photo & text by nacrowe
some KIND of INTERGALACTIC PRISONER is dropped against his WILL from a SPACECRAFT unto a BARREN HELLSCAPE of a PLANET where LITERALLY EVERYTHING is attempting to MURDER him. in other words, it sounds an awful lot like AUSTRALIA. such is the BASIC PLOT of JOHNNY RYAN's TRANSGRESSIVE PAEAN to all things GROTESQUE, DEBAUCHED, HOSTILE, VULGAR and DEBASED, PRISON PIT (FANTAGRAPHICS, 2022). in fact im having a DIFFICULT TIME thinking of ANYTHING ive ever read that matches the DEPRAVITY of this GRAPHIC NOVEL in TERMS of SHEER INVECTIVES employed and REPEATED BODILY TRAUMA (specifically im talking about COPIOUS AMOUNTS of EXCRETIONS, AMPUTATIONS, CONTUSIONS, SUFFOCATIONS, EXSANGUINATIONS, PENETRATIONS, DISEMBOWLMENTS, EVISCERATIONS, COMPRESSIONS, VIVISECTIONS, IMMOLATIONS, DISLOCATIONS, MUTATIONS, DECAPITATIONS, EJACULATIONS, IMPALEMENTS, HEMORRHAGES and so on) SUSTAINED.
and its BEYOND just BRUTALITY and POOR TASTE. if anything this GRAPHIC NOVEL is an UNREPENTANT CELEBRATION of VIOLENCE, end stop. little is said and nothing is learned. no MORAL COMPASS is at play. just the GARISH VISUAL DISPLAY of ever-more INVENTIVE MODES of TORTURE and VILE MEANS of CARTOONISHLY KILLING other BEINGS as the ANONYMOUS PROTAGONIST(?) makes his way through this VERITABLE HELLSCAPE and ANNIHILATES all of its INHABITANTS one by one, only to return his ORIGINAL SPACECRAFT PRISON to do the same there. PRISON PIT has the NARRATIVE SUBTLETY of a STEVEN SEAGAL FLICK with all that REQUISITE, MEANINGLESS REPETITIVE FIGHT SCENES that carry absolutely no EMOTIONAL WEIGHT because such is not the point of an ACTION FILM, the VIOLENCE is. just WANTON PAIN and NEEDLESS SUFFERING inflected INDISCRIMINATELY as an END in and of ITSELF. and much like with DONALD TRUMP, the CRUELTY SEEMINGLY is the POINT. and boy is PRISON PIT VIOLENT. GROTESQUELY so. if thats what youre into then you'll love this GRAPHIC NOVEL. if there is anything else that interests you in LIFE, and i mean literally anything else, than id advise looking elsewhere because this COMIC BOOK will not offer it. much like the likewise CONFRONTATIONAL and OBSCENE WORK of LYDIA LUNCH, RICHARD KERN, LARS CON TRIER, G.G. ALLIN or the FILM CAFE FLESH (VCA, 1982), im glad i experienced it once but HONESTLY even more relieved i never have to do so again.
0 Comments
photo & text by nacrowe
HENRY ROLLINS was always SOMETHING of a FOLK HERO who SINGLE-HANDEDLY EPITOMIZED and basically EMBODIED the BRUTALITY, SELF-RELIANCE, EMOTIONAL ISOLATION and UNBRIDLED INTENSITY of the 1980s HARDCORE MOVEMENT arguably more than any other CULTURAL FIGURE i can think of. when you look back at those BLACK FLAG RECORDS and read about the TRAIL they blazed NATIONALLY through the NASCENT AMERICAN UNDERGROUND MUSIC SCENE on TOUR (inspiring both the SADISTIC MALICIOUSNESS of REGIONAL COPS and NE'ER-DO-WELLS as well as the HARD-EARNED RESPECT and AWE of LOCAL MUSIC FANS in the PROCESS), you cant help but see ROLLINS in such a heavily MYTHOLOGIZED LIGHT.
for me that is the VALUE in reading FORMER ESQUIRE SCRIBE JAMES PARKER's UNAUTHORIZED TURNED ON: A BIOGRAPHY OF HENRY ROLLINS (COOPER SQUARE, 1998) BOOK about the FORMER HARDCORE PUNK FRONTMAN and CELEBRATED SPOKEN WORD ARTIST. central to his NARRATIVE is the fact that he originated in the POLITICALLY CONSCIOUS, SOCIALLY STRIDENT and PHILOSOPHICALLY PRINCIPLED WASHINGTON DC HARDCORE SCENE along with CHILDHOOD FRIEND IAN MACKAYE of MINOR THREAT / FUGAZI FAME. this upbringing in which PARTICIPANTS acted CONSCIOUSLY with INTENTION and a sense of SELF-REFLECTION was the ABSOLUTE ANTITHESIS to the VIOLENT, ANTAGONISTIC and UNREPENTANTLY BRUTAL SECOND WAVE of PUNK ROCK that emanated out of the ULTRA-VOLATILE ORANGE COUNTY SCENE in the early 80s that birthed BLACK FLAG. when ROLLINS became their fourth SINGER in 1981, it was the BEGINNING of a PHYSICAL, PSYCHIC and PSYCHOLOGICAL TRANSFORMATION that likewise had REPERCUSSIONS with the SCENE at large. already a RAMBUNCTIOUS CHILD throughout an ADHD-addled childhood that his PARENTS attempted to SIDELINE through MILITARY SCHOOL, its INTRIGUING that a CONSEQUENCE of such forcefully INGRAINED DISCIPLINE was the ease with which ROLLINS adopted an ASCETIC EXISTENCE and INDOMITABLE WORK ETHIC with BLACK FLAG on TOUR, eating and sleeping little and physically laboring in HEAVY SOUND EQUIPMENT THEMSELVES in and out of SUBPROFESSIONAL VENUES. almost like he was trained for this TYPE of PERIPATETIC EXISTENCE. and that seems to me to be the two MAIN ASPECTS of ROLLINS' IDENTITY that PARKER really hones in on throughout his BIOGRAPHY, that of his VALUES and SELF-DISCIPLINE. TOURING, especially once BLACK FLAG gained NATIONAL NOTORIETY, became something of a GAUNTLET in which ROLLINS was ROUTINELY PHYSICALLY ABUSED on-stage. over time this PHYSICAL TOLL resulted in a HARDENING of his PERSONALITY as well as a PENCHANT for documenting his THOUGHTS via DAILY JOURNALING. this use of WRITING as a means of separating ONESELF from their EXISTENCE was a PARALLEL VEHCILE to his INCREASED HALLUCINOGENIC DRUG INTAKE in-between gigs. both served to help him maintain his WITS from an EMOTIONAL and PHYSICAL BREAKDOWN. JOURNALING begat an INTEREST in LITERATURE of the TRANSGRESSIVE VARIETY, as introduced by his CONFIDANT LYDIA LUNCH, which begat OPPORTUNITIES to speak in public at SPOKEN WORD gigs. this NEW INDEPENDENCE and securing his own VOICE was met with the ABRUPT DISSOLUTION of BLACK FLAG, with FOUNDING GUITARIST and DE FACTO DECISION-MAKER GREG GINN sensing a shift within INTERNAL POWER DYNAMICS. i find it INTERESTING that ROLLINS' SELF-EXPLORATORY WRITING meant as a means of SELF-PRESERVATION within the CONTEXT of him effectively SELF-IMMOLATING night after night on TOUR, which spawn an INTEREST in WRITERS such as HENRY MILLER and HUBERT SELBY JR, was what precipitated the DISSOLUTION of BLACK FLAG. more than two decades hence the PUBLICATION of this BOOK, it is ROLLINS' INGRAINED SENSE of SELF-DETERMINATION and FREEDOM to TRAVEL EXTENSIVELY and INTERVIEW and BEAR WITNESS to the WORLD that has become his LASTING LEGACY far more than his time in BLACK FLAG and spearheading / surviving the 1980s HARDCORE SCENE. if anything, that IMPORTANT WORK is an EXTENSION of his INSTINCT to DOCUMENT and WRITE THINGS DOWN that he first did on TOUR now four decades ago. if anything he is not the often MYTHOLOGIZED PIED PIPER of a SAVAGE SELF-DESTRUCTIVE BRAND of UBER-MASCULINITY he sometimes gets credit for. if anything he is an ENLIGHTENED SCRIBE and PIONEER whose EXPERIENCES we all benefit from VICARIOUSLY through his TRAVEL BOOKS and DOCUMENTARIES. the WORLD is arguably more CONNECTED and EMPATHETIC given his EXAMPLE, or at least those SUBSETS that pay ATTENTION to such. definitely an INTERESTING, WELL-CONSTRUCTED BOOK that strays away from HAGIOGRAPHY and presents a BALANCED CHARACTERIZATION of a COMPLEX CULTURAL FIGURE of CONSEQUENCE. photo & text by nacrowe
GENRE EXERCISES have the POTENTIAL to be quite COMPELLING due to the fact that the WRITER is playing with an COMPELLING FORM and finding NOVEL MEANS to expand and even SUBVERT AUDIENCE EXPECTATIONS. such is definitely the case with the NOIR-ish MURDER MYSTERY PLOT plot in JANWILLEM VAN DE WETERING's MURDER BY REMOTE CONTROL (DOVER, 1986) GRAPHIC NOVEL, IMAGINATIVELY illustrated by PAUL KIRCHNER.
