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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

i remember years ago when i was working in YOKOHAMA visiting the SOJIJI TEMPLE and learning that the administered an ENGLISH-SPEAKING ZAZEN SESSIONS twice a month.   my first EXPERIENCE was INTENSE as you were sitting and doing nothing but allowing your THOUGHTS to EBB AND FLOW NATURALLY as you maintained a CERTAIN POSTURE.  this went on for two 45 minute SESSIONS followed by five minutes of WALKING ZAZEN around this BUDDHIST TEMPLE in COMPLETE SILENCE.  i dont know if id ever been limited before to only my THOUGHTS for an EXTENDED period of time sans DISTRACTIONS.  i remember walking out of that EXPERIENCE with a sense of CLARITY and EMOTIONAL EVENHANDEDNESS that was entirely NOVEL to me.

such was my FORMAL INTRODUCTION to MEDITATION.

much gets bandied about when mentioning THINGS like the MANY BENEFITS of MINDFULNESS and the practice of MEDITATION, but the KANSAS-based cartoonist GRANT SNIDER in his ILLUSTRATED GRAPHIC NOVEL THE ART OF LIVING: REFLECTIONS ON MINDFULNESS AND THE OVEREXAMINED LIFE (ABRAMS, 2022) seems keen on presenting a SIMPLE, DIRECT and UNADORNED VISUAL ARGUMENT for the POSITIVE SIDE EFFECTS of such a practice.  those being states of AWARENESS, COMPASSION, GRATITUDE, CALMNESS and APPRECIATION for the LITTLE THINGS in life.  in our FAST-PACED, HYPER-COMPETITIVE and EVER-EVOLVING MODERN CULTURE we are severely burdened by our INDIVIDUAL AMBITIONS, SELF-DEFINITIONS, RESPONSIBILITIES, PHYSICAL LIMITATIONS, NEGATIVE IDEATIONS and UNHELPFUL INTERNALIZATIONS.  such is compounded by SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER and our sense of IDENTITY in relation to our PROJECTED PEER GROUP.  we are so accutely attuned to those OUTSIDE FORCES that we dont stand a chance in terms of establishing our own GROUNDED BALANCE in relation to such.  that is where this BOOK is HELPFUL.  each PANEL seems destined to be copied and posted on a HOME-OFFICE WALL, WORK CUBICLE or POWER-POINT PRESENTATION regarding the BENEFITS of centering ONESELF through MEDITATION.

most if not all deal with being aware of one's SENSES, one's BREATH, one's BASIC state of being ALIVE and taking such in on its own terms.  that being ALIVE is not about ACHIEVEMENTS, ADORATION or amassing PHYSICAL THINGS, rather a state of AWARENESS of being in the CURRENT MOMENT is what it is all about.  i find reading these PANELS snaps me out of my CURRENT MENTAL STATE or INTERNAL DIALOGUE and makes me consider my CONNECTION to my PHYSICAL BODY in this MOMENT right now.

its POWERFUL stuff and i cant recommend this BOOK enough as it is WELL-WORTH the MOMENT of SELF-REFLECTION it produces each time i revisit it.​

growing up for the most part OVERSEAS, i was never an NPR LISTENER (or for that matter was even aware of the EXISTENCE of PUBLIC RADIO).  i recall discovering RADIOLAB (WNYC, 2002-present) during my time in grad school at TEACHERS COLLEGE COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY through a FRIEND who used IDEAS from the PROGRAM as the basis for a series of lesson plans that setup a project revolving around SCRIPTWRITING for use on the RADIO.  what struck me immediately about RADIOLAB was how it presented these massive CONCEPTUAL IDEAS in an immediately APPROACHABLE, TACTILE and entirely IMMERSIVE MANNER.  the POWER and MAGIC of the RADIO PROGRAM was how VISCERAL the STORYTELLING was, which made the INTELLECTUAL CONCEITS all the more ACCESSIBLE to a complete LAYMAN like myself.

