E-MAIL THE AUTHOR

Breakdowns -- Shake the Sugar Down

October 24, 2002

The trio of crows swooped and rose, swooped and rose, but there was never enough time between cars to snatch the meat from the road.

A while ago, a marketing coordinator from one of the major publishers described my writing in this column as “sometimes harsh, but ultimately fair and pretty insightful.” I’ll leave the last adjective for others to judge, but I do know that the first one is sometimes true, and the second a goal I think I attain most of the time. Not last week, however.

Last week, I was both harsh and, at times, unfair. As some probably guessed, the “Shame, Shame, Shame” piece in last week’s column started out as pretty clearly a slam of columnist and comics reviewer Matt Fraction, who has this year made the transition to comics writer with REX MANTOOTH and some upcoming projects. I took great issue with a line in one of his recent POPLIFE work journal entries, “I’m so bored with Western comics I could scream.” It seemed ridiculous to me for him to say such a thing, as he is a Western comics writer himself and extols the virtues of more Western than Eastern comics on his review site. I didn’t know Matt enough to be more than annoyed by this, but it was the catalyst to put a lot of my feelings about the various hang-ups and dimensions of “shame” that I see in comics readers, creators, editors and publishers. The piece turned out all right; it was way too ambitious and I only got maybe 80% where I wanted to, not to mention that some thoughts were muddled or incomplete (I happen to like Viz and ComicsOne a lot, and inadvertently lumped them in with a dismissal of Tokyopop, which I must confess I haven’t read that much of, anyway.). Anyway, the main message of the piece was that while there are many superlative works coming in from Japan and China and elsewhere, Western comics acquit themselves quite well and anyone involved in the industry should really have some pride in it. That’s really it.

But…there was a follow-up last week, where I took exception to Fraction’s next column, and sent him an email about it. I really thought he was going at it again, downing the U.S. comics industry, saying readers don’t want anything new, and I was also amazed that it seemed even he, with these great new opportunities, had lost his enthusiasm. And on a site where veteran writer Steven Grant seemed to also have lost his zeal for comics activism, CBR, one of the first places a curious new comics reader is likely to find, now had just one advocate for the medium, Augie De Blieck, Jr., instead of three. So I was annoyed on a number of levels, and told Matt so, and in not so pleasant ways. To his credit, he replied thoughtfully and took the insults in much better stride than I would have. I found out that I was unfairly attributing many attitudes to him that weren’t his, and it actually ended up being a fruitful discussion. We’ll probably still disagree on some things, but respectfully, and there were a good many things on which we were in agreement. I don’t follow any particular credo, but one thing I do believe is that one cannot be a man (or let’s say “an adult” if that’s not so sexist) without knowing when one is wrong and admitting it. What can I say? Sorry for being a dick, Matt.

OK, much as I’d like to hang onto that new humility, lots of you are probably ready to tune out if I don’t get to some books. And it’s a top-drawer selection this week. Not new stuff, as last week’s releases were generally unexceptional, or at least I don’t have much new to say about THE FILTH or AUTOMATIC KAFKA that I haven’t said. Oh, BASTARD SAMURAI #3 is a retinal delight, how’s that? I would really rather talk that up when the trade paperback comes out, though. And THE COMICS JOURNAL #247 is one of the best issues ever, with reviews of all the 9/11 books and interviews with Ted Rall and Ruben (TOM THE DANCING BUG) Bolling. So here’s a bunch of reviews of good, unique, handsomely produced books I’ve read in the past week. Some are better than others, of course, but don’t expect any slams this week. I’ll also review something I read a month ago, Dave Cooper’s CRUMPLE, which is his first graphic novel. I’ll be looking at a different Cooper book each week over the next month-plus. And we’ll begin with a look at a new, subscriber-based web comic site, AdventureStrips.com.

AdventureStrips
Just a brief mention of this excellent new site, an offshoot of Joey Manley’sModernTales. This pay site is edited by Christopher Mills, who also happens to be the writer of the best serial there, GRAVEDIGGER, with strong art by Rick Burchett. That story is a classic noir heist yarn, with the added appeal of the lead character looking exactly like Lee Marvin. To back up a bit, this is a subscription site for serialized adventure fiction covering Crime, Science Fiction, Western and Fantasy. Its creation has been made possible by the rapid success of ModernTales, which seems to have succeeded where other webcomic pay sites like Cool Beans World have failed. Go here to read a good article about ModernTales from John Fellows at NinthArt.