part and parcel to DETECTIVE FICTION is the CONCEPT of DUPLICITY and OBFUSCATION, where one's PUBLIC PERSONA belies one's TRUE INTENTIONS and even SUBCONSCIOUS MOTIVATIONS. sometimes such DECEIT is a BENIGN EXTENSION of one's CIRCUMSTANCE and/or PERSONALITY, other times its a cover for a MALIGNANT DESIRE to CONTROL. VAN DE WETERING is aware of such and the DETECTIVE in this SCENIC MAINE-based MURDER SCENARIO (in which a CORRUPT and WIDELY-DISLIKED REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER is elimated via a REMOTE-CONTROLLED TOY PLANE while fishing off the coast), is presented with the ECCENTRIC SUSPECTS one-by-one, all with ACTIONABLE MEANS and POSSIBLE MOTIVE. VAN DE WETERING, it should be noted, was a DUTCH WRITER who NOTABLY spent an EXTENSIVE amount of TIME and ENERGY amidst the ZEN BUDDHIST TRADITION when stationed at a MONASTERY in JAPAN. such is INTERESTING because CORE COMPONENTS of such include the IDEAS of NON-DUALISM, NON-ATTACHMENT and NON-CONCEPTUALISM, where one is attempting to return to one's ORIGINAL MIND sans INTELLECT and reveal their BUDDHA NATURE. the CONSCIOUS MIND in this sense is a CAGE and not REFLECTIVE one's CORE IDENTITY. in MURDER BY REMOTE CONTROL, each of the four SUSPECTS have IDIOSYNCRATIC PUBLIC PERSONAS (i.e. the RETIRED FILM STAR, the NEW YORK HEIRESS / PROSTITUTE, the UNASSUMING RECLUSE / HANDYMAN and a REBELLIOUS, SEX-CRAZED, early ROCK AND ROLL / ROCKABILLY-inspired WAR VETERAN / PARAPLEGIC. as a READER we are in turn tasked with analyzing each CHARACTER and seeking a DEEPER TRUTH that is not encumbered by APPEARANCES or SOCIAL STANDING, much like the UNAFFECTED DEMEANOR of the DETECTIVE. i never considered the AUSTERITY of ZEN BUDDHISM and MURDER MYSTERY GENRE FICTION to have any overlap, but such is the FASCINATING OVERLAP presented in MURDER BY REMOTE CONTROL. definitely an SUBSTANTIAL ONE-OFF by VAN DE WETERING, with WILD ILLUSTRATIONS courtesy of KIRCHNER that really hone in on this PHILOSOPHICAL CONCEPT of DUPLICITY with VISUAL DEPICTIONS of DEEPER MIND-STATES and EXPANDED CONSCIOUSNESS in which a SPIRITUAL REALM is superimposed on the PHYSICAL one in an almost PSYCHEDELIC FASHION. such takes a BASIC PLOT and really explodes the POSSIBILITIES VISUALLY in a way that subverts the FORM itself. such SELF-CONSCIOUSLY mirrors the very MAGIC of the GRAPHIC NOVEL FORM itself. all in all, this is a QUALITY and WELL-CONSTRUCTED COMIC well worth checking out. much RECOMMENDED. photo & text by nacrowe
back when i was teaching ENGLISH LITERATURE there were often times i was required by a CURRICULUM to teach a pre-MODERN TEXT, most often by the likes of WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE but once i a while GEOFFREY CHAUCER. my PREFERENCE was the LATTER. there is something FOREIGN and instinctively REMOTE about the MIDDLE ENGLISH of THE CANTERBURY TALES that instigated an INTRIGUING RESPONSE from my STUDENTS. at first they couldnt believe that this was in fact written in ENGLISH. this was not due to the WORDS themselves being a bit ARCHAIC yet COMPREHENDIBLE, but rather that their USAGE and STRUCTURE took some getting used to, almost like the CONFUSING modern-day EXPERIENCE of talking with an AUSTRALIAN speaking in DIALECTA.
that LINGUISTIC DISTANCE and OPACITY spurred a sense of REVERENCE for the TEXT itself as an ARTIFACT or RELIC of the PAST. it is lost on none of my STUDENTS that the INCOMPLETE 14th CENTURY EXTENDED POEM written PREDOMINANTLY in VERSE that is THE CANTERBURY TALES is the first MAJOR LITERARY STATEMENT in the ENGLISH LANGUAGE, written about a RETINUE of PILGRIMS en route from LONDON to CANTERBURY in order to pay RELIGIOUS RESPECTS to the MARTYRED SAINT THOMAS BECKET at CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL. CHAUCER, a DIPLOMAT and MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT, had a KEEN EYE for PHYSICAL DETAILS and his OBSERVATIONS about the WAYFARERS is a MASTERCLASS in INDIRECT CHARACTERIZATION, showcasing their INTERIOR MOTIVATIONS, WORLDLY ASPIRATIONS, PSYCHOLOGIES and even MORAL CONTRADICTIONS in pursuing this PILGRIMAGE. all of that is well and good, but again, the LANGUAGE is so ELEVATED and DIALECTICALLY OPAQUE that my STUDENTS were caught OFF-GUARD at times by the DECEIVING TONE, which could be referencing RIBALD SEXUAL, VULGAR and even SCATALOGICAL DESCRIPTIONS and OBSCENE HUMOR. that DISCONNECT was something i never prepared my STUDENTS for ON PURPOSE and always welcomed them discovering that this TEXT was anything but ENLIGHTENED and REFINED (which it was) as advertised, but could also be quite LEWD and INDECENT. in other words it was a TEXT that despite its seemingly ARCHAIC STRUCTURE and PRESENTATION felt quite ALIVE, CONTEMPORARY and even counterintuitively ACCESSIBLE to my STUDENTS. watching that PROCESS unfold as my STUDENTS got in the swing of things and went about deciphering the PILGRIMS as CHAUCER unfolded each TALE dedicated to such, searching for TELLS and CLUES that were BAWDY in NATURE was something that they UNEXPECTEDLY enjoyed, having dreaded the TEXT at FIRST GLANCE. i remember when i first read the same TEXT in HIGH SCHOOL my TEACHER ruined such discovery by explaining such DETAILS FIRSTHAND, which killed the TEXT for me. THE CANTERBURY TALES is definitely worth reading if you are UNFAMILIAR with such. you also get a sense of how LANGUAGE is constantly EVOLVING and that the very CONCEPT of ENGLISH as an UNWAVERING STANDARDIZED SYSTEM by many CONTEMPORARY CONSERVATIVE-LEANING CRITICS is an ABSOLUTE MIRAGE and ACADEMICALLY BASELESS NOTION consciously devised to effectuate REVANCHIST and quite often MALIGNANT POLITICAL OUTCOMES. REALITY, HISTORY, LANGUAGE and EXPRESSION are much more COMPLEX. THE CANTERBURY TALES is EMBLEMATIC of such and is well worth revisiting when one forgets or loses sight of such. photo & text by nacrowe
the BUBONIC PLAGUE PANDEMIC of the MIDDLE AGES was a DEPLORABLE time of UNTOLD, WANTON AGONY, PAIN and DEATH with no PALPABLE SENSE of REASON or PURPOSE, just UNADULTERATED OLD TESTAMENT JUSTICE. yet the REAL SUFFERING, as made CLEAR and examined in JULIA GFRÖRER's MINIMALIST but highly EVOCATIVE GRAPHIC NOVEL LAID WASTE (FANTAGRAPHICS, 2016), was a BURDEN of the LIVING. finding CONNECTION and COMMUNITY in a FRAUGHT LANDSCAPE of INCREDIBLE DESPAIR and DISRUPTION is what makes us HUMAN and defines our SPIRIT as a SPECIES.
in LAID WASTE we are met with AGNES, a YOUNG WIDOW who is tasked with tending to her SIBLINGS after both of her PARENTS PASS AWAY from the BLACK DEATH. those PATERNAL BINDS of DUTY and RESPECT dont disperse with the EXASPERATION of one's MORTAL COIL, if anything such CONTINUED HARD WORK and DILIGENCE is a TESTAMENT to their ENDURING LEGACY as a FAMILY UNIT. no REWARD, no HIGHER MEANING, just SURVIVAL. and in this SCENARIO CONTINUED SURVIVAL equates to CONTINUED SUFFERING. and the AUSTERE ARTWORK and MINIMAL DIALOGUE in MULTIPLE PANELS throughout LAID WASTE showcases by GFRÖRER a PRETERNATURAL LEVEL of CONTROL over TONE that results in exposing the EMOTIONAL GRAVITY of what it must have felt like to survive the BLACK DEATH. it had to have seemed quite ABSURD and even ARBITRARY to be ALIVE as if it was all up to HAPPENSTANCE and BALD, RANDOM CHANCE, which only further inflames the RESULTING TRAUMA and PIERCING SENSE of SURVIVOR's GUILT for all those who PERISHED. also, with FAMILIAL, COMMUNAL and ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS now newly cut off, there is an OPPORTUNITY and RISK for the DEVELOPMENT of NEW CONNECTIONS. and this seems to be GFRÖRER's BROADER POINT in this DARK, VOLATILE and largely APOCALYPTIC NARRATIVE, that even in a SITUATION rivaling that of an EFFECTIVE ARMAGEDDON the PROSPECT is always there to rebuild FRESH and ANEW. again, it is part of our very COLLECTIVE MAKEUP as HUMANS. GFRÖRER is a supremely TALENTED WRITER and VISUAL ARTIST and LAID WASTE is a SUBLIME GRAPHIC NOVEL well worth checking out. id dare say it is GENUINE ACHIEVEMENT in achieving a NARRATIVE of RARE OPTIMISM and HOPE for the FUTURE in spite of its AGGRESSIVELY BRUTAL THEMATIC ELEMENTS. photo & text by nacrowe
HEY, WAIT... (FANTAGRAPHICS, 2001) by NORWEGIAN CARTOONIST JOHN ARNE SÆTERØY who goes by the MONONYMIC pen name JASON is UNDOUBTEDLY one of the most AFFECTING GRAPHIC NOVELS i have ever encountered and its UNIQUE ABILITY to cut so deep is a RESULT of its EXPERT ECONOMY of SPARSE VISUALS and DIALOGUE within its MINIMALIST PANELS. although little is being said in each from, the RHYTHM and LULL of the organically DEVELOPING CHILDHOOD FRIENDSHIP is ADROITLY mimicked to the POINT that when TRAGEDY erupts and that CYCLE is BROKEN, well, its SHOCKING.