i was hooked.

what JESSICA ABEL constructs in her AMBITIOUS OUT ON THE WIRE: THE STORYTELLING SECRETS OF THE NEW MATERS OF RADIO (CROWN, 2015) GRAPHIC NOVEL, with CONTEXT and INSIGHT from ASSISTING NARRATIVE CO-PILOT IRA GLASS, are the myriad of CONSIDERATIONS, PROCESSES and CREATIVITY that go into manufacturing such ENVELOPING, WELL-CONSIDERED THOUGHT PIECES.  PARTICIPATING PROGRAMS include not only RADIOLAB, but also THIS AMERICAN LIFE, SNAP JUDGMENT, PLANET MONEY, THE MOTH RADIO HOUR, 99% INVISIBLE and RADIO DIARIES.  in a very PALPABLE SENSE, as one is presented with the UNIQUE ASPECTS of the WRITING, TRACKING and EDITING PROCESSES of these VARYING PROGRAMS, there is a META-NARRATIVE that pervades throughout through the distinctly VISUAL MEDIUM of a GRAPHIC NOVEL.  it is never lost that she is translating the CREATIVE ROCESS of one MEDIUM (AURAL) through that of another (VISUAL), the INTERPLAY of which i found endlessly FASCINATING throughout my READING EXPERIENCE.
 
due to the fact that RADIO PROGRAMS are a completely AURAL EXPERIENCE, there are DISTINCT LIMITATIONS that must be considered.  unlike a TEXT that one can reread or a MOVIE / TELEVISION PROGRAM that provides a whole host of INFORMATION (BODY LANGUAGE, MICRO-EXPRESSIONS, SOCIAL CUES, CULTURAL DIFFERENCES) outside of the WORDS spoken that a VIEWER can infer, AUDIO is EPHEMERAL by NATURE.  the MEDIUM itself is comparatively BRUTAL in that if a LISTENER becomes CONFUSED or LOST its almost IMPOSSIBLE to have them fully IMMERSE once again.  the POTENTIAL for FAILURE is very REAL and making RADIO PROGRAMS is by definition a RISKY ENDEAVOR.  it is a HIGH WIRE ACT.  such is why when it works, it is often a TRANSFORMATIVE EXPERIENCE beyond that of other MEDIUMS as the CINEMATIC AURALS are entirely SELF-GENERATED in the UNIQUE mind's eye of each LISTENER.

as a FORMER ENGLISH TEACHER i find this all ENTHRALLING, since there is much overlap with attempting to spur EVOCATIVE IDEAS in one's own CREATIVE WRITING.  given that the MEDIUM is SOUND there are additional TECHNIQUES like SIGNPOSTING, SOUND DESIGN, REPETITION, CALLBACKS and even EXPLICIT EXPOSITION.  take too long on one ASPECT and you bore the listener but push the TEMPO too much and you lose CLARITY.  as i was reading OUT ON THE WIRE, i kept thinking about the CONCEPT of AUDIENCE and who THEY see as such.  DIFFERENT CULTURAL PERSPECTIVES (POLITICAL, GEOGRAPHICAL, ETHICAL, SPIRITUAL and so on), EDUCATIONAL LEVELS, FAMILIARITY with the TOPICS presented and ease with VOCABULARY (especially TECHNICAL JARGON) could dramatically affect one's ABILITY to grapple with the NARRATIVE being presented.  but maybe such INNATE COMPLEXITY is what makes INVESTIGATIVE NARRATIVE RADIO PROGRAMMING so INTRIGUING in the first place.