Besides Burchett, some other pros you might know are Steve Conley, who brings his ASTOUNDING SPACE THRILLS to AdventureStrips with an exclusive widescreen adventure; Australian cartoonist Gary Chaloner, with the lush, Indiana Jonesesque RED KELSO; and Golden/Silver Age vet Dick Ayers, who revives his HAUNTED HORSEMAN Western character in a story revealing the Horseman’s origin, and half-a-dozen others. Ayer’s strip looks a little cramped and could do with being enlarged, but most of the others make good use of the format, with effective cliffhanger endings and the limitless computer palette. The nice thing is that over a week one can sample every strip, as two different ones are viewable for free every day. Once you subscribe, you get access to all the previous episodes. I confess that daily webcomic reading has not yet become part of my routine, but I’m getting there.

USAGI YOJIMBO #60 by Stan Sakai. Dark Horse Comics. $2.95
I’ve heard good things about this book for years, but never felt obliged to read it. I think my block was that if I’m going to read samurai manga, it should be the real deal, like LONE WOLF & CUB or BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL, and not a watered-down version starring a bunny. Wrong again! Sakai is a gifted storyteller and research of the period and its customs is obviously a labor of love for him. A really good starting point is this issue, a one-off tale involving two of Usagi’s friends whose honor demands that they test their sword skills against each other to see who is the best, even if one of them dies because of it. Sakai writes and draws with a light touch, but there is still a grandeur and nobility that shines through, and there are enough other story threads here that make me want to keep reading.

SQUA TRONT #10 Edited by John Benson. Fantagraphics Books. $7.95
The key question here is whether you’re a fan of EC Comics: TALES FROM THE CRYPT, AMAZING SCIENCE, MAD. If none of those cause a tingle of recognition and a fond remembrance of over-the-top revenge stories, twisted sci-fi or trenchant satire from some of the best writers and artists of the comics medium, then I can’t help you. In fact, while I love all that stuff, if you don’t get excited at the prospect of an interview with Al Feldstein, Bernie Krigstein, Harvey Kurtzman or Al Jaffee, this magazine probably isn’t for you. The magazine, which began over thirty years ago as a fanzine and hadn’t published an issue since 1984, has a feel similar to COMIC BOOK ARTIST, but since the focus is just on one defunct company’s short-lived line of books, the articles are more arcane. This issue featured a lengthy piece on the genesis of one particular cover and which artists contributed what to it and why the changes were made. Well-done, but the appeal is mainly for the fanatics, though there is a somewhat broader appeal, I hope, in the opinions of greats like Kurtzman and Krigstein.

RAISIN PIE #1 by Ariel Bordeaux and Rick Altergott. Fantagraphics Books. $3.50
Fans of the long-running DOOFUS, that panty-sniffing ne’er-do-well, are likely to enjoy this new series from that book’s creator Altergott and his cartoonist wife Bordeaux. Though the inside cover strip finds the creators fretting over this risky new venture, and Altergott himself worrying that he’s not that good an artist, there’s plenty to enjoy here. Doofus returns in a funny and cleverly twisting tale, and Altergott does some excellent brush work, reminiscent of some of the EC stuff I mentioned above. Bordeaux’ work is gentler and not so gag-based, but her “Maple Valley Public Library” stories draw warmth and humor from what others might dismiss as mundane. That takes talent. I do wish she would let loose a little more, as she does on the wild back cover, but it’s a good book I’ll be getting whenever it comes out.

CRUMPLE by Dave Cooper. Fantagraphics Books. $14.95
Dave Cooper has an amazing gift for creating mysterious, symbolic works of graphic fiction that manage to reach beyond their style and technique to touch deep and universal emotions. This, his first graphic novel, from 1997, follows poor Knuckle, who works at a factory that makes sexy dolls. Everywhere he looks he is beset by images of grotesquerie and depravity, viscous fluids covering everything, unless the surface is sharp and painful, that is. His girlfriend dumps him for another woman, his grandmother can barely get around on a decrepit hoverchair where her lower extremities used to be, and things can’t get much worse. So he’s in a highly suggestible state when his buddy Zev suggests a trip to Hollywood, the logic being that since it’s the home of the porn industry, they’re bound to find and hook up with some porn stars. It may be the future, but some things never change…or do they? Typical loser misadventures take a disturbing turn when they discover every woman they meet is a militant lesbian with a strange tattoo. And they’re breeding gruesome, insectlike babies. It’s all downhill from there, as Knuckle’s simple lovesick horniness turns into a fight for survival. It would be easy to label this a misogynist story, but not really fair. The women are bitches, yes, but Zev represents the loathsomeness of men, and Knuckle is just weak. Cooper works through anger, lust and angst and taps into our own sexual anxieties and feelings of helplessness in a brutal world. It’s also very funny up to a point.

