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BARE KNUCKLES #1
by Erik Knutson
($2.50 from Erik Knutson / 1200 Riverside Dr. #140 / Burbank, CA / 91506 USA. Web:
www.ugcomix.com)
Reviewed by Rick BradfordThis showcase of Erik Knutson's comics contains a healthy mix of humor, unrequited love, poignancy and blasphemy. My favorite story is the first (and longest), a look at how a dog's death affects its owners. (Trust me, it's not too mopey.) Other standouts include a two-pager about a vampire surfer and "Watercooler", which I especially like for the Gene Deitch leanings of the artwork. Not every piece in this is a knock-out but I did enjoy it and I appreciate the variety offered. My only quibble is the use of computer lettering, a pet peeve of mine. With such great, stylistic artwork it's too bad the artist doesn't have nice hand-lettering to accompany it. Still and all,
Bare Knuckles is worth a look and I'll be keeping an eye out for future Knutson work.
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