if anything, OUT ON THE WIRE just explodes the CONCEIT that WELL-CONCEIVED, WRITTEN and EXECUTED RADIO PROGRAMMING, especially this recent WAVE of EXTENDED NARRATIVE THINK PIECES, is anything but an INTENSIVE LABOR OF LOVE conducted by COMMITTED TEAMS of WRITERS, PRODUCERS, SOUND DESIGNERS, EDITORS and even VOICE ACTORS.  it definitely makes me more aware of the ACTUAL PEOPLE behind the PRODUCT moving forward and the levels of INTENTION involved with CONTENT that is consumed so seamlessly as if such always existed.  the PROCESS and MENTAL EFFORT is anything but the TRANSITORY NATURE of the MEDIUM itself, that is for sure.  definitely a WELCOME and INQUISITIVE read for anyone interested in RADIO and the CREATIVE ROCESS.  much recommended.

back when i was teaching my FAVORITE GENRE to cover in a class was no doubt MAGICAL REALISM.  there is just this SUSPENSION OF DISBELIEF that happens when you shut off that part of your brain that detects things at FACE VALUE like AUTHENTICITY and FIDELITY to EXPERIENCED REALITY and you just focus on what SUBJECTIVE and FIGURATIVE INFORMATION the AUTHOR is presenting to you.  HYPERBOLE and all.

in this IMMERSIVE yet OPAQUE graphic novel INTERPRETATION of HOW TO TO TALK TO GIRLS AT PARTIES (DARK HORSE, 2016), a previously PUBLISHED NEIL GAIMAN (THE SANDMAN) SHORT STORY illustrated by BRAZILIAN ARTISTS FÁBIO MOON and GABRIEL BÁ, that MYSTERY and WONDER is channeled as two ENGLISH teenage ADOLESCENT BOYS in the 1970s enter the WRONG party at a LONDON flat and try to pickup OLDER WOMEN. 

whats INTRIGUING about the NARRATIVE is that NO CONTEXT is ever fully given to who these women are, where they are from, or what they are all doing at this residence other than dancing amongst themselves while listening to MELANCHOLIC NEIL YOUNG SONGS.  the AWKWARDNESS of the conversations that the more TIMID of the two BOYS, ENN, has with three WOMEN is only matched by the LACK OF LOGICAL COHESION in the conversation itself.  is such a DISCONNECT caused by the FOREIGN LACK OF COMMAND of the ENGLISH language of these WOMEN or the INABILITY to listen and hold ATTENTION of ENN himself.  VIC, the more classically HANDSOME and CONFIDENT of the two BOYS, finds himself presumably hooking up with the WOMAN that answered the door, only to drag both them out in an abrupt HURRIED FASHION back onto the street for UNKNOWN REASONS.  all we know is the UNBRIDLED RAGE eminating from the WOMAN as she DEATH-STARES him while walking down the stairs.  again, NO CONTEXT or EXPLANATION provided.  its all INTERESTING because ENN was in the midst of listening to a poem from another YOUNG WOMAN in a language he DIDNT UNDERSTAND but was wholly ENTRANCED by nonetheless, as if he was saw the FUTURE and the PURPOSE OF THE UNIVERSE in just the sound of it.

thats as GREAT an EXPLANATION of the PROFOUND MYSTERY between the sexes as any ive come across.  what is the CAUSE of ATTRACTION between two people (regardless of GENDER, GENDER EXPRESSION or GENDER IDENTITY).  defies LOGIC, LANGUAGE, TIME, SPACE, GEOGRAPHY, CONTEXT or HUMAN COMPREHENSION.  if anything, BASE CONSTRUCTIONS like WORDS and MEANING dilute such in the PROCESS.

makes sense to me.

CHARLES BURNS is pretty far out there.

his highly STYLIZED work seems to find the common ground between FILM AUTEURS like DAVID LYNCH and DAVID CRONENBERG, meaning that his NARRATIVES and ILLUSTRATIONS are often concerned with unraveling and revealing the SUBTERRANEAN, VIOLENT dimensions lurking in both our individual PSYCHES and collective BEHAVIORS as BASE HUMAN ANIMALS.  there is often a SURREALISTIC, SCI-FI vibe to his work but the INHERENT AUTHENTICITY of the reactions of his subjects grounds such in EMOTIONAL REALISM, much like LYNCH and CRONENBERG.