in fact, the DEATH of the PROTAGONIST's CLOSE CHILDHOOD FRIEND after what amounts to a JUVENILE FREAK ACCIDENT leads to a SEVERELY-ALTERED LIFE TRAJECTORY of REGRET, SHAME and ISOLATION that is likewise mimicked by the JOYLESS, EMPTY TOIL of ADULT WORK LIFE and CIRCADIAN SLEEP CYCLES. then the PROTAGONIST effectively drinks himself to DEATH. what makes this all so EARTH-SHATTERING is how the TONE DRAMATICALLY SHIFTS midway through the NARRATIVE and becomes something much more SINISTER and SELF-DESTRUCTIVE, almost akin to a HUBERT SELBY JR NOVEL or an INGMAR BERGMAN FILM. considering the LATTER the MANNER in which this GRAPHIC NOVEL expresses deep REGRET and endless INTERNAL CONSTERNATION about PAST EVENTS and a LIFE left UNFULFILLED in an almost SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY is eerily REMINISCENT of BERGMAN's CINEMATIC MASTERPIECE WILD STRAWBERRIES (AB SVENSK FILMINDUSTRI, 1957) in which an ACCOMPLISHED and RESPECTED ACADEMIC looks back at CHOICES he made in his YOUTH regarding the PURSUANCE of his CAREER and not LOVE with DEEP REMORSE and GUILT. its TRAGIC because there is NOTHING one can do, THE PAST is DONE. set in stone. you get the SENSE that JASON is mining SIMILAR TERRITORY here and almost concluding that we are all the INEVITABLE RESULT of PAST TRAUMATIC EVENTS that are PERMANENT and LIFE-DEFINING. furthermore the NAIVETE of YOUTH cannot save you from being SCARRED in this MANNER as DEATH, PAIN, SICKNESS and ISOLATION comes for us all in this LIFE experienced in our INDIVIDUAL CORPOREAL REALITY. in HEY, WAIT... this SHIFT just happens ABRUPTLY, much like in REAL LIFE. LITERALLY one MOMENT you are PURE, the next you have been CORRUPTED by the WORLD. LOSS OF INNOCENCE. growing up. its UNAVOIDABLE. for me this all comports with my LIVED REALITY and SENSE OF SELF as DEFINED via TRAUMATIC EVENTS throughout my DEVELOPMENT, whether they be related to HEALTH, RELATIONSHIPS, PAIN (PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL or otherwise) or even VICARIOUSLY through DEATH. what i fail to take in from all this is any KIND of REASON or WIDER MORAL UNIVERSE at play. it all just seems ARBITRARY and the COLD HARD FACT OF LIFE that there is no LARGER EQUILIBRIUM at play and that LIFE just moves on. you merely survive and move forward until you dont. just like in HEY, WAIT... where no LESSON is LEARNED, no TRUTH REVEALED. just DEATH. this GRAPHIC NOVEL is a GUT PUNCH and one of the most EXPERTLY DEPICTED and EMOTIONALLY-WROUGHT NARRATIVES i have experienced in quite some time. it is an ABSOLUTE MASTERSTROKE of the COMIC BOOK MEDIUM no doubt. much RECOMMENDED. photo & text by nacrowe
ADOLESCENCE is BRUTAL. even those of us that got through such relatively UNSCATHED are no doubt transformed and INEXTRICABLY marked by the EXPERIENCE. and i am hard pressed to think of another GRAPHIC NOVEL that has so VIVIDLY expressed the PATHOS and INTERNAL STRIFE of that DEVELOPMENTAL STAGE than LIZ SUBURBIA's DEBUT EFFORT SACRED HEART (FANTAGRAPHICS, 2015) which follows a young WOMAN named BEN on a CULT COMPOUND sans PARENTS and ADULTS dealing with the HARDSHIPS of high school SOCIAL CLIQUES, the RESPONSIBILITY of RELATIONSHIPS and the UNCONDITIONALLY accepting of one's FAMILY in spite of their MISGIVINGS and TRESPASSES. minus the RELIGIOUS OVERTONES and APOCALYPTIC ENDING, this NARRATIVE really hones in on the SELF-CRITICAL REFLECTION that comes with growing into ADULTHOOD and accepting ONESELF for whom they actually are.
the CHOICE to have such a TEEN DRAMA sans PARENTS, TEACHERS, RELIGIOUS LEADERS, POLICE OFFICERS and any ADULT PRESENCE is an INTRIGUING STYLISTIC and STORYTELLING DECISION, as it frees the PLOT to veer away from CLICHE TERRITORY centered around OUT-OF-TOUCH ADULTS chastising and patronizing those under their TENTATIVE CARE. instead we effectively are presented with an ALTERNATE REALITY in which WANTON VIOLENCE, DEATH and (we find out) MURDER are COMMONPLACE with no RECOGNIZABLE ORDER or CODE OF ETHICS imposed on by a LARGER ESTABLISHMENT. there is is a sort of UNDERSTOOD UTOPIAN ANARCHY in its stead which only further heightens the IMPASSIONED DRAMA of the STORY. so much so that everything seems relatively MUNDANE and TRITE despite its completely ODD NATURE. its an INCREDIBLE ACHIEVEMENT that showcases SUBURBIA's STRENGTH as both a VISUAL ARTIST and WRITER. in my mind's eye when reading this SACRED HEART, i could not help but think back to my time visiting my GRANDPARENTS as a TEENAGER out in RURAL NEVADA. INEXPLICABLY they chose to effectively leave SOCIETY and relocate from MARIN COUNTY just OUTSIDE SAN FRANCISCO for a TINY DESERT TOWN literally in the middle of NOWHERE called HAWTHORNE. this PLACE was literally the LOCATION of GOVERNMENT MISSILE SILOS during the COLD WAR so OUT-OF-THE-WAY it was from CIVILIZATION. sadly ive been there MULTIPLE TIMES and saw its LISTLESS RESIDENTS, especially ADOLESCENTS, walking around BORED and AIMLESS. there was literally nothing in TOWN outside of a CASINO, which was just so beyond DEPRESSING. GRAFFITTI understandably littered the PLACE EVERYWHERE and in the distance you could see mountains that likewise were written up with VULGARITIES and EVIDENCE of PAST RELATIONSHIPS and MAKESHIFT GANG TAGS long gone by. that END-OF-THE-WORLD vibe was PARAMOUNT to the HAWTHORNE EXPERIENCE and reading SACRED HEART took me right back to that SADE LOCALE. when i learned that SUBURBIA HERSELF hailed from NEVADA, such made me think that she must have been well acquainted with that VIGORLESS LIFESTYLE that only comes with DELIBERATELY being far OUTSIDE the CONFINES of SOCIETY writ large. thank god or whomever that i didnt have to stay in HAWTHORNE that long. can only imagine what it must be like to grow up in that ISOLATED SITUATION. i got out. photo & text by nacrowe
my senior year 9/11 happens and i move from the MIDDLE EAST where my FAMILY was stationed to SACRAMENTO to finish out HIGH SCHOOL with an UNCLE. in a LIFE of UNEXPECTED, ABRUPT, DRAMATIC and outright ABSURD RELOCATIONS, this one was up there. my NEW SCHOOL was somewhat of an ANTICLIMAX, with STUDENTS there into things i was not interested in, like FOOTBALL, CARS and CHRISTIANITY. aside from seeing TOOL on their LATERALUS (VOLCANO, 2001) tour that year, the other NOTABLE CULTURAL HIGHLIGHT i encountered was being introduced to AUTHOR TOM ROBBINS by my ENGLISH TEACHER.
