream for breakfast). From there he tries to come up with unique ice cream flavors to make himself stand out, and when the weather gets lousy he branches out into selling cheese and some local delicacies. The key to the success of his ice cream operation seems to be selling it in hot places and/or locations where other events are occurring. I had an idea to help with his early morning problem: why not try more breakfast oriented ice creams? Granted, this is almost certainly going to sound ridiculous, but you could probably whip some ice cream up that would taste vaguely of pancakes. That and the world is just waiting for a bacon ice cream flavor. See, this is why I don’t go into business for myself, I’d spend all my time coming up with inedible flavors that made me curious. Another solid comic from Rob and I’m curious to see what happens next. Looks like the next issue is going to have some interesting scenes, as who wouldn’t want to see a fight between ice cream makers and cupcake makers? No price, so my random guess of the day is $4.
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Posted by Kevin
November 16, 2011
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Bizarre Love Triangle
Check any expectations you may have for happy endings here at the door. Ah, my favorite kind of comic, the one that doesn’t pander to anybody or let them off the hook with some happy nonsense when reality would go in an entirely different direction. This is the story of a man and his tiger as they spend a day shooting a movie. Or maybe it’s a commercial? Anyway, the tiger is needed for one shot, the actress (who the guy has a serious crush on) is nervous at first, but the guy talks her down and they get their footage. The tiger is docile as can be, but there is an incident where a photographer flashes in the tiger’s face, which could potentially set it off. The actress decides that she needs more shots with the tiger, the tiger is called back (against the better judgment of the man, but he does have his crush to think about), the photographers are again warned not to use flash photography, and things get ugly from there. It’s another solid mini from Luis in a constantly growing pile of solid minis. At this point I’d have trouble telling people which mini to get from this guy to check out his work and would instead recommend just sending him enough money for him to send you several comics. Hell, you can even let him pick which ones. So far I see no indication that you would be disappointed, unless he has a secret stash of lousy mini comics somewhere…
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Posted by Kevin
November 14, 2011
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Rabies Babies
I’m clearly getting way too cynical in my old age if I read a lighthearted story about a baby with rabies and am disappointed when that’s not what was actually happening all along. Spoilers! Or maybe I’m lying, or maybe Mary was lying in the comic. Still, after that excellent (and apparently hand-made) cover, I was looking forward to some baby mayhem. Things start off with a baby who has been left alone in the woods, a fact that is never explained (which makes it much funnier). An ominous shadow approaches and it turns out to be a raccoon… who quickly befriends the baby and they have a very nice afternoon together. The parents (represented by pairs of legs, like all good parents in comics or cartoons should be) eventually remember that they have a baby in the woods and come to pick it up, and the trouble begins when they blindly drop the baby off at daycare. She finishes things off in a way that is probably a good defense against people who would call her a monster for even making a comic called “Rabies Babies,” but those are the types of people who will never be satisfied anyway. If nothing else this is worth buying just to leave it lying around your apartment for the horrified gasps you’ll get from any recent parents, but it doesn’t hurt a bit that there’s also a funny (if short) comic in here too. No idea on price, but contact Mary and I’m sure she’ll lead you through it.
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Posted by Kevin
November 10, 2011
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Dodo Comics #2
Does everybody out there know of Sergio Leone? I know that this is going to sound like a stupid question to everybody over 35 or so (I hope), but I don’t know how much the youth of today know their film history, and christ do I feel stupid saying “youth of today.” Anyway, Sergio Leone directed a few of the more famous spaghetti westerns (and who know what a spaghetti western is… aw, forget it) of all time, and the first story of this book is a silent tribute to his film technique. Before certain dramatic moments, like a gunfight, you’d see a series of quick cuts between the eyes of the gunfighters, the fingers twitching near the triggers, a bead of sweat slowly rolling down one of their faces, all that stuff needed to build tension without having to beat you over the head with it. Grant does a really nice job of conveying that feeling although, if I’m being honest, that last panel was a bit of a mess. Still, everything leading up to it was nicely done. The comic takes a turn from there to deal with the remaining three stories, and I don’t mean that in a bad way. There’s a piece about Grant’s early years with his first nude models (and how one of the ladies loved talking to the college artists with her robe wide open), a comic pantoum story (with tricky reading of the panels required) dealing with going to see an ex singing, and a nice little story with the devil trying to trick a hermit. A nice mix of stories, and there’s even a funny panel on the back showing Grant trying to draw comics while surrounded by his two baby daughters. It’s a solid comic and I’m enjoying his willingness to mix things up with his stories. Hey, that’s why these things have more than one story each, right? $3
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Posted by Kevin
November 9, 2011
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King For a Day
Silent comics! If I scared you away, you should come back and finish the review. This one is fantastic, not one of those silent comics where you have to try and figure out whether it actually meant something that you missed or whether the point of it was to mean nothing all along, which would mean that your first impression was correct. Anyway, this is the story of a man who goes out for a stroll to start his day. He waves to a girl he likes (who barely acknowledges his existence), gets crapped on by a bird, gets laughed at by some kids due to the aforementioned crapping, and finally trips over a rock while chasing the kids and knocking himself out. From there we get into “is it a dream?” land (yes), as he’s woken up by a song leading him to a crown halfway buried in the ground. He puts the crown on his head, undergoes a brief metamorphosis, and that’s when things start to get crazy. From this point on everybody treats him like a king, collecting other items that add to his regal appearance, including some kind of royal holy book. Things start to get a bit ugly later when the book… ah, but now I’m saying too much. The question of whether or not the whole thing was a dream does come up again later, and there is a damned sweet panel to finish things off, but I’m not going to tell you what happens. I can rarely “hear” most panels of a silent book, but Robert has done an excellent job of letting the readers know exactly what you’re listening to in each panel, which is also an impressive feat when there are no words involved. If you’re a fan of comics that improve your day, you should give this one a try. No price listed and it’s brand new, so… $3?
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Posted by Kevin