X'ED OUT (PANTHEON, 2010) is the first in a trilogy of GRAPHIC NOVELS by REVERED SURREALIST CARTOONIST and ILLUSTRATOR BURNS, all of which eventually came out in his LAST LOOK (PANTHEON, 2016) volume.   BURNS of course is NOTORIOUS for his ICONIC early ILLUSTRATIVE work with SUB POP RECORDS and his AWARDED previous volume release, BLACK HOLE (PANTHEON, 2005).  like most BURNS faire,  X'ED OUT introduces its audience to a world that seemingly transpires in-between various states of MEMORY, CONSCIOUSNESS and projected EXPECTATION.  the subject seems to be slipping in and out of various MIND-STATES to the point that one is not sure which PROJECTED SELF is living and experiencing a TRUE REALITY and which is merely inhabiting a fantastically RECONSTRUCTED ALTERNATIVE state a la THE WIZARD OF OZ (MGM, 1939) film where DOROTHY's AUNTS and UNCLES make up all the DREAM CHARACTERS.  its a dizzyingly KALEIDOSCOPIC EXPERIENCE attempting to parse out all the BURNS, but ultimately one just succumbs to the FLUID and highly MALLEABLE NATURE of CONSCIOUSNESS, SELF-IDENTITY and REALITY as presented by BURNS. 

​the MAIN CHARACTER, who we presume is a TEENAGER, seems subconsciously attracted to DANGER and the LURID aspects of HUMAN SEXUALITY.  such makes sense given that at such a stage in life, ADULT REALITIES and RELATIONSHIPS in particular are all a deep well of UNKNOWN entities and POSSIBLE DEAD-ENDS that corner one into REAL-LIFE CONSEQUENCES related to particular LIFESTYLES choices.  i knew a few YOUNG COUPLES during my high school years that managed to get PREGNANT unexpectedly and the PSYCHOLOGICAL and EMOTIONAL REPERCUSSIONS of such a POWERFUL EXPERIENCE were LONG-LASTING and TRAUMATIC for all involved.  so i get the QUEASY feeling of UNEASE that comes with INCOMPLETE KNOWLEDGE about the world and oneself that BURNS mines in X'ED OUT about the TEENAGE EXPERIENCE.

the NARRATIVE presented in X'ED OUT makes little sense, but i dont believe it is SURREALISTIC for SURREALISM sake.  i feel like there is an ALLEGORY there that is just beginning to be revealed.  hopefully in the next installment in THE HIVE (PANTHEON, 2012), more answers will be forthcoming.  knowing BURNS though, such is WISHFUL THINKING.  if anything itll promised to be more COMPLEX, THOUGHT-PROVOKING and utterly CONFUSING with the amount of SHIFTING PERSPECTIVES, TIME-TRAVEL and DISGUISED FUGUE STATES rendered for our COLLECTIVE AMUSEMENT. 

and im looking forward to it. 

BEAUTIFUL DARKNESS (DRAWN & QUARTERLY, 2009) is a FRENCH GRAPHIC NOVEL that is absolutely TWISTED in a decidedly ABSURDIST manner that i did not anticipate entering into this FANTASY narrative.  written by MARIE POMMEPUY & FABIEN VEHLMANN and lovingly illustrated by KERASCOËT, the namesake of COLLABORATIVE HUSBAND-AND-WIFE team POMMEPUY and SEBASTIAN COSSET, BEAUTIFUL DARKNESS  is very much a CASE STUDY in STARK contrasts with seemingly ENCHANTING ILLUSTRATIONS of DIMINUTIVE DWELLERS in a LUSH forest acting out a BRUTAL NARRATIVE that is as NIHILISTIC as it is CHAOTIC and ANARCHISTIC.  it should be stated the particular STYLE of these ALLURING ILLUSTRATIONS seem ripped straight from that INNOCENT MODE of CLASSIC children's LITERATURE read and presented and preschools and kindergartens the world over.

