The fourth volume of Drawn & Quarterly's collection of Yoshiharu Tsuge's stories, Oba Electroplating Factory remains as bleak as the works collected iThe fourth volume of Drawn & Quarterly's collection of Yoshiharu Tsuge's stories, Oba Electroplating Factory remains as bleak as the works collected in the previous volume, Nejishiki. I'd liked the stories contained in here to be most similar to The Man Without Talent, which serves a little like autofiction surrounding the struggles of a cartoonist in a despairing local economy. More than half the entries in Oba Electroplating Factory feature a struggling comics artist who are often held back by things outside of their ability to make art. The various featured characters frequently handle the unglamorous reality of postwar Japan, from emasculation to infidelity to sexual violence. The stories here are fairly dark, but Tsuge's stories all somehow maintain in a meditative pace and stillness that cultivates a nice easiness to them. It's apparent in one of the more lighter stories here, "Someone I Miss", which takes on the travelogue-styled storytelling from earlier volumes of this series but maintains an uneasy tension as we follow a man who grapples with the idea of cheating on his wife during a trip.
As seen with Nejishiki, Tsuge is completely unafraid of tackling more challenging themes with his stories. It's even more daring to frame these as loosely autobiographical, since very few of the characters are portrayed under a sympathetic light. Men specifically are most frequently depicted as inept and ill-qualified to deal with the harsh realities of a struggling economy, but the ire seems even more directed at male cartoonists. Women don't fare much better admittedly, but it does seem like the central theme of the stories in Oba Electroplating Factory feature a class of artist that simply can't cut it. Perhaps there's some self-admonishment at play here, but nothing here really comes off as indulging in self-pity or overindulgent either.
As with any collection of short stories, one can expect to see some variability in quality, but I have to say that Oba Electroplating Factory has no weak entry. Each story is as good as the next, and after reading through each story twice, I still can't pick a favorite out of the bunch. "Boarding House Days", the titular "Oba Electroplating Factory", "The Incident" and "Wasteland Inn" are all phenomenal short stories that highlight the artistic prowess of one of the eminent artists to grace Garo and cultivates a uniquely surreal storytelling quality that only grows more profound with time. All four volumes are worth reading, but both Nejishiki and Oba Electroplating Factory are the two clear standouts so far....more
The Con Artists is a slice-of-life comic centered on the friendship between two gay men. Primarily centered around Frank, a struggling stand-up comediThe Con Artists is a slice-of-life comic centered on the friendship between two gay men. Primarily centered around Frank, a struggling stand-up comedian, he is dragged into the various drama his friend Giorgio regularly finds himself in. Healy's prose style evokes some wry humor and wistfulness which sells the slice-of-life aspect well, but it soon becomes apparent that both friends are concealing a lot from each other. Giorgio in particular is a habitual liar, with Frank being on the receiving end of a lot of his fibs. Healy is really digging it at something complex here with the framing of their friendship, but I can't say for sure it all connects by the end. Swaths of the narrative are rather dour or even bland, which isn't helped by Healy's choice to use very minimalistic artwork for the storytelling.
As a portrait into challenging or even toxic relationships, The Con Artists is an ambitious project. But the simplistic art style combined with the at times lackluster narrative drags this down a fair bit, making for a rather dry read....more
GLEEM features three short comics by Freddy Carrasco, all distinct in story and in art. Opening with "Born Again", the story follows a young boy insidGLEEM features three short comics by Freddy Carrasco, all distinct in story and in art. Opening with "Born Again", the story follows a young boy inside a megachurch who experiences a hallucinogenic trip that unveils a true divine revelation amidst the pomp and excess that surrounds him. This is followed by the more lengthy story "Swing", which features a group of kids who seek out their old robot pal who has been decommissioned amidst a vaguely cyberpunk setting. The collection ends with "Hard Body" which explores the aftermath of a night out in the club, told almost entirely without words.