SSHHHH! By Jason. Fantagraphics Books. $14.95
Jason is a Norwegian cartoonist, but his wordless comics know no boundaries, as they deal with themes of love and loss we have all experienced. Following the acclaimed HEY, WAIT, SSHHHH! follows a man’s life and all the twists, aches and hardships that come with it. Jason draws the characters as birds and other animals, which makes them universal. Our Everybird goes from a lonely and poor existence to some financial and romantic success, leaving him with a son to raise, which takes much of his time. There is a particularly good sequence of fantasy scenes where he imagines how to get his lady love back, or how he might kill her or how she might really be regretting dumping him for the new guy. At the end, the message is bittersweet, perhaps believing that it is better to have loved and lost then never to have loved at all, but also that we always end up alone at the end. One of the more deeply affecting stories I’ve read this year.

MY UNCLE JEFF by Damon Hurd and Pedro Camello. Origin Comics. $2.00
Speaking of deeply affecting stories, Hurd goes for a much more specific approach, offering what is essentially a love letter to his favorite uncle, as well as the rest of his family. There is a great maturity at work here, with Hurd able to pinpoint the family member’s weaknesses and dysfunctions while still finding it in his heart to love these people unconditionally, recognizing the impact they have had on his life. Despite the skeletons in the closet, he has managed to find a loving wife and work he enjoys, and his own self-respect extends to protecting the dignity of Uncle Jeff. Jeff is undervalued in the family as not being a productive member of society, though Jeff seems to have found a peace that eludes the others. In this 24 page “graphic novella,” Hurd, with excellent, nuanced artwork by Camello, paints a portrait of the family we all have to some extent, and how love and innate goodness can sometimes quietly triumph over the reign of blows that Life can deal us. Quite an achievement at this length and price, and probably the best self-published comic I’ve seen in 2002.

Note: this is the first of a planned series of short graphic novels from Hurd & Co, which he calls BETA. Go to his site and get onboard what may be the start of an important career.

SOCK MONKEY: A CHILDREN’S BOOK and SOCK MONKEY: THE GLASS DOORKNOB by Tony Millionaire. Dark Horse Comics. $9.95 and $14.95
Tony Millionaire became known first for his popular, darkly funny MAAKIES strip, which he spun off a few years ago into the SOCK MONKEY comics. These beautifully drawn, strange little stories always put one in mind of children’s books, except for when the stories took their inevitably dark turns. Featuring some of the same characters as MAAKIES, like Drinky Crow, SOCK MONKEY nonetheless represented a slightly gentler side of Millionaire.

What has been fascinating is tracking how pointedly Millionaire has changed SOCK MONKEY with these two projects. A CHILDREN’S BOOK came out last year and sat on my shelf until just now, for some reason. In it, we finally learn the origins of Sock Monkey and the other sentient stuffed animals and toys of Ann-Louise. Millionaire finds the right tone at the start, though the more realistic rendering of a real monkey is a bit distracting. It’s a good story, though, with a bit of mystery, some humor, and Millionaire builds up to Drinky and Sock Monkey becoming friends with invisible precision. I have no complaints as a reader, though it’s a little bit long to read to children who are still interested in stuffed animals, I think, and as lovely as the art is, color would be expected. It’s appropriate in content for all ages, though.

Millionaire seems to agree, as THE GLASS DOORKNOB is much shorter, and in full-color, even utilizing some scanned watercolors in some places, to add texture. I didn’t think that effect was wholly successful, and feel this technique has yet to be perfected here, and painting might work better on the next book. However, the computer makes some great effects possible, such as the prismatic reflections of light in this story. And they’re crucial, as the story is about Sock Monkey and his friends trying to get the front door’s glass knob to reflect all the colors again. They never realize the prism went away because the trees outside got their leaves again, blocking the sun’s rays. So they go about collecting all the glass in the house to affix to the door, in order to “boost” the knob to give off its light again. It’s a cute story, and I can attest my almost-three-year-old likes it—he has even started saying the book’s last line “Gadzooks” (he says, “Kazooks”). But adults should be warned that the focus really is on children’s entertainment here, and Millionaire is not yet in the ranks of a Sendak or Seuss for that. Older SM fans may also be dismayed that Drinky Crow is now just “The Crow” and there are no jokes to be found here. It will be interesting to see if future volumes find Millionaire more successful at crafting tales for everyone.