the only difference is that these PIXIES and SPRITES inhabit a world of RANDOM DEATH and WANTON CRUELTY that they seem OBLIVIOUS and UNPREPARED for in terms of IMAGINATION and basic COMPREHENSION.  seeking food and shelter the take advantage of the ROTTING CORPSE of a YOUNG CHILD inexplicably lying PROSTRATE on the ground from some UNREVEALED ailment or condition that led to her untimely passing.  these woodland figures seek refuge in her eye socket and opportunisticly steal from her lunch pack as they go about their day.  death follows everyone, where some are eaten by TOADS or a COLONY OF ANTS or even harassed by BIRDS and passing INSECTS.  NATURE in this context is an equal opportunity destroyer.  that being said, the plot feels very LORD OF THE FLIES (FABER AND FABER, 1954) with these NAIVE INHABITANTS being subject to the RUTHLESS DARWINIAN CODE OF NATURE in a HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT, both INTERNALLY as a social community and EXTERNALLY against the UNFORGIVING elements.

my sense is that BEAUTIFUL DARKNESS is attempting to present a WORLDVIEW that is weary of APPEARANCES, which are UNREPRESENTATIVE and consciously deceiving us of the TRUE NATURE OF REALITY.  such could also be said about much of what we take for granted about our own EXISTENCE and LIMITED sense of SELF-IDENTITY, which may be rooted in bedrock that is looser and less defined then we'd hoped or imagined.  especially now given that BASIC concepts of EQUALITY, FAIR PLAY and even DEMOCRACY seem up for grabs in a world run by those with a REGRESSIVE and REDUCTIVE ZERO-SUM MENTALITY.

better to be on guard and CONSCIOUS of said THREATS.  not get lulled into APPEARANCES as is the case with BEAUTIFUL DARKNESS, whose WHIMSICAL ILLUSTRATIONS belie the true intent of the NARRATIVE and its DARK take on EXPERIENCED REALITY. 

the ROCK N ROLL CULTURAL PHENOMENON that was GUNS N' ROSES is on full display and CELEBRATED in STUNNING detail in the RECKLESS LIFE: GUNS N' ROSES (OMNIBUS, 2015) graphic novel by BRITISH AUTHOR JIM MCCARTHY and ARTIST MARC OLIVENT.  through its STARK black-and-white IMAGERY and direct PROSE, this team was able to provide and CONTEXT and DEPTH to the NARRATIVE of this NOTORIOUS LOS ANGELES band with all of its REQUISITE DANGER, VOLATILITY, DEBAUCHERY, PARANOIA and GUTS. 

in particular, their treatment of the pre-FAME lives of each MEMBER just proves what a collection of MISFITS the band actually were.  in particular the ERUPTIVE UNPREDICTABILITY that is VOCALIST AXL ROSE, with all of his PUNCTUALITY issues and UNSTABLE TEMPERAMENT, makes total sense when you consider his RURAL midwestern INDIANA UPBRINGING and the CLOSETED MINDSET he was attempting to break out of that was related to the OVERBEARING RELIGIOSITY of his community and the HYPOCRISY of the adults in his life who provided him no EMOTIONAL SECURITY.  the graphic novel does not excuse his later behavior, of which was quite MISOGYNISTIC and even RACIST at times, but rather places it in context.  likewise you have the figure of MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST DUFF MCKAGAN and his fervent love of UNDERGROUND PUNK ROCK and involvement in the NASCENT pre-ALTERNATIVE scene in SEATTLE being overshadowed by the rise of heroin that affected multiple FORMER BANDMATES.  for him LOS ANGELES represented a clean start and a NEW IDENTITY as a BASSIST ready to chase his ambitions in the belly of the beast.  in SLASH, being BIRACIAL and the only son of BOHEMIAN artists involved in the MUSIC INDUSTRY, was garnered a certain OUTSIDER status from the jump and viewed ROCK N ROLL and his NEW IDENTITY as a GUITARIST as a means of expressing his ANGER and FRUSTRATION at his parents' seemingly ABRUPT DIVORCE as a teenager.  for all of the key MEMBERS of GUNS N' ROSES, as presented by MCCARTHY and OLIVENT, you get the sense of the TRUE VALUE of the collective and what it meant for their own TROUBLED PSYCHES and COMPLICATED SELF-IDENTITIES, and why such ballooned and/or deconstructed once FAME, FORTUNE and all the ATTENDANT BENEFITS (LIMITLESS SEX and DRUGS) of their labour came to fruition.