the ASSIGNMENT was a CAPSTONE PROJECT in which you had to present a NOVEL read OUTSIDE of CLASS that was from an EXTENDED LIST of POSSIBLE OPTIONS. my LITERAL QUESTION was "WHICH BOOK IS THE MOST OFFENSIVE?" and i was summarily pointed towards ANOTHER ROADSIDE ATTRACTION (DOUBLEDAY, 1971) which warranted the need for a SIGNED PERMISSION SLIP from my RELATIVE. which was FUNNY at the time since he tried to assess whether this BOOK was TOO CONTROVERSIAL and ADULT-THEMED for me. i remember looking at my POOR UNCLE and saying something to the EFFECT of "SO LET ME GET THIS STRAIGHT, I COUD HANDLE SEEING DEAD BODIES IN MY PRETEENS IN AFRICA, BUT CAN'T HANDLE A STUPID BOOK." so yeah, he signed it. previous to ROBBINS i was introduced and somewhat FAMILIAR with the enduring LITERARY MECHANISM that is the UNRELIABLE NARRATOR, but i was UNPREPARED for a deliberately UNRELIABLE AUTHOR. ROBBINS has this way of deviating from the PLOT with a LONG, DETAILED ASIDE that can last ten to twenty pages, whereby whatever train of thought you were originally following has long since left the station. ANOTHER ROADSIDE ATTRACTION follows the CONVOLUTED EXPLOITS of an OBSCURE group of ROADSIDE ATTRACTION HUCKSTERS who may or may not have come across the LITERAL CORPSE of JESUS CHRIST. obviously the POTENTIAL MANIFESTATION of such even existing EXPLOSIVELY calls into question the SUPPOSED DIVINITY of CHRIST, but these DEBASED DEGENERATES are more concerned with the FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS of possessing what could be the GREATEST ROADSIDE ATTRACTION in RURAL WASHINGTON STATE. what i appreciate about ROBBINS' WRITING is how FREE and INVENTIVE his AESTHETIC is, where literally nothing is TABOO (RELIGION, SEXUALITY, DEATH, GENDER POLITICS and so on) and everything is FODDER for a COMPELLING, EXTENDED DIVERSION that does little to move the NARRATIVE forward. ROBBINS is essentially a LITERARY TERRORIST just intentionally duping READER EXPECTATIONS and placing COPIOUS RED HERRINGS so often that one just lifts any SEMBLANCE of HOPE for a COHERENT UNDERSTANDING of events. that 'ANYTHING GOES' MODUS OPERANDI effectively empowers the READER to fully discard any QUIXOTIC BELIEF in the PLOT tying together nicely as only LITERATURE and TRITE STORYTELLING can do. to me such makes his FANTASTICAL and ABSURD NARRATIVES paradoxically that much more BELIEVABLE. you dont have to be that CYNICAL to appreciate that having CHRIST's UN-ASCENDED CORPSE in the CURRENT MODERN AGE would be quite the LUCRATIVE MONEY-MAKER, much like how ALIEN TECHNOLOGY in the NICOLAS ROEG SCIENCE-FICTION FILM THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH (BRITISH LION, 1976) likewise was FINANCIALLY exploited with all the unanticipated CORRUPTING POWER and STATUS that followed suit thereafter. ROBBINS' PERSPECTIVE on HUMAN NATURE thus is something i have INTERNALIZED, especially in the mind-numbingly PROVOCATIVE ERA of DONALD TRUMP where nothing is TABOO or OFF-LIMITS and everything feels like a HACKNEYED REALITY TELEVISION PREMISE. even something as SACROSANCT and PURE as the SON OF GOD is DILUTED and DEPRIVED of MEANING by its ASSOCIATION with a DEPRAVED HUMANITY. you also wonder if FOLLOWERS even care about PHYSICAL PROOF anymore, so CONSUMED with their own AGENDA and SELF-IDENTITY mired in the very PROPAGATION of such, which is the of course the MAIN CRITIQUE of religion and its CREATION thereof found throughout the likewise HILARIOUS and INTELLIGENTLY-CONSTRUCTED MONTY PYTHON FILM LIFE OF BRIAN (HANDMADE, 1979). i loved this NOVEL as a TEENAGER and it definitely had an IMPACT on my EXPECTATIONS as a READER and the OUTER LIMITS of what the FORM could achieve moving forward. have to say, i didnt find it especially OFFENSIVE or CONTROVERSIAL though. guess youd have to be a pretty UNSOPHISTICATED and JOYLESS CHRISTIAN for that to be the CASE. photo & text by nacrowe
the OBSCURE DELINEATION between ENCOMIUM and EXPLOITATION is pretty THIN indeed and the BIOGRAPHICAL GRAPHIC NOVEL GODSPEED: THE KURT COBAIN GRAPHIC (OMNIBUS, 2003) created by the WRITING DUO BARNABY LEGG and JIM MCCARTHY with ILLUSTRATIONS by FLAMEBOY consciously walks that DELICATE LINE in stride. written in FIRST PERSPECTIVE, the COMIC attempts to provide a SOBER TAKE on the TROUBLED INTERIOR LIFE and SOCIAL DYNAMICS of a MUCH-BELOVED CULTURAL ICON. there are no REAL REVELATIONS on that accord, given that EXISTING BIOGRAPHERS like CHARLES CROSS and MICHAEL AZERRAD have long since established the ENDURING NARRATIVE of a particularly DIFFICULT UPBRINGING and UNSETTLED FAMILY SITUATION, being a CHILD of DIVORCE who ping-ponged unsuccessfully between PARENTS and RELATIVES throughout his ADOLESCENCE that spurred a deeply ENTRENCHED, LIFE-LONG SENSE of NEGATIVE SELF-IDENTITY that was sadly SELF-DEFINED as being UNLOVED, UNWANTED and PERENNIAL ALIENATION. even gaining WIDESPREAD FAME and RECOGNITION for his ART, finding LOVE and becoming a FATHER was not enough to effectively counter such INTENSE EMOTIONS of ISOLATION ultimately. or at least such is the often PERPETUATED MYTHOLOGY surrounding the ICONIC FRONTMAN for the SEATTLE ALTERNATIVE ROCK BAND NIRVANA, KURT COBAIN.
what makes GODSPEED a COMPELLING GRAPHIC NOVEL is the STARK artwork by FLAMEBOY which really dredges into BOTH POLES of COBAIN's COMPLICATED PERSONALITY. those being the COMPASSIONATE, ATTENTIVE and ENGAGED MUSICIAN / VISUAL ARTIST as represented by his PERSONAL AVATAR of CREATIVITY and LIFE-FORCE with the inclusion of his ADOLESCENT MAKE-BELIEVE FRIEND BODDAH, depicted with BRIGHT COLORS and CHILDLIKE ENTHUSIASM, and the unquestionably DARK CORRIDORS of his MIND where his HOPELESS, NIHILISTIC DESCENT into DRUG ADDICTION and SELF-ISOLATION seemingly offered no OPTIMISM or DAYLIGHT, which are depicted in MUTED COLORS and GRAPHIC DEPICTIONS of SELF-HARM. these TWO POLES which ping-pong at times in QUICK SUCCESSION showcase the TORTURED NATURE of COBAIN's CULTURAL LEGACY in VIVID DETAIL, which in my OPINION is a VISUAL ACHIEVEMENT. my only GRIPE is with the NARRATIVE itself and not the VISUALS of GODSPEED, since this GRAPHIC NOVEL infers that COBAIN's SUICIDE was INEVITABLE and that ultimately he was a VICTIM of his own SUCCESS. three decades since his PASSING and i still dont buy that MUCH-PERPETUATED CONCLUSION. he had CHOICES. unimaginably PAINFUL and DIFFICULT DECISIONS regarding his MENTAL HEALTH, CAREER and RELATIONSHIPS (both PERSONAL and PROFESSIONAL), but they were there. i did not know the GUY, i was in early elementary school when he DIED, but there is always ANOTHER OPTION regarding SUICIDAL IDEATION and helping proliferate the ENDURING MYTH that his DEATH was somehow INEXORABLE is quite the DANGEROUS MESSAGE and id even argue blithely REPREHENSIBLE. so yeah, GODSPEED is a DEFINITE MIXED-BAG since it veers too much into HAGIOGRAPHY in my OPINION. a GRAPHIC NOVEL LOVINGLY-DEPICTED but is COMPLICATED and CONTROVERSIAL, much like COBAIN himself. photo & text by nacrowe
talk about RELEVANT.
MARGARET ATWOOD's MUCH-REVERED DYSTOPIAN NOVEL THE HANDMAID'S TALE (MCLELLAND AND STEWART, 1985) is the HARROWING DEPICTION of a FUTURE REALITY that finds the UNITED STATES toppled, with its CONSTITUTION overturned and its ELECTED OFFICIALS assassinated by a CULT-LIKE MILITARY DICTATORSHIP that reduces WOMANKIND to the DEBASED ROLE of a COMMON BREEDING ANIMAL. no different than that of a COW or a PIG on a farm. WOMEN in this completely DEBAUCHED ENVIRONMENT have NO SECURITY, NO IDENTITY, NO BODILY AUTONOMY, NO FREEDOM and NO HOPE. they are effectively CHATTEL SLAVES that are used, abused and discarded at the whims of their MALE OVERLORDS. i first read this NOVEL back in college as part of a WRITING COURSE that was centered around the ANALYSIS of PROMINENT ECOFEMINIST TEXTS. ecofeminism being the idea that the oppression of women and the degradation of the environment are interconnected in their both being the MALIGNANT result of inherently EXPLOITATIVE PATRIARCHAL and CAPITALIST SYSTEMS. part of what makes THE HANDMAID'S TALE such a simultaneously RIVETING and DISTRESSING read is the intensely PSYCHOLOGICAL MANNER in which some WOMEN in the NARRATIVE wholly buy into the newly IMPOSED PARADIGM SHIFT regarding GENDER ROLES and DYNAMICS. the INTERNALIZATION is so complete that they assist in enforcing such EXTREME IMPOSITIONS on their FELLOW SISTERS on the behalf of the STATE. the LEARNED SENSE of HELPLESSNESS and CONFORMITY is no doubt all part STANFORD PRISON EXPERIMENT, part STOCKHOLM SYNDROME, part MILGRAM EXPERIMENT, part HAWTHORNE EFFECT and part BLUE EYES/BROWN EYES EXPERIMENT taken to an evermore DESPICABLE EXTREME in this TEXT. THE HANDMAID'S TALE was written in the wake of the rise of the REAGAN ADMINISTRATION in the 1980s and the SO-CALLED MORAL MAJORITY that swept him into POWER. the CONSERVATIVE RELIGIOSITY of that PERIOD included OVER-ZEALOUS CHRISTIAN RIGHT ADHERENTS that openly advocated for a NEW IMPOSITION by the STATE on ISSUES regarding WOMEN's