EDDIE CAMPBELL’S EGOMANIA #1 by Eddie Campbell. Eddie Campbell Comics. $4.95
There are very few non-fiction comics that educate without making political statements. In fact, Campbell seems to be nearly alone in this. A born teacher, he has here taken those digressive, scholarly tendencies that permeate his ALEC work and developed them into a full-blown art magazine. We have two chapters of an ambitious “History of Humour,” which covers such areas as the “Feast of Fools,” “The Lord of Misrule” and the human arse as an enduring object of mirth. There is also thoughtful, revelatory interview with the late Batman artist Lew Sayre Schwartz and a funny, star-struck piece by Campbell’s daughter on her experience at the premiere of FROM HELL. Be assured that “egomania” is not at all what the project is about—as the logo obscuring the self-portrait’s face on the cover should suggest--and in fact some Campbell fans may be slightly disappointed that he keeps things fairly impersonal, though always witty. People like to talk about comics’ unrealized potential, but Campbell just went ahead and realized some of it, in an area few were even considering.

ROSETTA by Various. Alternative Comics. $19.95
You know, as a reviewer, it can be dangerous to think in terms of how others beside yourself will react to the book in question. On the other hand, it can be irresponsible not to. This book would be a good case in point, as its $20 tag is a clear indicator that Alternative is aiming for both the bookstore market (other than the recent SUBWAY SERIES and some Kochalka stuff, Alternative concentrates on comics over books) and the Eisner Award categories typically occupied by chichi anthologies from Fantagraphics and Drawn & Quarterly. Which is all well and good, but you gotta do it right.

I love Dave Cooper’s work, but I’m not sure a rabbit-faced teenaged fast food worker diddling herself says “best cartoonists in the world—buy me!” And the back cover says nothing. It’s visually muddled and there’s not even a description of the contents. Same with the inside flap, some inscrutable but cute thing by Marc Bell. Ron Rege’s endpapers are another missed opportunity, his work requiring a lot of comics background and appreciation of irony not to look at it as childish scribbling. OK, well, I didn’t mean to trash the book, and I’m not, really, so let’s just leave it that the editing and packaging missed the mark of being any kind of outreach book, if the price didn’t already seal its fate.

The contents themselves are certainly an improvement, with some exceptions. Ulf Keyenburg’s “Mr. Duplexus” is a fun, silent slice of Kafka, with a man’s doppelganger committing a crime and the man being blamed. The all-green art is invigorating and one finds some amusement at the joy the evil twin takes in chasing the poor children down the street. “Sandra Brown” finds Tom Hart exploring primal urges, getting down and literally dirty, and I’d like to see more from him along these lines, though all his work is interesting. Miriam Katin may have been Eisner-nominated last year, but I can’t help thinking, reading the editorial comments about her, that her sweet letters so charmed the editor that he saw a point to her story that isn’t there. Just because the characters are poor Jews in New York in the 40s doesn’t make them noble or wise or interesting. This isn’t the Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Nick Bertozzi is one of my favorite young formalists, but I just don’t know what he was doing here in “Mt. Fuji.” Nice to see such detailed pages from him, but the purpose escapes me. Katja Tukiainen’s “The Post from India” is a silly comics diary of a yoga-filled vacation; somewhat charming, but I’ve got to figure the space could have been filled by something better. James Kochalka’s “Paper Cute” is, as the title suggests, a slight, whimsical piece, but nonetheless likeable, especially since he draws it in the more realistic style used for SUNBURN. Michael Kupperman offers two quirky, amusing pieces, while Sara Varon presents a delightfully ambiguous, silent tale of friendship in “Winter.” Mega Kelso’s “Warrior Queen” is the longest story here, and one of the strongest, a rich fable with contemporary values, part of her “Artichoke Tales” series that I’m now hoping will all be collected at some point. I wasn’t familiar with her before, and was interested to see the similarities between her style and Joel (PULPATOON PILGRAMAGE) Priddy’s.

Renee French’s “Self, Food & Mail, Housing” is a clever portrait of a man we never see; we base our impressions on the parts and accessories she shows us, some quite funny. Ivan Brunetti’s “Erik Satie” is a great one-page glimpse of Satie, and of Brunetti himself, while Rege’s piece is fascinating to look at, if ultimately not that involving. David Collier’s “Bringing Up Fathers & Sons” begins as an intriguing portrait of a capitalist Arab father and his fundamentalist son, and then loses its way with the easier self-mocking of Collier. This actually could be extended and reworked into something great, but feels like a bad choice was made to cram it into its allotted length. It’s frightening to say this, but David Choe writes the most intelligent story in this book, a true-life account of time spent in Palestine. Yeah, who would have thought?