Though these three vignettes are diverse in their choice of characters and storylines, they do seem tied together by ideas of euphoria, fantastical musings and psychedelia. Freddy Carrasco also opts into a distinctively cyberpunk design throughout, with the latter two stories in particular having a noticeably Afrofuturistic design to them. There isn't any exploration of the settings in these stories however, instead the aesthetic serves to just add a layer of world-building that doesn't require further elaboration since the stories themselves don't need it. They add the right amount of flavor without begging for any exposition, which only goes to show just how refined a storyteller Carrasco is.
It's also Carrasco's artwork that impresses here. The linework has an almost shaky roughness to them, as if there was very little control towards the drawing. But it doesn't take long to realize this is the design choice and the haphazard lines are actually very clean and controlled. One doesn't have to look too hard to see the José Muñoz or Taiyō Matsumoto influences on the artwork, particularly in the way faces are drawn or in the sharp contrasts between the thin lines and the heavy blacks. But Carrasco also employs his own style of formal play as he jumps between the use of standard grid panels to more cluttered panel layouts, seen most prominently in the "Swing" story. There's also a playful switch between detail and minimalism throughout as the angular and complex designs are placed side by side with sparse backgrounds and simplistic geometric creations. GLEEM presents very confident work, and between the three stories there's plenty of diversity to appreciate Carrasco's substantial knack for storytelling....more
Part introduction of various creative writing methods employed by Lynda Barry, and part memoir of Barry's development of said techniques, What It Is pPart introduction of various creative writing methods employed by Lynda Barry, and part memoir of Barry's development of said techniques, What It Is poses a unique insight into storytelling. Substantial attention is directed towards capturing the subconscious, particularly with how it manifests in the minds of children who are less capable of using their more limited verbiage towards elaborating on their imaginations.
Barry's primary urging here is for adult writers to recapture the sensation of being a child with an overactive imagination once again, and translating that into visualization of their more formed narratives. What It Is is a great encapsulation of this idea as Barry employs her distinctive use of dense collages of illustrations, patterns and words. There are some fairly interesting autobiographical insights here to demonstrate Barry's evolution as a creative too that makes this a fascinating and illuminating read too....more
Good-Bye is my favorite of the three volume collections of Yoshihiro Tatsumi's short comics published by Drawn & Quarterly. Tatsumi's work is bleak anGood-Bye is my favorite of the three volume collections of Yoshihiro Tatsumi's short comics published by Drawn & Quarterly. Tatsumi's work is bleak and dreary, but it serves as a brutally candid reflection of the ills and vices of humanity. The stories here are even more cynical that those found in Abandon the Old in Tokyo, but Tatsumi's approach is more about understanding where suffering comes from. In stories like "Just a Man" and "Click Click Click" we see Tatsumi return to the recurring theme of his protagonists suffering from insecurities or some form of impotency (often sexual), which serves to provide an examination of the roots of their more nefarious actions. The stories of Good-Bye is comprised of many unsympathetic and unsavory characters, but in the end we always understand why they are the way they are.
One of my favorites in this collection is the opening story, "Hell", which is about a photojournalist who gains recognition for his famous photo of a scorched silhouette of a son and his mother in the aftermath of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, similar to the real life Human Shadow Etched in Stone exhibit. Decades later, the journalist learns the horrifying truth about his photo and now has to decide whether his reputation or the truth matters more. Tatsumi uses this story to deliver some truly disturbing images of the bombing aftermath in a style rivaling that of the excellent yet harrowing account from Keiji Nakazawa's I Saw It. But "Hell" is not really about the bomb itself, but more about how its sordid legacy shaped Japanese society in the decades to follow.
The titular story, "Good-Bye", is also a fantastic examination of the downtrodden perspective of Japanese society in the post-war years. Growing income inequality coupled with the American occupation lead to some pretty disastrous outcomes for many of Japan's citizens, and here we get a tale of the decayed relationship between a daughter and her father due to poverty and the impotence felt in the face of the more brazen American G.I.s who freely slept around with the locals. It's harrowing and saddening, and Tatsumi does little to sugarcoat the reality of the situation.