BODILY AUTONOMY, including the policy of denying them the RIGHT to an ABORTION. the NOVEL represents a THOUGHTFUL EXTENSION of the ETHOS behind those REVANCHIST VIEWS being carried out to their LOGICAL OUTCOME, in which WOMEN are rendered SECOND-CLASS CITIZENS that are only valued for their NATURAL REPRODUCTIVE FUNCTIONS. the TRUE HORROR of the BOOK lies in the REALIZATION that such ABILITIES are SUBVERTED and EXPLOITED by the STATE for the SELF-PERPETUATING NEEDS of the STATE, which is effectively the PATRIARCHY and its SILENT, ENABLING and boundlessly CRAVEN BUSINESS COMMUNITY. this was all a STARK DYSTOPIAN FEVER DREAM of the most MORTIFYING VARIETY nearly some forty years ago. in the wake of the DOBBS DECISION in 2022 in which the FEDERAL RIGHT to an ABORTION was overturned by an OUT-OF-TOUCH, EXTREMIST-led SUPREME COURT this is now a LIVING, BREATHING REALITY. the VERDICT is still out on whether the TRUMP ADMINISTRATION will carry out its STATED AUTHORITARIAN AMBITIONS with regards to the MASSIVE MILITARY and INTELLIGENCE APPARATUS a la THE HANDMAID'S TALE, but the SEEDS of such a DOWNWARD SPIRAL are clearly there. THE HANDMAID'S TALE doesnt read as just TIMELY, but damn near a PROPHECY of a POSSIBLE FUTURE, or at least a FACSIMILE thereof, in the NEAR TERM. it literally should be read by ANYBODY and EVERYBODY. absolute REQUIRED reading in my OPINION, especially given the UNFORTUNATE POLITICAL CIRCUS set to take place for the SECOND TIME next month. think im being HYPERBOLIC with all this? then do your own DAMN RESEARCH. start with J.D. VANCE and his RADICALLY ULTRA-CONSERVATIVE OPINIONS on the ROLE of WOMEN in SOCIETY. dude is the very WALKING, BREATHING PERSONIFICATION of the NIGHTMARE ECOFEMINISTS envisioned since in his WARPED PERSPECTIVE CHILDLESS WOMEN should be rendered less RIGHTS due to some OBSCURE, DOGMATIC reading of CATHOLIC PRECEPTS. remember that VANCE is about to be VICE PRESIDENT with those REVANCHIST VIEWS and that ultimately WHITE WOMEN voted in droves for that creep and his RAPIST, MULTI-COUNT FELON OF A CO-PILOT for a second go around even after a TELEVISED INSURRECTION in which OFFICERS OF THE LAW where killed. its all STRANGER than FICTION, but its sadly very REAL. photo & text by nacrowe
HARK! A VAGRANT! (DRAWN AND QUARTERLY, 2011) is a COLLECTION of COMIC STRIPS written by CANADIAN CARTOONIST KATE BEATON that is a LIGHTHEARTED yet POIGNANT take on the IMPLICIT BIASES in the INHERITED NARRATIVES and ASSUMPTIONS perpetuated down through the GENERATIONS about LITERATURE, HISTORY and WESTERN CULTURE writ large. given the SPECIFICITY of these BARBS, it makes PERFECT SENSE that many of these were written for the STUDENT NEWSPAPER while BEATON was in college pursuing a degree in HISTORY and ANTHROPOLOGY. most of the CRITIQUES deal with CHAUVINISM and GENDER ROLES, COLONIALIST PRESUPPOSITIONS of SUPERIORITY and the simultaneous BOUNDLESS DULLNESS and INNATE DECENCY of CANADIANS (even when deeply PERTURBED, usually by AMERICANS).
what i appreciate most about HARK! A VAGRANT! is its HUMOR. give the NATURE of these CONSIDERED and THOUGHTFUL CRITICISMS, which deal with seemingly DOUR ISSUES surrounding INEQUITY and INEQUALITY, the TONE could very easily be SUBDUED and even willfully DEFEATIST being that such have remained UNCHECKED seemingly in PERPETUITY. but BEATON really lays into the INHERENT ABSURDITY of it all and castigates the PROPONENTS and PERPETUATORS of MISOGYNY and COLONIALIST SUBJUGATION and EXPLOITATION largely by allowing THEMSELVES to dig their own grave by the ACTIONS of their own HAND or TONGUE. the SUPPOSED LOSERS of HISTORY in this SPACE are seen to be giving a KNOWING GLANCE or SIGH of total CONTEMPT and EXASPERATION for the WICKED and SELF-INTERESTED BEHAVIOR of WHITE MEN from time immemorial. and im all here for it. when dealing with the OVERPOWERING POLITICAL, ECONOMIC and CULTURAL FORCES that beat us down into SUBMISSION, either by the gravity of their POWER and INFLUENCE, or the LONG-RUNNING NARRATIVE ECOSYSTEM that has effectively DEFINED such down the line, the seemingly best way to counteract such is through HUMOR. HISTORY is ABSURD, POLITICAL SYSTEMS are ABSURD, LEADERS are ABSURD, PEOPLE are ABSURD, LIFE is ABSURD. best to just admit such and deep dive into HUMOR in it all. at least its much better than the other OPTION of mindlessly internalizing such TERRIBLE ASSUMPTIONS and further perpetuating them down the line as so many of our PREDECESSORS have down before. HARK! A VAGRANT! is definitely worth checking out, even if find yourself looking up nearly half of these OBSCURE CANADIAN HISTORICAL FIGURES (at least for an AMERICAN). photo & text by nacrowe
growing up i never was a FAN of COMIC BOOKS dealing with the FANTASTICAL EXPLOITS of SUPERHERO CHARACTERS with their ABSURD POWERS and RESPONSIBILITIES the mostly i found i couldnt relate to the PREMISE. seemed RIDICULOUS and a bit UNREALISTIC. and i dont meant the FANCIFUL FLYING, TELEPATHIC, TIME-MANIPULATING, SPACE-BENDING or REALITY-WARPING ASPECTS of it all, but the UNDERLYING SUGGESTION that such PRETERNATURAL ABILITIES would be utilized with an equal measure of CALM RESTRAINT just didnt seam BELIEVABLE.
which is why i find THE DEATH-RAY (DRAWN & QUARTERLY, 2004) by DANIEL CLOWES such a COMPELLING GRAPHIC NOVEL. originally a part of his EIGHTBALL (FANTAGRAPHICS, 1989-2004) series of COMIC BOOKS, this now STAND-ALONE NARRATIVE is based on the RELATABLE PREMISE that the ORPHANED, UNWANTED, TWICE-DIVORCED UNDERDOG who has been gifted EXTRAORDINARY ABILITIES of STRENGTH and even an HONEST-TO-GOD DEATH RAY GUN that only he can use does not have BENEVOLENCE in his heart for HUMANITY but a DEEP-SEATED RESENTMENT and almost SOCIOPATHIC COMPULSION to selectively ERADICATE those that make him ANGRY. or at the very least he is a MISANTHROPE with pronounced NARCISSISTIC TENDENCIES. gaining his INCREDIBLE POWERS in his late teens, its difficult not to read his TRANSFORMATION ALLEGORICALLY about that CONSEQUENTIAL TRANSITiON from ADOLESCENT to YOUNG ADULT and the PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL and PSYCHOLOGICAL RESPONSIBILITIES that come with such that largely define one for the rest of their lives. to me at least it makes sense that despite wanting to shield SOCIETY from his POTENTIAL WRATH, the ITCH ultimately becomes to much and he falls into the TEMPTATION of wreaking VENGEANCE on the WORLD for his TRAUMATIC CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES. you really wonder why most SUPERHERO COMICS hardly have CHARACTERS that continually fail to measure up the INHERENT RESPONSIBILITIES of their SUPERNATURAL ABILITIES. ADOLESCENCE is an especially BRUTAL PERIOD in an INDIVIDUAL's DEVELOPMENT and DIFFICULT if not IMPOSSIBLE to transcend as an ADULT, especially regarding TRAUMATIC EVENTS. it is not even CLEAR within the WORLD presented in THE DEATH-RAY whether ANDY, the MAIN CHARACTER, is definitively a PROTAGONIST or ANTAGONIST. CLOWES left it deliberately AMBIGUOUS. its literally up to the READER to decide whether SOCIETY is better off sans BULLIES, DRUG DEALERS, ADULTERERS and the like that ANDY flawlessly zapped out of EXISTENCE without a trace. the GRAPHIC NOVEL ends with a CHOOSE-YOUR-OWN-ADVENTURE STYLE ending with MULTIPLE SCENARIOS to choose from, each not particularly SATISFYING no matter how you view ANDY as a CHARACTER. in SUMMATION, that UNRESOLVED AMBIGUITY seems to suggest that LIFE is COMPLEX. we are all simultaneously the VICTIM and the AGGRESSOR. we harness DEEPLY-FELT EMOTIONS based on PERSONAL EXPERIENCE and GRIEVANCES therein while also individually perpetuating SYSTEMS that promote ETHNIC, RACIAL, GENDER and ECONOMIC DISPARITIES with REAL WORLD IMPLICATIONS for SOCIETY at large. INEQUITY and INEQUALITY is just a part of LIFE and EVISCERATING PEOPLE, including ONESELF, out of EXISTENCE doesnt change that DYNAMIC one iota. and it is definitely not a VIABLE SOLUTION. such is HUMANITY. photo & text by nacrowe
who knew that this ENDURING, nearly 125 year-old ICON of AMERICAN CHILDREN'S LITERATURE would prove to be such a PRESCIENT, UNNERVING and UNEXPECTED ALLEGORY of our COLLECTIVE FAITH in SECULAR FALSE PROPHETS that MANIPULATE us with the SEDUCTIVE POWER of so-called TECHNOLOGICAL PROGRESS. every time in BUSINESS SCHOOL i hear a PROFESSOR preach yet again chapter and verse about the ACUMEN and INGENUITY of MODERN-DAY AMERICAN TECH OLIGARCHS like JEFF BEZOS, MARK ZUCKERBERG and ELON MUSK i THROW UP A BIT IN MY MOUTH and think back to the EPOCHAL LITERARY FIGURE of the WIZARD from L. FRANK BAUM's THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ (GEORGE M. HILL COMPANY, 1900). just that very IDEA that, like DOROTHY, all HOPE and FEAR will be ailed with BLIND SERVITUDE to TECHNOLOGY and those that consciously EXPLOIT such for POWER, PRESTIGE and ECONOMIC GAIN. such was the case with the WIZARD and his ASYMMETRICAL ACCESS to TRANSFORMATIVE TECHNOLOGY up until his eventual exposure as a CHARLATAN.
