Navigate Poopsheet

 
< art >



HEPALINILLILLMASTER
by various

(Syogo Yoshikawa)

Reviewed by Rick Bradford

This beautiful art zine comes all the way from Japan and features work by editor Syogo Yoshikawa (the cover, for example), Kapreles, Pakito Bolino, Monobrain, Koh Kasahara, Marcel Ruijters and others. It's really an impressive package that's hand-bound with a nice paper stock throughout and over half of its 42 interior pages in color. My absolute favorite work in this collection is by Ruijters. He's got two full-page, full-color paintings that are so much more lush than the usual black-and-white reproductions I've seen. I'd definitely love to see a larger collection of his color work. As for the rest of the collection, the truth is – and this is not always the case with art brut – I really enjoyed all of the work presented. Other standouts for me include Kapreles (How can one not appreciate Kapreles? Especially when there's color involved), Pakito Bolino (no color, but still great stuff; I'd love a peek into Bolino's sketchbooks), a Johan Kleijan/Paul Borchers piece, Dennis Tyfus, the Monobrain/Koh Kasahara collaboration, Marcel Herms in color and Yoshikawa's own work, especially the black-and-white pieces.

There may be other volumes of hePALiNiLLiLLmAstEr but I'm not certain of that. I do know, though, that Yoshikawa has other work available, including a CD-R of vibrant, psychedelic animation (it's good too), many nicely-produced postcards and full-color stickers.

[ Link to this review ] (0) comments

---

 
< comics/x >



ARCHIPELAGO #1 & 2
by Sharon Furgason

($2.00 for #1, $1.50 for #2 from Sharon Furgason / PO Box 5735 / Astoria, NY / 11105 USA. Web: www.inkylagoon.com)

Reviewed by Henry Chamberlain

In Sharon Furgason's first issue of her mini-comic series, Archipelago, a small collection of stories from a young woman exploring her world, the best story is "Nancy" and the best panel is the second panel from the same story: a confidently drawn portrait of the girl with a sleepy smile and a neatly drawn classroom in the background. In fact, that whole page is impressive: the cute little kick, the clumsy hand clasp, and the lollipop.

"Nancy" is a sweet little gem about a very young couple not quite ready to be a couple. Both the boy and the girl are too self-absorbed to really appreciate the other and are tenously held together by a little spit and sugar between the two as they hold hands. The whole idea of Nancy's hand, all warm and gooey from her fixation with candy will definately stick with you.

It is this sort of energy that will serve Sharon well as she matures as an artist. Based on the second issue of Archipelago, there seems to be a bit of a regression. But things seem to be developing with a recent project, Nina the Librarian, which can be sampled on her website.

A review in the current issue of The Comics Journal, #266, will certainly help spread the word. Sharon now just needs to pace herself and she could rise to the level of someone like Thomas Herpich who employs a similar crisp light line in a masterful way in Cusp (published by Alternative Comics in 2003).

[ Link to this review ] (0) comments

---

 
< comics/x >



PANCAKE JOE #1 & 2
by Ryan Parrey & Mark Plaid

(50¢ each from Mark Plaid / Ghoulstomper / 4728 Monac / Toledo, OH / 43623 USA. E-mail)

Jokey humor comics starring Pancake Joe, the punk-looking fellow on the cover, and ska-joke-in-sideburns Drop Pants Murphy. The first issue explains how these guys got their nicknames and the second illustrates Murphy's theory of where the word "brown" comes from. Ghoulstomper's got a bunch of minis out right now so keep your eyes peeled.

[ Link to this review ] (0) comments

---

 
< comics/x >



DIARY OF A MOSQUITO ABATEMENT MAN
by John Porcellino

($12.00, La Mano, King-Cat. Available soon in the Poopsheet Shop)

Reviewed by Henry Chamberlain

In Diary of a Mosquito Abatement Man, John Porcellino has collected all the stories of his day job, from 1989 to 1996, as an exterminator which first appeared in his legendary mini-comic, King-Cat, and added over thirty pages of new material. What results is quite a unique book.

You start out with work from 1989: a young brash punk describing the basics of going out into the swamps to conduct business and progress to a lyrical passage, completed in 2004, recounting one particularly eerie night on the job by the mature artist. Then you sort of go back and forth with works created in 1994 and 2004 but all in the signature style and beautifully held together by the theme of a man's spiritual growth.

Commenting as he does on his journey to greater awareness, you lose yourself in gentle observations, some made during the process of growth and others with the benefit of hindsight. John observes a squirrel with paralyzed limbs which leads to seeing a girl weeping which leads to a scene of eating wild asparagus off the road, the very taste of spring. An attempt is made to free a bull who has stuck its head through a fence and this leads to a review of Buddhist teachings. Like a dream or a poem, John P. seeks out the essential truth with an intoxicating simplicity.

His spirituality informs his work in ways only John P. can render – no matter how many attempt to imitate him. The drawing, of course, is distinctively simple as is the writing. Simple and humble elements join together to create an energetic whole. Within this basic structure you will find work of great humanity and wisdom.

As independent comics strive to be heard by a larger audience and be acknowledged as an art form, it is works such as John P.'s that will show the way as they transcend comics while also exemplifying the art form. In its own gentle way, Diary of a Mosquito Abatement Man sends a powerful message of what is possible with comics.

[ Link to this review ] (0) comments

---

 
< comics/x >



BUMPERBOY LOSES HIS MARBLES! Parts 1-3
by Debbie Huey

($3.00 each for Parts 1 & 2, $3.25 for Part 3 from bumperboy.net. Also available in the Poopsheet Shop)

Reviewed by Carol Pond

Bumperboy Loses His Marbles! is a fun all-ages comic. The story takes place in Bubtobia, with visits to other lands through the borp hole. When Bumperboy and his dog, Bumperpup, travel through the hole it's called "borping," and they never know where they'll turn up. One land they wind up in is Onomatoland, where everything has sound effects and the people who live there have names like Bop and Bam. The story revolves around a marble tournament that Bumperboy is going to compete in, but he loses his marbles down a borp hole. After finding most of his marbles, he's ready for the tournament, but he still has to beat that cheater Frederik. The cartoony drawings are perfect for the story. When Bumperpup talks he says "Arf" and in the word balloon is a picture to show what he means. For instance, when Bumperboy starts to leave their house, B-pup says "Arf" and there's a drawing of a marble in the word balloon, so of course B-boy realizes he's forgotten his marbles. These three comics are a good introduction to what looks like a very promising series.

[ Link to this review ] (0) comments

---