Good-Bye is haunting and affecting, with Tatsumi's simple yet effective cartooning capturing the needed expressiveness to convey the ideas within a short few pages. The stories here are undoubtedly bleak though undeniably a profound portrait of the human condition....more
Curses is a collection of early comics from Kevin Huizenga, centered primarily on his innocuous everyman character Glenn Ganges. A somewhat alter-ego/Curses is a collection of early comics from Kevin Huizenga, centered primarily on his innocuous everyman character Glenn Ganges. A somewhat alter-ego/avatar for Huizenga's own observations, Ganges goes through his mundane life by over-analyzing and over-interpreting everything around him which in turn crafts a rambling sequence of events that toes the lines of being fantastical and surreal. It's a creative approach to storytelling and Huizenga is the master of blending the mundane with the heightened fantasies of the imagination. Coupled with his simple yet expressive cartooning and inventive formal play, Huizenga is rightfully considered an icon within the alternative/independent American comics landscape.
The various strips here features Ganges' musings about general observations - an absurdist filtration of Huizenga's own insight into various ideas. Because of this approach, the Ganges stories are fairly genre-defying as they can dip into fantasy, sci-fi, horror all whilst maintaining a whimsical tone. Adding to the mix is Huizenga's depiction of the monotony of life in suburban America, an underlying baseline from which each story begins. But Huizenga is comfortable with shifting the setting rapidly, and the Ganges stories provide an easy outlet towards more eclectic backdrops. Stories like the opener "Green Tea", "28th Street" and "Case 0003128-24" are remarkable ventures into experimental comics that truly capture the imagination.
Not all stories here are homeruns though, as plenty find themselves mired in the rambling musings of Ganges' thoughts. The writing as such can be clunky by design, which isn't always the most fun to get through. Those kinds of stories feel less prevalent in Huizenga's latter works, but here with stories like "The Curse" and "Not Sleeping Together" feel more underdeveloped than actually avant-garde. His latter comics manage to strike the balance of stream-of-consciousness storytelling with the witty humor and surrealism a lot better for sure. Still, Curses is a great foray into the minds of one of the better alternative cartoonists working today....more
Making Comics is Lynda Barry's innovative approach towards instruction, one that varies substantially from the type of material one would expect aboutMaking Comics is Lynda Barry's innovative approach towards instruction, one that varies substantially from the type of material one would expect about storytelling via sequential art. Barry is less interested in formal story structures and narrative devices, nor does she want to breakdown the formalisms the way it has been done in works like McCloud's Understanding Comics. Instead, Barry's approach here is very refreshing as she lays out exercises for aspiring cartoonists to visualize connectivity between images and ideas as opposed to constraining the creative process to more rigid formalism. It's an inspired approach to education, and makes Making Comics a worthwhile time even for those who aren't looking into working as a cartoonist as well....more
Hot Dog Taste Test is a collection of food related gags from Lisa Hanawalt, a cartoonist with a knack for taking everyday observations and spinning thHot Dog Taste Test is a collection of food related gags from Lisa Hanawalt, a cartoonist with a knack for taking everyday observations and spinning them into silly yet witty takes. Most gags are a page long in length, but there's a great amount of variety to keep this a riveting read for the entire duration. It's a visually inviting smorgasbord with fantastic use of color and some pretty funny jokes, ranging from dry sarcasm, deadpan and juvenile. Humor is of course subjective, but for me Hot Dog Taste Test works more often than not....more
This is a collection of a young Yoshihiro Tatsumi's shorter comics, with key emphasis on short. Many of these stories are under 8 pages in length, butThis is a collection of a young Yoshihiro Tatsumi's shorter comics, with key emphasis on short. Many of these stories are under 8 pages in length, but Tatsumi's storytelling is incredibly economical with the use of simple layouts and sparse prose but still manages to push heavy themes with each entry. The brevity does at times lead to some fairly unsatisfactory conclusions though this is easily seen as Tatsumi's intent. The stories here are a bleak portrayal of life in Japan, echoing the feelings harbored by many Japanese during this era. A lot of the stories in The Push Man and Other Stories deal in unsatisfactory sexual relationships which spiral into more sordid and darker places. The crippled working class is another common theme amongst these stories, depicting the post-war Japan as a meatgrinder in which the less privileged are churned into nothingness. It's an exposed look at reality, and Tatsumi is the foremost of the pioneers to handle this kind of literary storytelling in the medium.
