< comics/travel >
ZINES BY J. CHRIS CAMPBELL
(Wide Awake Press / PO Box 14234 / Greenville, SC / 29610 USA. Web:
Wide Awake Press,
J. Chris Campbell)
Reviews by Rick Bradford
I recently received a big batch of stuff published by J. Chris Campbell's Wide Awake Press and was immediately intrigued. From first glance I was impressed with the design and production of these little curiosities. Call me a slave to fashion but I think those elements are as important as the interior content. Anyway, Campbell's got that covered. So here's a look at some of his work. None of these have prices on them, so inquire first.
Reviews of other Wide Awake books featuring other creators are forthcoming.
QUITTER
Although I could guess, I don't know for sure what the author does for a living (probably his website says but I'm not at a computer as I write this, so there you go) but I bet he could make some really fun children's books. It's not that
Quitter is aimed particularly at children but it is in a simple single-illustration-with-caption format – and the computer-aided robot illustrations are fab. Do people say "fab" anymore? Well, no matter. The narration is sort of a philosophical look at "moving on", which could be applied to jobs, relationships or any other situation one might need a change from.
DUFLACHIES
There's not a lot to this one, but it is nice to look at. Each page contains one mysterious, cartoony, silhouetted drawing (similar to what you see on the cover) and their given names ("Hickeydoo", "Whichawhat"). It's a bit silly, which is fine by me. The most interesting thing about this reading experience is that my brain automatically wants to find "recognizable" shapes and make creatures out of them – in which case, there are a number of possibilities with each drawing.
IT'S THE ATTIC BUGS
Unlike the other three zines here, the cover to this one appears to have been printed by hand. As much as I like Campbell's computer-aided art, I really appreciate the organic feel of work done by hand. It's not as flashy but it is more alive. This comic is a goofy little exchange between two creatures (attic bugs, I'd guess) about one's seafood allergy and the other's unwelcomeness.
TRAVEL
This one's much more text-driven but is still beautifully designed. It's essentially a travel essay that juxtaposes a road trip with space missions. It's interesting as merely a travel report but is otherwise insightful, nerve-wracking and very funny. The first line: "With my wife curled up inside, I closed the car's trunk." This would be a great piece for reading aloud. If the other, graphic-oriented, zines above don't interest you, then get this one. Good stuff.
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