it feels like we are collectively in an OVERWHELMING ERA of CHARLATANS. i could quite possibly be wildly OFF-BASE and ABSURD with this take, but it feels like to me that this chase to find and secure an IDENTITY for OURSELVES based not in our LOCAL COMMUNITY, but through TECHNOLOGY, has found us more ALIENATED from one another and PSYCHOLOGICALLY ISOLATED. in the LAND OF OZ, DOROTHY is unknowingly guided by NEW FRIENDS she meets along the way that SYMBOLIZE quite literally VARIOUS ASPECTS of HERSELF and her BOND with her FAMILY back in KANSAS. these FAMILY TIES are thus UNBREAKABLE in NATURE and effectively DEFINE us through DEEP-SEATED VALUES, CULTURAL MORES and LONG-STANDING TRADITIONS we inherit. as much as we try to escape or transcend such, it is very much ultimately FUTILE given that such is the BASIS of our VALUE SYSTEM. one we can count on and return to during PERIODS of IMMENSE STRAIN and CONSTERNATION, such as DOROTHY's EXPERIENCE in a FANTASTICAL, UNFAMILIAR and ultimately PERILOUS novel ENVIRONMENT. the WIZARD was never her SALVATION in this EXTENDED PARABLE, her FAMILY was. i keep wondering where as a NATION we will return to after this second go around with DONALD TRUMP and his NIHILISTIC returning ADMINISTRATION. what is the COMMUNAL POINT of CONNECTION that we all recognize as BEDROCK these days? the BILL OF RIGHTS? the UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION? it feels like such is being frittered away and left to DECAY in favor of an AUTHORITARIAN STATE that promises ECONOMIC PROSPERITY and security straight from the HACKNEYED PLOT of a POORLY-CONCEIVED and BADLY-WRITTEN DYSTOPIAN THRILLER. i dont know what we will return to and when. instead we are cocooned in our ALGORITHMICALLY-ENABLED INFORMATION SILOS online and avoid DIFFICULT, HONEST and vitally NECESSARY PERSON-TO-PERSON, EYE-TO-EYE FRANK DISCUSSIONS and INTERACTIONS with one another. we are LOST in a LAND OF OZ of our own CREATION being manipulated by POWERFUL TECHNOLOGY implemented by a CONSORTIUM of CRAVEN, SELF-SERVING TECH CLOWNS and we are all rendered lesser for such. my FEAR is that the COMMUNAL BONDS that once DEFINED us will be UNRECOGNIZABLE in short order once this debilitatingly VOLATILE and PERNICIOUS ADMINISTRATION grinds our sense of COLLECTIVE WILL and RESOLVE into dust. cant always return home to KANSAS. sorry. photo & text by nacrowe
i read JON KRAKAUER's INTO THIN AIR: A PERSONAL ACCOUNT OF THE MT. EVEREST DISASTER (VILLARD, 1997) BOOK as part of a BUSINESS SCHOOL COURSE dealing with ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR, specifically the COMPLEX, INTERPERSONAL DYNAMICS related to LEADERSHIP and the DECISION-MAKING PROCESS on behalf of a GROUP. the HUBRIS and BOTCHED PROCESS that tragically resulted in eight DEATHS in 1996 on MT. EVEREST by two EXPEDITION COMPANIES (ADVENTURE CONSULTANTS and MOUNTAIN MADNESS) led respectively by ROB HALL and SCOTT FISCHER (both who likewise PERISHED) was an EXTREME CASE STUDY for similar HIERARCHAL DECISION-MAKING SCENARIOS revolving around EXECUTIVES in the CORPORATE WORLD and the PSYCHOLOGICAL HOLD such have over their CONSTITUENTS.
the STORY is TRAGIC, but those INTERPERSONAL DYNAMICS are a FASCINATING TOPIC that is RELEVANT to COUNTLESS WORKPLACE SITUATIONS with ASYMMETRICAL POWER DYNAMICS. the SUMMIT OF MT. EVEREST is TREACHEROUS with DRAMATIC, UNEXPECTED WEATHER SHIFTS leaving CLIMBERS VULNERABLE nearly at all times throughout the trek. so being with a KNOWLEDGABLE GUIDE who understands the RISKS involved and when turning back is the CORRECT CALL is literally a matter of LIFE and DEATH in this EXTREME ENVIRONMENT. with the COMPANIES headed by HALL and FISCHER there were ACTUAL GUARANTEES of making it to the top with a customer-base that was no physically up to snuff. their CONFIDENCE being so HIGH, they didnt bring the ADEQUATE EQUIPMENT that would drive up COSTS as well as add more WEIGHT to the haul. you can probably see where this is going. anything can happen at the SUMMIT and those EXTRA THINGS like OXYGEN TANKS, PROPER CLOTHING and LONG-RAGE WALKIE TALKIES are what will increase the chance of SURVIVAL should you be stuck up there near the SUMMIT for an UNANTICIPATED, EXTENDED PERIOD of time. HALL and FISCHER basically pushed the ISSUE, as they had done with SUCCESS on PREVIOUS OUTINGS with their RESPECTIVE COMPANIES, and ultimate PAID THE PRICE along with those entrusted in their care. both were in essence blinded by their PAST SUCCESS and naively UNPREPARED for possible CONTINGENCIES that they openly DISREGARDED, an UNFORTUNATE and TRAGIC HUBRIS to say the least. where is the RESPONSIBILITY? does any of it lie with the CONSUMERS of HALL and FISCHER who were sold an UNREALISTIC EXPECTATION of traversing the SUMMIT OF MT. EVEREST despite not being in PHYSICAL FIT SHAPE or armed with the PROPER SURVIVAL KNOW-HOW of most EXPERIENCED MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS? should they have known better? its DIFFICULT to assess BLAME because it feels like all involved are CULPABLE. and the UNWILLINGNESS to question AUTHORITY based on an ASYMMETRY of EXPERIENCE, HIERARCHY, KNOWLEDGE and being FINANCIALLY, PERSONALLY and PROFESSIONALLY tied to a certain UNREALISTIC OUTCOME IMPERILED and even DOOMED many in that expedition. the PARALLELS to an EVERYDAY WORKING ENVIRONMENT where the RISKS are much less EXTREME, but no less DEAR nonetheless in terms of FINANCIAL CONSEQUENCES, are OBVIOUS. refusing to say something when you see something puts EVERYONE, even the LEADERSHIP, at RISK. and business is a STRUCTURE or ORGANIZATION created in a sense to manage RISK. and if the CULTURE does not permit INFORMATION traveling in a BOTTOM-UP DIRECTION then pushing the ISSUE so to speak is even more IMPERATIVE and CRITICAL. KRAKAUER was a member of the expedition and saw people raise issues with HALL and FISCHER only to be rebuffed outright. that information if properly handled could have saved lives. like i said before, its an INTRIGUING set of CIRCUMSTANCES from an ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR PERSPECTIVE. i find myself thinking of these ISSUES every time i go to work or think about my former teaching career and questioning my own CULPABILITY in ultimately acquiescing to TERRIBLE PLANS made by ADMINISTRATIONS that negatively affected STUDENT OUTCOMES. no doubt i had a LEARNED HELPLESSNESS based on many of the same FACTORS (HIERARCHY, EXPERIENCE, KNOWLEDGE, FINANCES, etc) that affect my BEHAVIOR. what i could have done differently is SOMETHING i still think about long after with no EASY ANSWERS, even in retrospect. INTO THIN AIR is a CONSEQUENTIAL BOOK that goes well beyond its IMMEDIATE SUBJECT MATTER in MOUNTAINEERING and deep dives into the PSYCHOLOGY of GROUP DYNAMICS and how such lead us to our own PERIL despite our better COLLECTIVE INTENTIONS. most definitely a BOOK worth checking out. photo & text by nacrowe
like EVERYONE, this PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION that is fast approaching has me filled with much CONSTERNATION and UNRESOLVED DREAD about a quite POSSIBLE second FUTURE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION and what that could mean for the COUNTRY and the INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY. part of me still cant believe that he is a VIABLE CANDIDATE, unlike ROMNEY or MCCAIN or even BUSH, given his VOLATILE TEMPERAMENT and PREVIOUS RECORD, both POLITICAL and CRIMINAL, but that is the WORLD we live in.