A criticism here is that the major viewpoint is male, and Tatsumi does little to empathize with the plight of women in the stories here. It wouldn't have been too noticeable in a longer form story, but when reading an anthology and the majority of stories include male protagonists with rather misogynic predilections, it does emerge as an observable pattern. This doesn't diminish the work in my eyes though, as it is important to contextualize how misogyny would have permeated the middle classes of Japan, but it can also make for a bit of a grating experience when read cover to cover. Additionally, if you can't bear unlikable protagonists, Tatsumi's work here will probably weigh down on you significantly....more
Guy Delisle takes on parenting with this humorous little graphic novel. It's more of a guide on what not to do, complete with detailed examples. LooseGuy Delisle takes on parenting with this humorous little graphic novel. It's more of a guide on what not to do, complete with detailed examples. Looser and sketchier than his typical travelogue fare, A User's Guide to Neglectful Parenting takes numerous situations whereby common parenting techniques can come off as awkward and even downright neglectful. As someone who typically doesn't vibe with Delisle's brand of humor, I was pleasantly surprised that the jokes here landed more often than not. But most of the gags here are pretty mild, silly observations that don't really captivate much outside of the seconds spent reading it. It's a fun enough time, but lacks the staying power of Delisle's more prominent works....more
Guy Delisle deviates from his more lighter travelogue styled graphic novels to instead recount the lengthy detention of Christophe André in Chechnya. Guy Delisle deviates from his more lighter travelogue styled graphic novels to instead recount the lengthy detention of Christophe André in Chechnya. An administrator for Doctors Without Borders, André was abducted when in an NGO office in Igushetia in 1997. The men who storm the office claim to be police, but André soon realizes something is off when he's hauled off in a car and detained in a barely furnished room. Cuffed to a radiator, André tries to appeal to his captors but is only met with silence. He's fed once a day, allowed to use the bathroom under gunpoint only, and given nothing to help pass the time. André is initially hopeful that he'll be released shortly, but the captivity soon turns from days into a period spanning just over three months.
What was really impressive about Delisle's retelling of André's testimony is the ability to sell the monotony of the captivity without making the book feel monotonous on its own. André's days are filled with just isolation and meandering musings about the scant objects in the room, but with the occasional ripple of trepidation as to what is going to happen each time the abductors enter the room. Much of the graphic novel is set purely in this tiny room, which makes this all that more impressive that Delisle is able to retain a sense of tension throughout. What I really liked what Delisle's use of muted color to emphasize the dreary conditions under which André spent his near hundred days of captivity in. The tidy, clean lines also add to the spare setting really well.
This is a very different kind of memoir in that very little about Christophe André is really revealed in the telling. All we get are his thoughts in the moment and his brief interactions with the captors, but otherwise we don't really know much about how André held up after his time as a hostage. The afterword mentions that André continued to work in troubled areas for nearly two decades following this harrowing period in Chechnya, which seems exceptionally brave but also feels like an odd ending beat considering how traumatic this event must have been. It's an interesting approach to a story about a person's experiences, but I quite liked how unconcerned it was about exploring André as a person since it probably wasn't relevant to the situation here....more
Abandon the Old in Tokyo is a collection of downbeat, bleak and surreal short comics from gekiga pioneer Yoshihiro Tatsumi. He made a name for himselfAbandon the Old in Tokyo is a collection of downbeat, bleak and surreal short comics from gekiga pioneer Yoshihiro Tatsumi. He made a name for himself by crafting stories that question the status quo of societal norms in Japan and mirror the disillusionment that many felt towards the direction of the country in the post-war years. Collected here are eight stories that vary in genre and tone, but generally uphold a bit of a downtrodden yet surreal atmosphere.