you get the REAL SENSE that for ROSE in particular, having never been given LOVE, AFFECTION or MEANINGFUL ATTENTION as a child, there was no amount of MONEY, FAME or public outcry of DISGUST or display of LOVE that would fill that INITIAL VOID.  such also plays into the MANIC PARANOIA of the late USE YOUR ILLUISION-era when he bought the rights to the band name and attempted to re-employ the ORIGINAL BAND MEMBERS as effective HIRED GUNS.  for him LOVE was about CONTROL.  and CONTROL of the SUFFOCATING and CONSTRICTING variety.  it isolated him and was the reason the CULTURE, as well as myself, largely revolted and went over to support the commercially and artistically SUCCESSFUL SCOTT WEILAND-fronted rival VELVET REVOLVER camp in the early 2000s.

most of this INFORMATION is known to dedicated GUNS N' ROSES fans, but the PACKAGING and PRESENTATION of the RECKLESS LIFE: GUNS N' ROSES graphic novel was a delight to engage with and reconsider the INTERWOVEN NARRATIVES of the band once again.  it provides INSIGHT into the PSYCHOLOGICAL and SOCIO-ECONONOMIC BACKGROUNDS of all the main MEMBERS and makes you consider ALTERNATE outcomes and possibilities that never came to pass because of such.  it is all terribly INTRIGUING and well worth checking out for anyone interested in MODERN ROCK N ROLL history. 

with the OMNIPRESENCE of SOCIAL MEDIA in our lives and COLLECTIVE ATTENTION SPACE, it is DIFFICULT to not be deceived into comparing and potentially judging one's own life and career trajectory to that of others.  if not entirely IMPOSSIBLE.  massively POWERFUL corporations quite literally base their stock VALUE on their ability to garner your attention and the BEST, QUICKEST route is through cultivating NEGATIVE EMOTIONS.  some call it ENRAGEMENT ENGAGEMENT.  but it is a starkly RELEVANT and very TOPICAL CULTURAL DYNAMIC that is playing out quite literally in this GENERATION of GUINEA PIGS, i mean USERS.

in his graphic novel SELF-ESTEEM AND THE END OF THE WORLD (DRAWN & QUARTERLY, 2024), IRISH CARTOONIST LUKE HEALY through his NAMESAKE character explores the consequences of internalizing the QUALITY and MEANING of one's life through the VALIDATION, or lack thereof, of others.  it follows a character who falls into a DEEP spiral of DESPAIR, SELF-DOUBT and DEPRESSION when his TWIN BROTHER does not ask him to be his best man at his wedding.  for two that share so much, HEALY finds himself SOCIALLY, SPIRITUALLY and PSYCHICALLY DISCONNECTED from his FAMILY.  his ISOLATION finds him UNPRODUCTIVE both at work and in life, where he seems to be more of an OBSERVER than that of an ACTIVE PARTICIPANT.  ROMANTIC and CAREER OPPORTUNITIES present themselves in life over the years, but nothing effectuates meaning or growth in his BEHAVIOR or MINDSET, which seems STAGNANT and hopelessly SELF-INVOLVED.  at times he even conflates supposed AWARENESS for pressing GLOBAL concerns (CLIMATE CHANGE, INTERNATIONAL TRADE WARS, etc.) with that of his own problems.  this latent NARCISSISM again seems to be a result of how our SELF-PERCEPTIONS have been rewired in the age of readily available, instantaneously globally published information via the INTERNET.  it is seemingly INEVITABLE that one will project themselves onto that which garners so much of their TIME and ENERGY (this blog included).