not coincidentally, ive been attempting in recent weeks to brace MYSELF for what will come and seek out BOOKS on MEDITATION, ANXIETY, STRESS, WELLNESS and the like to buttress my MENTAL HEALTH. unlike most AMERICANS, i have lived in MILITARY DICTATORSHIPS and FAILED DEMOCRACIES (in fact, MULTIPLE on VARYING CONTINENTS) and appreciate firsthand the UNDUE TOLL of STRESS that comes with attempting to FUNCTION in a SOCIETY where the RULES are MALLEABLE if not outright NEGOTIABLE. it feels like that is what we are collectively barreling towards and i dont think most of my fellow citizens understand such. one BOOK i found that was HELPFUL was the GRAPHIC NOVEL YOUR ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO BECOMING ONE WITH THE UNIVERSE (ADAMS, 2014) by YUMI SAKUGAWA, which delves and brilliantly VISUALLY translates IDEAS related to MEDITATION and MINDFULNESS. in a seemingly UNRELENTING CHAOTIC CULTURAL and POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT spiraling ever more OUT OF CONTROL due to MANIFESTATIONS of our own COLLECTIVE CREATION (SOCIAL MEDIA, MISINFORMATION, CAPITALISTIC SELF-INTEREST, RACISM, SEXISM, DISINFORMATION, RELIGIOUS DISCRIMINATION et al), it helps to reduce and resolve EVERYTHING down to the CONSCIOUS ACT of BREATHING. yes, BREATHING. SAKUGAWA's POTENT and ILLUMINATING ILLUSTRATIONS showcase our SECURE, INDIVIDUAL CONNECTION to the ENVIRONMENT and how such roots us on a COSMIC LEVEL. it takes our PHYSICAL BEING and explodes the CONTEXT of our PERSONAL CONCERNS, DISSATISFACTIONS and FEARS to that of a UNIVERSAL SCALE, where such seems MINUSCULE and INDULGENT in relation to the PERSPECTIVE of the COSMOS. and i feel strongly that reframing such to that LEVEL can be HELPFUL as it reminds us that ultimately we cannot alter certain ENVIRONMENTAL OUTCOMES and need to come to TERMS with them for the sake of our OWN HEALTH and those around us. the potential LONG-TERM REPERCUSSIONS (be they ECONOMIC, CULTURAL or INTERPERSONAL) of a SECOND TRUMP PRESIDENCY are staggering and beyond consequential and i fear it may go the wrong way. if that is such i need to somehow find a way to resolve my TERROR and DEEP CONCERN about the IMPLICATIONS of such an EVENTUALITY. i see this book and others like it as a FIRST STEP in establishing and maintaining the PROPER PERSPECTIVE on such. enough to maintain my MENTAL HEALTH at least. BOOK REVIEW | "CATCHING THE BIG FISH: MEDITATION, CONSCIOUSNESS, AND CREATIVITY" BY DAVID LYNCH10/28/2024 photo & text by nacrowe
i was introduced to TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION more than a decade ago when i was working as a TEACHER in VENEZUELA. it was my second year there and the SCHOOL was basically IMPLODING. the ADMINISTRATION and the other EDUCATORS didnt see eye to eye and the WHOLE THING was a HUGE MESS. as an OLIVE BRANCH or FACE-SAVING MEASURE, the SUPERINTENDENT at the time invited in MEMBERS of the DAVID LYNCH FOUNDATION to instruct the whole FACULTY over a weekend in TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION. it didnt work in terms of the SCHOOL, as SEVERAL TEACHERS subsequently QUIT in very short order, but as an INTRODUCTION to the world of MEDITATION it was FRUITFUL for me as i was shortly about to depart for JAPAN and utilized the TRAINING as an entry point to the ZAZEN SESSIONS i later EXPERIENCED at ZEN BUDDHIST TEMPLES.
so that is where i am coming from when i plainly state that CATCHING THE BIG FISH: MEDITATION, CONSCIOUSNESS AND CREATIVITY (TARCHER, 2006) is in essence DAVID LYNCH's intensely PERSONAL EXAMINATION and EXPLANATION of the many BENEFITS of TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION and how such is involved in his CREATIVE PROCESS as a PAINTER and FILM DIRECTOR. in this form of MEDITATION a WORD is provided that is REPEATED in SILENCE as a MANTRA that over a PERIOD induces an ALTERED CONSCIOUS STATE that effectively allows the USER to disassociate from their WAKING MENTAL STATE filled with PEDESTRIAN WORRIES, TASKS, PREOCCUPATIONS, DISAPPOINTMENTS, RESPONSIBILITIES, COMMITMENTS and so on. for a TEMPORARY PERIOD you are just BEING IN THE MOMENT, emotionally and psychologically SETTLED and ALIVE. LYNCH attests that such a STATE is an APT VEHICLE for expanding and exploring one's DEEP WELL OF CONSCIOUSNESS and that through DISCIPLINE and ROUTINE PRACTICE one can garner the ABILITY to make more IMPACTFUL CONNECTIONS and access BIGGER IDEAS. since you are not being IMPRINTED by the UNHELPFUL FILTER of NEGATIVE EMOTIONS and FEELINGS of SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS, rather you are acting and reacting with a sense of PURITY. one can see how this EXPANDED CAPACITY may be DESIRABLE for a CREATIVE like LYNCH, who sees CREATIVITY as an ITERATIVE PROCESS that reveals itself over time, one DECISION at a time. each CHOICE thus sets a CONDITION that further DECISIONS are a RESPONSE with or against all the way down the line. this is how LYNCH views his PAINTINGS to function, as well as with his FILMS and their many INTERCONNECTED DECISIONS regarding everything from CASTING, LIGHTING, DIALOGUE, PLOT, SET DESIGN, et al. in his ESTIMATION, if one is in the RIGHT MENTAL STATE than they are chasing an IDEA with a FOCUS UNMOLESTED by OUTSIDE, IRRELEVANT INTERESTS. MEDITATION for him is a VEHICLE to maintain that sense of PURITY and EXPANDED CAPACITY to being open to NOVEL IDEAS, not unlike catching fish in an ocean. in this MANNER, all DECISIONS are done with PURE INTENTION and thus are definitively CORRECT, irregardless of OUTSIDE INDUSTRIAL or COMMERCIAL CONCERNS that OTHERS may hold as IMPORTANT. it is an INTRIGUING WAY to consider the CREATIVE PROCESS and how one maintains a VISION despite the OUTSIZED INFLUENCE of the world of BUSINESS INTERESTS, especially of the CORPORATE VARIETY. how REASONABLE or QUIXOTIC a vision i cannot make a CLEAR, DISCERNING JUDGEMENT because the PROOF is in the pudding as LYNCH is one of the most CELEBRATED living FILM DIRECTORS RENOWNED for FILMS like ERASERHEAD (LIBRA, 1977), BLUE VELVET (DE LAURENTIIS, 1986), THE ELEPHANT MAN (PARAMOUNT, 1980), LOST HIGHWAY (OCTOBER, 1997), MULHOLLAND DRIVE (UNIVERSAL, 2001), and the TRANSFORMATIONAL TELEVISION SERIES TWIN PEAKS (ABC, 1990-1991). DUDE must have done SOMETHING RIGHT along the way. photo & text by nacrowe
i had an ABSOLUTE NIGHTMARE of a time TEACHING ANTIGONE, one of the three THEBAN PLAYS attributed to the ANCIENT GREEK TRAGEDIAN SOPHOCLES in the LATE 5TH CENTURE BCE, during my BRIEF TENURE TEACHING at my former high school in KUWAIT. part of this was STRUCTURAL since i was supposed to WORK from LESSON PLANS and utilize FORMAL ASSESSMENTS provided by two SENIOR TEACHERS. that never happened as i was never given such, for what REASON i still havent the FOGGIEST.
but that wasnt the WORST of it. in essence i was supposed to TEACH a TEXT that was inherently about the CONCEPT of FATE versus FREE WILL in a CULTURE that disregarded outright and even FORBADE such talk. over there it was always some VERSION of the REFRAIN "if ALLAH wills it, such will be done" that permanently parked the CONVERSATION firmly in the FATE corner. and then there was the CENTRAL PLOT TRAJECTORY that in essence revolved around INCEST. so there i was, in a country that FORBADE DISCUSSION of, much less ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, of the whole ARGUMENT of FREE WILL and then i was supposed to TEACH ANTIGONE without mentioning the FACT that the MAIN CHARACTER decides to GOUGE HIS EYES OUT due to learning that he unknowingly KILLED HIS FATHER and PROCREATED MULTIPLE TIMES WITH HIS OWN MOTHER. without question it was the WORST EXPERIENCE of my TEACHING CAREER, with NO SUPPORT from my SUPERIORS and a TEXT that was wildly INAPPROPRIATE, INCOMPATIBLE and strikingly OUT-OF-POCKET for the INTELLECTUAL FRAMEWORK and CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT i was WORKING within. i was UNQUESTIONABLY set up for FAILURE is how i look back at it well past a decade later. i still shake my head and wonder what was the point of teaching ANTIGONE in KUWAIT if you cant address it on its own terms? just choose another TEXT. i first read ANTIGONE back during my sophomore year of high school (in the UNITED STATES) and aside from its more outright TRANSGRESSIVE and DRAMATIC aforementioned PLOT ELEMENTS such as PATRICIDE and INCEST, at its core is a META-NARRATIVE surrounding our INDIVIDUAL CONTROL over our own LIVES. ESSENCE versus EXISTENCE. NATURE versus NURTURE. as individuals are we SELF-MADE and EVER-EVOLVING based on KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE and INTUITION or are all our ACTIONS PREDETERMINED at birth, fixed in stone as part of our NATURAL INHERITANCE. as a TOPIC, such is perennially FRUITFUL for classroom DISCUSSION as STAGGERING modern SCIENTIFIC ADVANCES in GENETICS and our INTIMATE UNDERSTANDING of the HUMAN GENOME has pushed the DEBATE FASCINATINGLY further and further towards regarding what we, in fact, INHERIT and how much of our INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIOR, PREDILECTIONS and even PERSONALITY is a PREDICTABLE and REPEATABLE OUTCOME based on our GENETIC MAKEUP. i worry about where the UNITED STATES is heading because i fear that the DISCUSSION is due to be CLAMPED DOWN and DISREGARDED soon enough by our own TRUMP-aligned REVANCHIST CHRISTIAN NATIONALIST-influenced EDUCATION ADMINISTRATORS that wish to tow a similar NARROW and INTELLECTUALLY STUNTED LINE as i experienced in KUWAIT as both an EDUCATOR and a STUDENT. and that deeply DEPRESSES me. its not like INCEST and PATRICIDE is anything new under the sun, i mean, ANTIGONE is more than 2,400 years old at this point. but that is where we seem to be heading as a SOCIETY i FEAR. regardless of the IMPENDING TRUMPOCALYPSE, too many AMERICANS NATIONWIDE have already adopted this line of THINKING. it feels sadly INEVITABLE. i very much hope im WRONG. photo & text by nacrowe
GRIEF is a POWERFUL EMOTION. the HUMAN PSYCHE is a BATTLEFIELD were CONTENTIOUS MEMORIES and the WOULDA, COULDA, SHOULDA MOMENTS and EXPERIENCES of LIFE are endlessly replayed, with UNDERSTANDABLE SHAME and GUILT leading to USELESS EMOTIONS like REGRET. part of being HUMAN is dealing with CONSEQUENCES of having a CONSCIOUS and a DECENT MEMORY. it molds you. it defines your SELF-IDENTITY.