"Occupied" follows a cartoonist who struggles to find success and companionship whilst he toils away making children's comics. After undergoing some digestive issues and spending time on a public toilet, he notices a series of raunchy illustrations and lewd inscriptions. Deciding to take on mature comics instead, the cartoonist finds his second wind and begins to find more success in this new field. But true to Tatsumi's ironic stylings, the situation turns into a bit of a monkey's paw circumstance.
The titular "Abandon the Old in Tokyo" follows, and this was my favorite in the collection. Our mostly silent protagonist goes about his daily routine working a menial job and coming home to be yelled at by his invalid mother or to his fiancée who routinely pushes to advance their relationship deeper. Though he remains patient through this, cracks begin to emerge and he soon takes actions that set forth an irreversible course of events.
Other great stories here include "The Washer" which follows a window cleaner who becomes privy to the adulterous relations between the building executive and an unlikely partner. "The Hole" is a genuine horror tale that follows a hiker who gets trapped by a mysterious woman with a horrifying appearance in the middle of the woods. "Forked Road" examines the differing paths taken by childhood friends all rooted from their initial sexual experiences.
The stories are all distinct enough from each other to see Tatsumi's ambitious storytelling scope, but they do tend to go for all the vices of human nature. Sex, anger, jealousy, impotence, isolation and pride are all prevalent across these eight stories, but they all feel realistic enough to evoke a level of despair in the reader. It's critical examination of the human condition and done in the stylish yet simple aesthetic so carefully cultivated by Tatsumi. Highly recommend this....more
The problem I often find with Guy Delisle comics is that I find him to be a masterful illustrator but struggles to construct an interesting enough narThe problem I often find with Guy Delisle comics is that I find him to be a masterful illustrator but struggles to construct an interesting enough narrative to keep my interest beyond the first few pages. When he muses on other people that I find his stories to be more interesting, but in the case of Factory Summers where Delisle spends most of his time recounting his own time working at a paper mill factory during the summers as a high schooler that I was completely bored. I love learning about industrial plants since I've worked in my own fair share, but something about Delisle's descriptions on the ins and outs of paper milling was rather bland. There is a subplot surrounding Delisle's desire to connect with his distant father more through the job, but it feels barely established.
The cartooning is strong as always and he's able to weave in his fair share of visual gags to keep my interest, but overall I was this to be a mostly dry read that doesn't really feel as informative as Delisle's other works....more
Nick Maandag's sense for absurdism is pretty unmatched and is on full display with Harvey Knight's Odyssey. A collection of three short comics, MaandaNick Maandag's sense for absurdism is pretty unmatched and is on full display with Harvey Knight's Odyssey. A collection of three short comics, Maandag employs his very rote style of drawing which focuses on simple yet striking designs. It's very effective cartooning since it gets the stories across easily, even if it isn't the most visually engaging type of art. It might take a little while to settle into Maandag's pared down vision, but once you do the visual gags are unmatched. Comedy is largely about the timing, and Maandag's ability to control the punchline payoffs with his panel layouts is well worth investigating. It's uncanny how easily he can implement pauses, reveals and cutaways with a static format like comics, and achieving the ability to drive stories with rather perplexing premises further than they really should be able to go.
Opening with "The Plunge", we follow an office worker who tires of drinking Tim Hortons coffee everyday and decides to invest in a French press for his cubicle. It perks the interest of his neighboring coworker and the pair begin to observe the daily routine of the plunge of the French press. The routine soon becomes a tradition within the office as more coworkers come by the desk to observe "the plunge" and it spirals into becoming an in-joke within the company. The mundane quality to the routine is the real gag of this comic since otherwise the entire story is set up to be anti-climactic which really highlights the potent absurdism of the whole situation. This was easily my favorite of the entire collection.
