Radio Free Gahanna #1
Are you either in your mid 20’s and unsure of what to do with your life, or perhaps someone who is interested in reading stories about such things? If so, this comic is for you. If you’re perhaps one of the many people who have read more than their share of stories on that topic and are curious if this comic is more of the same or an exciting new entry to the field… I’m not sure yet. There’s promise here for something fresh and interesting, that’s for sure. Any questions you might have had about the process behind the book are happily answered by James in his intro and outro, as he details growing up being able to find other people who shared his odd tastes (thanks to the internet he didn’t have to work for it quite as much as us older fogies), his enduring love for radio as the format that introduced him to many of these oddities, and his desire to write a story about the propensity of people in their mid 20’s to either have a massive screw-up at that time in their lives or simply fail to live up to their potential. Anybody who is even mildly dissatisfied with their job or life is bound to find something to relate to in these essays, and I’m guessing that’s a good chunk of the population. Anyway, the comic is the story of Sam, a young woman who finds herself stuck at a giant megamart store after seemingly having everything her way. Still, she finds herself single (after her long term boyfriend cheated on her), directionless and so lonely that she’s even willing to chat with a creep looking for sex late at night. Her mother is worried, her friend (who is, of course, happy and traveling the world) is worried, and things are looking bleak. Then, while reading a book (I wish it was clear if it was a real book or made up), something clicks in her head, she digs up an old zine that clearly means a lot to her, and the comic ends with her meeting the man who must have put that book out years ago. Um, spoiler alert. Where it goes from there is anyone’s guess. It might turn into a cliche, or it might keep heading towards having something important to say on the subject. I’m leaning towards the second option so far but, like I said, it’s very early to make that judgment. Other things of interest in this book include album reviews for Postal Service and Death Cab For Cutie and the fact that every character is introduced with their age, dating status and favorite song listed, which I thought was a nice simple touch to meet these characters. Now as long as these two don’t fall prey to the “one or two issues and then vanish” curse of mini comics they may be onto something… $2.99
Posted by Kevin 