in the abundantly LYRICAL and POIGNANT GRAPHIC NOVEL THE RETURN OF THE HONEY BUZZARD (SELF MADE HERO, 2016) by DUTCH CARTOONIST AIMÉE DE JONGH, a STRUGGLING BOOK SHOP OWNER under immense ECONOMIC STRESS in the AFTERMATH of the GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS finds himself coming to terms with the EMOTIONAL and PSYCHOLOGICAL REPERCUSSIONS of a series of TRAUMATIC EVENTS from his CHILDHOOD. a CHILDHOOD FRIEND who was MERCILESSLY BULLIED, ACCIDENTALLY FELL from an ELEVATED SCHOOL ROOFTOP before our PROTAGONIST and DIED before being able to exact REVENGE on his REPEATED TRANSGRESSORS with a STOLEN GUN. as an ADULT bearing witness to a WOMAN in a WOODED RAILROAD CROSSING COMMITTING SUICIDE by an ONCOMING TRAIN in his IMMEDIATE PRESENCE. in both cases he did the RIGHT THING, but the GUILT still took on a life of its own. in the AFTERMATH of his FATHER's PASSING, the SHOP OWNER unable to make such financially VIABLE MOVING FORWARD is TRIGGERED into another PANIC ATTACK. this time with HALLUCINATIONS. the NARRATIVE EXPLICITLY makes REFERENCE to the LITERARY GENRE of MAGICAL REALISM, which utilizes FANTASTICAL NARRATIVE ELEMENTS that effectively blur the line between ILLUSION and REALITY, FACT and FICTION. DE JONGH in this GRAPHIC NOVEL utilizes said ELEMENTS and provides a completely PROJECTED and SELF-AFFIRMING, SELF-HEALING DELUSION that consoles the SHOP OWNER into coming to terms with his TRAUMA and its ASSOCIATED GUILT and REGRET. part of this is done through the ORNITHOLOGICAL EXAMPLE of the HONEY BUZZARD, a MIGRATORY BIRD that during the NORTHERN WINTER MONTHS will travel to a DIFFERENT PART of AFRICA than its PARTNER returning the NEXT SPRING to their COLLECTIVE NEST. if one DIES than the other moves on, fiding a NEW PARTNER. the DIFFERENT AFRICAN DESTINATIONS is a SURVIVAL MECHANISM so that both are not KILLED by the SAME NATURAL DISASTER. there is an INSTINCT to acknowledge the PRESENT and MOVE FORWARD despite the pain without CLINGING to the PAST. it is a CONCEPT that the SHOP OWNER is seeking to RESOLVE. i think most of us are. photo & text by nacrowe
COMING-OF-AGE NARRATIVES are always COMPELLING because their very FUNCTION is to uncover and impart a VITAL ASPECT of the STRONGLY-HELD VALUES and IDEALS a SOCIETY holds DEAR. in BATTLE BOY (FIRST SECOND BOOKS, 2013) by the CELEBRATED PHILADELPHIA-based INDEPENDENT ALTERNATIVE CARTOONIST PAUL POPE such a VISION of MASCULINITY is thoughtfully considered whereby INGRAINED NORMATIVE STEREOTYPES regarding the PROTECTIVE DUTIES of RIGHTEOUS MALE FIGURES is QUESTIONED. BATTLING BOY is the ASSUMED MONIKER of a TEENAGE DEMIGOD from an ETHEREAL OUTER DIMENSION placed in a WAR-RAVAGED PLANET overrun by GHOULISH MONSTERS as part of a RIGHT-OF-PASSAGE RITUAL. his FATHER being an INTERGALACTIC DESTROYER of all-things EVIL BEHEMOTHS and GNARLY MONSTROSITIES, represents a HYPER-AGGRESSIVE yet SUPPORTIVE ARCHETYPE of MASCULINITY, one that has UNCOMPROMISING MORAL CLARITY as well as UNWAVERING SELF-CONFIDENCE that his SON is DESPERATELY attempting to assume and mimic, armed with a POWERFUL CLOAK and MAGICAL T-SHIRTS.
the NARRATIVE itself is one as old as time, but the REAL STAR on display is the signature EVOCATIVE and truely PHANTASMAGORICAL ARTWORK of POPE, which absolutely jumps of the page with ATTITUDE and ENERGY. normally i am not the TARGET DEMOGRAPHIC for anything VAGUELY SUPERHUMAN-related as such seems LAZY and overtly REDUCTIVE regarding FORCED SCENARIOS with often INAUTHENTIC HUMAN INTERACTIONS. not the case with POPE as his CHARACTERS seem to manifest as VIABLE REPRESENTATIONS of HUMAN FRAGILITY put in often OVERWHELMING SCENARIOS in which their OPEN VULNERABILITIES are laid BARE and confronted directly. with the CHARACTER of BATTLING BOY, there seems to be a SUBTEXT regarding the MODE of MASCULINITY he wishes to embody as he seeks to bring a POLITICAL and overtly MILITARISTIC SITUATION to a RESOLUTION. a SCENARIO that necessitates STRATEGIC THINKING and COMMUNITY-BUILDING as much as BRUTE FORCE and BRAVADO. the fact that a YOUNG WOMAN, the SCION of a recently departed SELF-MADE HERO from this PLANET devoid of SUPERPOWERS but brimming with INTELLIGENCE, COURAGE and GUSTO, is presented as a CONSEQUENTIAL ALLY intriguingly calls into the question of BATTLING BOY's very PRE-EMINENCE as the MAIN CHARACTER in his own STORY, and consequently our COMPLICITY for assuming such. BATTLING BOY is the first in a MULTI-PART SERIES that seemingly expands on AURORA WEST and the INTERNAL MYTHOLOGY surrounding her FALLEN FATHER and VERITABLE FOLK HERO HAGGARD WEST, bringing COMPLEXITY to this EVER-EVOLVING NARRATIVE that examines and questions normative notions surrounding MASCULINITY. i am here for it. BATTLING BOY is just an ABSOLUTE STUNNER of a read both in CONCEPTUAL and ARTISTIC TERMS. most definitely RECOMMENDED. photo & text by nacrowe
more than twenty years into this CARNIVALESQUE FREAK-SHOW that is SOCIAL MEDIA, we are all pretty much too intimately FAMILIAR with the CONCEPT of having an AVATAR or ALIAS that represents us ONLINE via SOCIAL MEDIA, CHAT ROOMS, COMMENT SECTIONS and the like. such is a VEHICLE for DUPLICITY, DELUSIONS OF GRANDEUR and general HORRIFIC BEHAVIOR due to the lack of ACCOUNTABILITY that comes with having your NAME and LIKENESS attached to your WRITTEN OPINIONS.
cartoonist PETER BAGGE's presents in his COMPELLING GRAPHIC NOVEL OTHER LIVES (VERTIGO, 2010) a variety of CHARACTERS that blur the line between their REAL-LIFE IDENTITIES and online SECOND-WORLD PERSONAS as well as PERSONAL and PROFESSIONAL LIES, SECRETS and OBFUSCATIONS that DIVIDE and ISOLATE them from EACH OTHER as well as THEMSELVES. its an INTRIGUING SUBJECT considering that all of us hold a SELF-PERCEPTION that GUIDES and INFORMS our DAILY BEHAVIOR and sense of EXPERIENTIAL CONTINUITY as a UNIQUE INDIVIDUAL. through SOCIAL MEDIA we allow ourselves a WARPED MIRROR to CURATE a WIDELY-DISSEMINATED PUBLIC PROFILE that presents us as we see OURSELVES and not necessarily as we are perceived by OTHERS. through BAGGE's CHARACTERS we can observe a SIMILAR NARRATIVE based on such self-initiated DISTORTIONS that devolves into CHAOS and HARMFUL SELF-DESTRUCTIVE ACTIONS. these CHARACTERS act out of a variety of motives from DESPERATION, LONELINESS and DESPAIR to AMBITION, SURVIVAL and an INTENSE need to BELONG. its ironic that such use of AVATARS and ONLINE MONIKERS only makes such PROBLEMS more AGONIZING and SEVERE, since such INCENTIVES the very MOTIVES that manifest in such EMOTIONAL and PSYCHOLOGICAL ruination. BAGGE seemingly offers no way out of this DEVASTATING DILEMMA outside of HONEST COMMUNICATION with both ONESELF and their IMMEDIATE COMMUNITY. ONLINE FORUMS where one's OPINION is habitually SELF-REINFORCED does little to MITIGATE that LONG and PAINFUL DOWNWARD SPIRAL. makes me reconsider the PERILS and/or BENEFITS or writing a BLOG. seriously. OTHER LIVES is definitely an INTRIGUING READ well worth checking out. much RECOMMENDED. i look forward to seeking out more from BAGGE's CATALOGUE include HATE (FANTAGRAPHICS, 1990-2011) and NEAT STUFF (FANTAGRAPHICS, 1985-89) in the future. |
NICHOLAS ARCHIVES
February 2025
CATEGORIES
All
|