The second story is the titular "Harvey Knight's Odyssey", which is a sprawling tale involving a power grab within a cult living community that worship tanning beds. The narrative is much more random as we follow the characters across a musical theater, a talk show and a pet grooming salon while the main character mulls over the ability to take over the cult from the current leader. It's really silly but funny throughout, and as it progresses the story only gets weirder and funnier.
The final story is "Full Day", which is a return to the office humor of "The Plunge", but wasn't quite as strong. It follows a man - who incidentally looks exactly like the main character from "The Plunge" - as he goes through an entire work day and deals with increasingly more bizarre requests. The job itself seems like its filled with standard tedious workplace tasks like scanning documents and writing reports, but Maandag manages to weave in suspense as the tasks get weirder. It's funny for sure, but lacks the heightened absurdism of the first two stories to really feel as satisfying.
All in all, a really funny collection of comics by a cartoonist who has such a polished sense of comedic timing....more
Guy Delisle's travelogue styled graphic novel, Jerusalem, takes the cartoonist to the Holy City. This isn't really delivered with any through-line narGuy Delisle's travelogue styled graphic novel, Jerusalem, takes the cartoonist to the Holy City. This isn't really delivered with any through-line narrative, and instead poses a lot of Delisle's musings and observations in his time living in and around Israel. While much of Delisle's time in Jerusalem are filled with curious little observations, the more potent parts involve the accounting of things like Arab segregation and checkpoints across the region. Though Delisle's flighty tone can be rather annoying to read at times, I do feel like his style lends towards making some salient points here. There is no direct criticism here for any side nor any such political statements, just pure observational commentary that does make this an interesting work amidst the broader body of more highly politicized literature about the subject of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict....more
A collection of reprinted strips which mostly revolve around the nature and the complicated relationship humans have with it. Formatted somewhat like A collection of reprinted strips which mostly revolve around the nature and the complicated relationship humans have with it. Formatted somewhat like a textbook or bestiary, but in comic form, and with apropos to fictional television programs like the titular "Wild Kingdom" complete with commercial breaks, this represents one of Huizenga's more creatively designed books. A chunk of the strips feature the everyman character Glenn Ganges who observes the consequences of an industrialized society's impact on the animal world and nature, but the stories themselves lack the innovative dream-like quality to many of the other Ganges stories. A lot of The Wild Kingdom is composed of wordless strips with sparse designs, which does act as a bit of a contrast to Huizenga's other works that feature more unique compositions.
The commercial sequences are the strongest aspect to the book which does nail the themes of societal segregation from their natural surroundings. These portions work as biting satire of contemporary marketing while also highlighting the growing gap between man and nature. The jokes are fairly funny, though it's the underlying grimness of the reality that gives the book an overall absurdist edge to it. Huizenga's ability to mix his clean, aesthetic designs with abstract and offbeat narratives has always been impressive, and though it isn't quite as sharp here, it mostly lands well....more
The more grounded version of Huizenga's Ganges stories continue with the sequel series, Fielder. Stories in this issue include a sequel to "The River The more grounded version of Huizenga's Ganges stories continue with the sequel series, Fielder. Stories in this issue include a sequel to "The River at Night" along with other Ganges-centric stories. Highlights of this issue include the mock-autobiographic piece, "The Body of Work Keeps the Score", and a WWI set comic entitled "All the Hills and Vales Along." While I wish there was more of his "Bona" stories from the first issue, the Ganges bits in here are top notch as expected. Though these stories tend to be a more lucid compared to the dreamlike stories in Ganges, Huizenga still maintains a bit of the off-kilter sentiment that he has perfected at this point....more
