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Hahn, Richard – Lumakick #2
Lumakick #2
Just in case anybody thought the first book was a fluke somehow, this second issue proves otherwise. The best thing about Richard is that, two issues in, it’s already almost impossible to compare him to anybody else. Sure, there are brief moments when the art looks like that one guy, or a phrase will sound like that other guy, but they were so brief and so tiny that I have to wonder now if I was just trying to find somebody, anybody, to compare him to for the sake of the review. Can’t be done, I’m afraid. In here you have longing, love, wandering, representations and then, like last time, the comic relief of Clemenza and Tessio. They were all clumped together this time instead of being spread out after each story in the last book, which I think frankly was a better setup. One man’s opinion, that’s all that is. If you somehow missed #1, even with everybody talking about it, well, you have no excuses this time. If you ever sit by yourself just to think, or wonder about the universe and everything in it, read this comic. The price is a bit hefty at $5.95, but it’s also a pretty hefty book, and you won’t spend that money on a better comic this year. Contact info is up there!
Hahn, Richard – Lumakick #1
Lumakick #1
I’m suspicious of this book. I don’t mean that in a negative way, but supposedly this is the first comic by Richard. The thing is that it’s one of the best things I’ve seen all year, and I’m writing this on the last day of 2002. Precise, meticulous artwork combined with stories that just sing, whether or not they have words… It’s an incredible accomplishment. Three cheers to the good people at the Xeric Foundation for giving this man as much money as he needed to do this. What’s the comic about? Well, there are several stories in it. Some silent, some not. There are stories about insomnia, loneliness, love, poetry… Mostly everything worth writing about. And then there are the one page strips with Clemensa and Tessio, perfectly timed comedic breaks for when things get too serious. Go to his website, see just about the best art I’ve seen all year and buy this book.
English, Austin – Windy Corner Magazine #1
Windy Corner Magazine #1 edited by Austin English Now Available! $10
For the curious: in this series I reviewed #2, then #3, and now finally #1. I plan on reviewing future issues out of order as well (if I get more than one of them at a time) just for the hell of it. Sure it’s a stupid way to go about it, especially as this issue details exactly what Austin hopes to get out of the artist interviews (he wants artists to interview artists about, um, artsy thing, which makes it especially impressive that all three of them have all been equally accessible to somebody like me, who is decidedly not an artist), and also has the beginning of the story of Francis. Austin was also against using punctuation in most of these strips, which has the disquieting effect of making everything seem like a deeply relevant run-on sentence. Anyway, stories in here include Francis parts 1-4 (involving losing the money for dinner, Francis finding a suspicious letter in his dad’s coat pocket (and showing it to his mother), buying toys and eking out a living, and Francis selling some of his art), Austin showing us a few of his earliest memories, some painting by Paula Salemme, Austin interviewing Andrice Arp (if the name doesn’t sound familiar, trust me, if you read small press comics you’ll recognize the art), a story of actually learning something in art school by Steve Lafler, and a wordless piece by Richard Hahn, who should really finish the next issue of Lumakick already. Unless he’s just working on other stuff that I’ve missed, which is entirely possible. I still think #2 is the best of the bunch, but that’s probably just because I’m so biased towards that Onsmith/John Hankiewicz interview. Still, there’s not a bad issue here, I just hope the price tag doesn’t scare people off. $10