Adding to the international flavor, Croatian Danijel Zezelj does an impenetrable but beautifully somber, still story, and Southeast Asian cartoonist Lat writes an affecting tale of hostel youth. His style is accessible but quite unlike anything I’ve seen, and made me curious to see more. “A Dream” by John Porcellino is hysterical, but M.S. Bastian’s “Bazooka Joe” is a punishment, scratches and splashes of ink shooting across mutant faces. This would have been great as the cover to a single by The Cure years ago, but I’d love to know what the editor saw in it for inclusion here. David Lasky has a great artstyle, something like old Ed Brubaker meets Matt Madden, but “Rosetta” doesn’t quite come together. I’m more accepting of it now, reading about the ambitious storytelling experimentation that went into it, though. Speaking of Madden, his “Bad Boys of Tinibu Square” is obtuse but still enjoyable. “Constructions and Instructions” by Stephen J. H. Van Dinther is an interesting design experiment, but Tobias T. Schalken outdoes him by experimenting with form and accompanying it with an involving narrative in “Standing Right Here, Looking 1,000 Miles Away.” Greg Cook closes the book with “They That Lurk in the Paths of the Sea,” one of his odd sea stories. In fact, he hopes to do a book of these “flu epidemic” stories, if you can believe it. This is the second I’ve seen, and really, I can’t see the appeal. It’s a fitting end to the book, though, because it perfectly highlights what the problem is. Yes, these are some of the more interesting comics creators working right now, all artists challenging the form with exercises and experiments and unfathomable jokes. What is missing from most of these stories, though, are…stories. Characters. Plots. Megan Kelso nails it in the long form, while Kochalka does it in brief. There was more heart in his story than pretty much the whole book, and his story was only about his wife getting a paper cut! So, for a vast array of styles, most well-developed, look no further. While the emotional content is somewhat lacking, your mind will be engaged, and aspiring artists can learn a lot from the diverse approaches to storytelling here.

Full Bleed #10: More Comics Creators Stock Exchange

In which I once again look, rather off-the-cuff, at the current and projected standing of the careers of a handful of comics creators.

Frank Miller - Reading his story in Dark Horse Marverick’s HAPPY ENDINGS, and rereading his piece from DC’s 9/11 book, it’s clear that, despite going off the rails with THE DARK KNIGHT STRIKES BACK, Miller still has it in him to say something of meaning. He’s going to say it loudly and bluntly, and really, he’s almost refreshingly unique in this respect. He makes anger work for him. I worry that his next major project, the upcoming JESUS, is such an event, so potentially controversial, that he could get carried away with himself again, but I applaud the ambition and hope it’s as stunning and provocative as he can make it.

Devin Grayson - Grayson is one of those writers who isn’t really bad, and is capable of decent work, but is not distinctive or skilled enough to command much of a following. From TITANS to NIGHTWING, she’ll continue to have moderate success at titles where readers already have an affection for the characters and will follow them through thick and thin. I sense there might be a sexier, darkly funny side to her that has been held in check by the at times overly earnest characterization and standard plots, and if it ever comes out, it might lead to greater success.

Frank Tieri - Either Tieri or Ron Zimmerman are probably the least-liked comics writers these days, and many people feel they both owe their continuing Marvel gigs due to cronyism on the part of Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada. While I don’t know how true that might be, and I actively dislike Tieri’s work on WOLVERINE, I don’t think he’s probably leaving any time soon. See, with SOLDIER-X canceling and AGENT-X and X-STATIX underperforming, it would seem like Marvel might want to play it safe with their successful mutant books. Chuck Austen isn’t doing anything new on UNCANNY X-MEN, which may be how a lot of fans want it, and NEW X-MEN under Grant Morrison is the only offbeat X-title that’s doing well commercially. With X-MEN 2 coming soon, better to have a writer who will write the ol’ Canucklehead the way the editors and readers want, sorta.

Chris Allen

And it wasn’t the inhuman, poorly-timed screeching of he fax machine he would remember later, nor the honey sunshine on a face, the smell of the reheated lasagna, the tidal Icelandic chant playing from mp3, nor the any of the wet crunches of the forty-nine seconds of pummeling. It was the drops on the carpet he would remember, and the StainGuard that prevented those drops from permanently damaging the tawny sanctity of his office.

E-MAIL THE AUTHOR | ARCHIVES