A collection of many of Tadao Tsuge's contributions to the Garo anthology magazine, Trash Market features Tsuge's slice-of-life stories. Unlike the moA collection of many of Tadao Tsuge's contributions to the Garo anthology magazine, Trash Market features Tsuge's slice-of-life stories. Unlike the more traditional slice-of-life comics, Tsuge employs a more bleak and fairly dark tone throughout. The titular story is perhaps the most evocative of the lot, where the poor are shown selling their blood to a blood bank - an experience that Tsuge had first hand during his time working for a blood bank. Seen through the lens of a struggling artist makes the various stories found in Trash Market make a bit more sense, but it was a bit of a struggle to get through the collection. I really like Tsuge's rather loose and crude artwork since it does retain a stylish component to it, but the overall unrefined look doesn't really feel too engaging after a few entries. Though it isn't the strongest gekiga collection out, there is a fair amount of interesting perspectives explored here and the complexity of Tsuge's outlook is best contextualized with the help of Ryan Holmberg's excellent essays....more
A chronicle of the waning days of the Weimar Republic in the early 1930s to the rising spread of fascism that came when the Nazis came into power, BerA chronicle of the waning days of the Weimar Republic in the early 1930s to the rising spread of fascism that came when the Nazis came into power, Berlin is a masterclass in the exploration of the labor movements and cultural upheavals during this pivotal time in German history. Despite the nebulous sodomy laws of the time, Berlin became known as the queer capital of the world, which is explored via Lutes' inclusion of two major LGBT characters. Though the cultural shifts in attitudes were a slow bleeding experience, the sudden popularity of Hitler marks a surprise for much of the general population - a tragic fall for a more liberated society.
Berlin is undeniably a story about the city for which the graphic novel is named for, but the story unfolds with three major characters at its core. Though they are all unique people with differing views on society, they present a united front of what makes the city so special. Marthe Müller presents closely the fates and fortunes of the city of Berlin, who arrives when the city is at its cultural zenith. Reveling in the liberation of big city life, she soon comes to lament the crumbling freedoms as political polarization begins to take root. Other characters like Berlin natives Sylvie and Kurt are highlighted for the tragedy that engulfs them as the Nazis begin to erode the arts and journalism industries.
Though the pacing at times is a bit of an issue - Lutes really wants to pack in as much information as humanly possible - it ultimately didn't have much of a bearing of my enjoyment of this. The cartooning is masterfully executed from the individual cobblestones and bricks that piece together the iconic architecture of the city, to capturing the tragic moments as idealism and liberty is eroded away. This is elegantly dense in both story and art, making Berlin one of those rare comics that rewards multiple readings. Working as a great period piece that also explores the nature of society, this is nothing short of a masterpiece. One of the all time great works in this medium without a doubt....more
Huizenga's Ganges anthology represents every jumbled thought that races through your brain in the moments before the sleep sets in. Frenetic is pacingHuizenga's Ganges anthology represents every jumbled thought that races through your brain in the moments before the sleep sets in. Frenetic is pacing and design, Huizenga was able to tap into some pretty innovative space for storytelling by placing his everyman, Glenn Ganges, into extraordinary situations. Following this series up comes an update to the idea in the form of Fielder. Still mostly an anthology following Ganges, the few stories in here feel more like the semi-coherent thoughts that slowly creep in when you first wake up from a deep slumber. These aren't as out there as the stories found in Ganges, but still have some semblance of a loose but familiar logic to it.
The first story in here is about "Bona", a riff on old, anachronistic sci-fi comics featuring cavemen/Neanderthals and dinosaurs. Mostly playing off of Sam Glanzman's "Kona", "Bona" follows the bizarre adventures of a Neanderthal hero while also employing some meta-commentary on the history of comics. The "Bona" stories are alternated with the continuing adventures of Glenn Ganges from the previous series, but the stories here are much more rooted in the disorientation Glenn experiences after waking up from a deep slumber, resulting in a bit more of a grounded feel to them. The final story in here is "My Career in Comics" which is a satirical retelling of Huizenga's own career through Glenn's perspective. It's clearly not autobiographical, but Huizenga is poking fun at the idea of making something self-adulating here. Brilliant as always, but it's really the fantastic, innovative artwork that makes Huizenga's work so special....more
Loading...
