My first thought upon receiving a "big, fat package of comics" from Alternative Comics this week (that's what publisher Jeff Mason called the package, and he was right -- only four titles, but man, good, substantive work), was pleasure at their varied shapes and sizes. There were two traditionally-sized comics, Peanutbutter and Jeremy: The Flibbledibble File by James Kochalka, and Opposable Thumbs by Dean Haspiel.
The two other items are collections of varied dimensions -- The Mashochists by Nick Bertozzi, and Slowpoke by Jen Sorenson.
The many permutations here, vis a vis thickness, dimension, paper stock, etc., serves as a metaphor for the diversity of the creators and their creations, and is a good sign of what to expect when picking up material published or distributed by Alternative. This is not one-size-fits-all comics, where every book is the same size, shape and level of mediocrity. There's a myriad of styles at work here, in varying degrees of excellence, each an essential contribution to the artform, and each, in its way, worth picking up.
In fact, my second thought upon opening this package was, "Oh, good, a third copy of The Flibbledibble File!" I pre-ordered this book, as I do any work by Kochalka, and I received a copy in the mail, and here, now, a third. I suppose this is Odin's way of telling me that I need to review this book now.
Anyone who's read my reviews or columns before knows that discovering the works of James Kochalka was really a life-affirming event for me. His clever, honest, and frequently neurotic autobiographical comics fulfill the potential of the artform for me as few other creators have managed.
Peanutbutter and Jeremy, like Monkey vs. Robot, is not really autobiographical in nature, although PBJ certainly is more true to Kochalka's life than MVR. I doubt Kochalka has ever been anywhere near monkeys or robots (not for any length of time, anyway), but he spends his life with two companions, one his wife Amy, the other his cat Spandy. I don't think it's much of a stretch to say Peanutbutter is Kochalka's fantasy version of Spandy's inner life, and any time you mix the words "Kochalka," "inner life," and "comics," you are in for a good time.
The Flibbledibble File finds Peanutbutter drowning in paperwork, as only a cat that works in an imaginary office can, and once again at the mercy of his scheming friend Jeremy.
As with the previous issue, Kochalka manages to shed light on both animal and human behaviour in a story simple enough for kids, yet profound and witty enough that all but the most thick-headed of nitwits would have to chuckle at its charm and humour.
This really is an all-ages comic, and you'd be hard pressed to find a better comic to share with a child. Or your girlfriend. Or yourself.
Now, then, my friend: I have a bone to pick with you. How is it you never told me about Dean Haspiel before? I thought we was pals!
That was my feeling upon closing the cover to Opposable Thumbs, a collection of short stories that reveal Haspiel to be an autobiographical cartoonist well worth following. I have heard his name before, but somehow he always fell beneath my radar. I won't let that happen again, because this is one of the best comics I've read all year.
The artwork looks reminiscent of Dave Lapham's, and when I saw the cover, I thought perhaps this was some sort of Stray Bullets-inspired bit of fiction. On the contrary, Haspiel serves up disturbingly honest slice-of-his-life stories that are at once funny, dramatic, and astonishingly revealing. Haspiel has the chops, and he uses them with admirable skill and grace.
Not a line is wasted in his spare, well-composed panels. I love a cartoonist who knows how to use his India ink, and Haspiel tosses around the blacks as well as Lapham, giving the reader a solid sense of place, with expressive and impressive body language for his characters.
His own character is the star here, featured in vignettes about apartment life, drug abuse, annoying neighbours, and hideous health problems. This is a book with life as its theme, and while each of the stories is individually entertaining and enlightening, as a whole, Opposable Thumbs is a rare work that at once proves the worth of the artform, and challenges future creators to make it even better.
I had seen Jen Sorenson's Slowpoke in a local comics shop, and was curious about it. I'm a sucker for primary colours, and the cover of this collection of strips is glorious in its use of red, yellow and blue.
The strips inside are a mix of political commentary ("Let's poop on the poor!," suggests the GOP elephant mascot), observations on human stupidity ("Speaking of critiques, have you read my latest essay, 'A Critique of Pure Critique?'") and a little bit of sex ("Jump him, hump him, and then dump him!" recommends radio host Drooly Julie).
The artwork is simple and appealing, and the strips often veer into the delightfully surreal territory more often mined by Zippy's Bill Griffith. There's a grin on every page here, and a laugh on almost as many. Slowpoke is good, giddy fun, well worth a look.
The Galaxy's Chris Allen has a review of The Masochists in the Galactic Bookshelf, so I won't spend a lot of time echoing him here. Suffice to say, there are three stories in this collection, and at least two of them are outstanding. The first, a tale about a marching band, didn't do much for me, but the middle and end stories display a willingness on the part of Bertozzi to explore both his own craft and the heights and depths of the human spirit. For those reasons alone, The Masochists is worth reading. Add the outstanding European-influenced cartooning, and I can't think of one reason to pass this one by.
It's funny how great comics like this seem to visit themselves upon me at the times of my darkest despair over the state of the mainstream. Publishers like Fantagraphics, Top Shelf and Alternative are quickly becoming a mainstream of their own -- smart, witty comics for adults who want worthwhile entertainment instead of cheap distraction.