< comics/x >
HANDBOOK
by John Hankiewicz
($3.00 from
The Holy Consumption)
Review by Chris Polkki
Judging from his contribution to the indispensable
Kramers Ergot 4, as well as his own regular comic,
Tepid, John Hankiewicz is clearly an artist who pours himself into his craft, creating a distinctive visual language that sets its own boundaries and follows its own rules. That's not to say Hankiewicz is an easy read, however: it's just that, in the end, he's worth the effort.
Hankiewicz distinguishes himself from his "cute brut" cronies by mixing spare, enigmatic text with meticulously idle graphics. His stories brim with seemingly uneventful – but painstakingly-rendered – images of half-empty rooms, objects, chairs and people sitting silently alone. In the background, waves of detailed surface textures surge forth to compete for the reader's attention.
In
Handbook, the piece "Epictetus" plays intriguingly with the symbiotic relationship between words and images, shirking conventional reader expectations like a memory game. "Jazz/Asthma", which first appeared in
Blood Orange #1, feels like two sets of intertwining dreams: somehow, it conveys an overwhelming sense of physical vulnerability.
If Hankiewicz's figures tend to feel more like stand-ins for feelings or ideas than actual characters, such displacement may be rooted in what appears to be a limited repertoire of facial expressions at the artist's disposal: cynics might argue that this perceived lack undermines the seamless narrative flow of the book, by overemphasizing the "still" (or "inexpressive") qualities of the material. Which might bother those who prefer to zip through their comics, but one hopes more discerning readers will be able to control their deficient attention spans and focus on the many strengths of the work.
Handbook feels like a sampler intended for distribution at comic-related events – it's kinda hard to know whether the material in this book has been assembled for any cohesive reason other than to get some new work out – but here it all is, appearing in the same place, with its own cover, so that's good enough for me. And if you're looking for a relatively inexpensive way to brush up on one of the more distinctive members of the
Kramers group, hopefully it will be good enough for you, too.
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BUTTON
by David King
(50¢,
www.sweaterthieves.com)
I intended to plug this button when I ran the
review of David's
Cavalcade comic a few weeks ago. Not a lot to say, but it's a cool-looking button that comes attached to one of five different specially-designed backing cards. You can order them from David's site and they'll also be showing up in the
Poopsheet Shop very soon.
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< comics/x >
COUP DE GIGOT
(2,50 €; no contact info, presumably somewhere in Belgium)
Review by Matt Dembicki
Roald Dahl’s short story "Lamb to Slaughter" is frequently anthologized not only in printed verse but in comics as well. You know the story: A police offer comes home and tells his wife he has some bad news. He alludes to a possible affair but before he can confess, his wife — sensing what he may say — interrupts him and says she has to prepare dinner, which is a nice leg of lamb. She goes to get it from the icebox, and upon return, clubs her husband to death with it. She then covers her tracks and calls to report her husband has been murdered. The police come and are baffled that they can’t find the murder weapon. With the classic Dahl dark humor, she serves the police the leg of lamb. (It was even adapted into a episode of
Alfred Hitchcock Presents in 1958.) What makes this adaptation interesting is the art. The anonymous artist uses bold, fluid lines in a style reminiscent of Edward Munch, the Norwegian painter and printmaker whose most recognized work is "The Scream". It really sets a unique tone for the story.
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< comics/x >
PEANUTBUTTER & JEREMY'S BEST BOOK EVER!
by James Kochalka
($14.95,
Alternative Comics,
James Kochalka)
Review by Rick Bradford
Even though my partner has been buying the individual issues, I'd read very little of
Peanutbutter & Jeremy (only last year's Free Comic Book Day book) before I dove into this collection. Now, of course, I regret having waited (even though I think the overall experience probably benefits from reading the stories one after the other). If you've enjoyed previous works by James Kochalka for their sentimentality or cuteness factor then this is sure to please. There's no need to pigeonhole it as cute fluff, however. This volume, in my opinion, is a very funny book for kids of all ages. I know I'll be passing these stories on to my nephew.
"What's it about?" you ask? Well, there's this cat (Peanutbutter) who believes he works in an office (his owner's house) and has quite the fondness for wearing hats. Then there's this crow (Jeremy, of course) who gets the cat into trouble but mostly wants to steal his beautiful hats.
I can't quite put my finger on it but the feel of these stories is familiar – and I mean beyond Kochalka's other work. There's a wonderful fantasy element, a lot of funny jokes and – I hesitate to mention it but – cat lovers will get an extra kick out of it. The author is clearly one of those people who wonders what's going on in his cat's head.
I recommend this book for people of all ages but you should at least pick up a copy for a kid in your life. Personally, I think this is Kochalka's best book of the last couple of years.
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