SELF-ESTEEM AND THE END OF THE WORLD never really provides any ADEQUATE answer to this conundrum, outside of HEALY's RELATIONSHIP with his MOTHER, who both pokes and confounds him, knowing him all too well.  it is the type of relationship that is UNCOMFORTABLE yet somehow REASSURING, the idea that she knows him and accepts him for who he really is WARTS-AND-ALL.  maybe finding CONNECTION in one another OFFLINE is what is going to get us through this rough patch where MANIPULATIVE ONLINE ALGORITHMS and UNFETTERED (and rather UNHELPFUL) access to one another's PRESENTED lives has ISOLATED us as a SOCIETY.  maybe just walking outside, breathing the air and just taking it all in with a big sigh will help us relax and find peace and respite.

i doubt it.  this BRUTAL online HELLSCAPE is here to stay.  so glad i was fortunate enough to grow up in a PRE-INTERNET age.

not gonna lie, i was worried with this one.

i remember as a kid in elementary school watching the ORIGINAL X-MEN: THE ANIMATED SERIES (FOX, 1992-1997) back in the early 90s.  when i learned that DISNEY was "reviving" that particular show with X-MEN '97 (DISNEY+, 2024) i was a bit concerned, knowing full well that they were consciously, some may even say cynically, going after the COLLECTIVE heartstrings of that older MILLENNIAL DEMOGRAPHIC that i am a part of with this much BELOVED CHILDREN'S TELEVISION PROGRAM of yesteryear.

i should not have been.

from its inception, the X-MEN was always constructed as an ALLEGORICAL META-NARRATIVE surrounding how AMERICAN SOCIETY treats OUTSIDERS, especially IMMIGRANT and historically MINORITY POPULATIONS that challenge the status quo.  in place of SPECIFIC ETHNIC and RELIGIOUS groups, X-MEN utilizes the stand-in of MUTANTS with SPECIAL evolved powers to showcase the "OTHER."  the COMPLEX SOCIAL DYNAMICS at play are the same and X-MEN is a valuable teaching tool for children to understand why fear of the UNKNOWN inevitably leads to the OSTRACIZATION and PERSECUTION of those who dont LOOK, SPEAK or PRAY like the DOMINANT CULTURE.  my fear was that DISNEY would whitewash, as theyve been known to do, this deliberately POLITICAL subtext in the MISGUIDED name of CULTURAL EVEN-HANDEDNESS. 

i am glad to be completely mistaken as this iteration of that CLASSIC series very much maintains that PERVASIVE SUBTEXT of promoting HUMANISTIC VALUES of INCLUSIVITY, ALTRUISM and EMPATHY very much in the mix.  such a decision is no doubt a POLITICAL one, especially in today's HYPER-PARTISAN ENVIRONMENT where seemingly every facet of AMERICAN LIFE is viewed through a right-left prism.  kudos to DISNEY for keeping the ORIGINAL intent of the SOURCED STAN LEE / JACK KIRBY COMIC BOOK series alive for another generation to appreciate.

there is this ENDURING FALLACY regarding CHILDREN'S STORIES probably due to everyone being raised and effectively INDOCTRINATED on DISNEY ANIMATED films, that plot-wise they have to be structurally SIMPLISTIC with UNAMBIGUOUS moral messaging.  such is why i usually seek out FAIRY TALES and ORAL TRADITIONS from abroad, especially when such is meant for consumption by kids.  the GRAPHIC NOVEL THE LITTLEST PIRATE KING (FANTAGRAPHICS, 2010) is a collaboration of sorts between the renowned MODERN FRENCH ILLUSTRATOR DAVID B, best known for his CELEBRATED, AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL GRAPHIC NOVEL EPILEPTIC (PANTHEON, 2005), and the LONG-DECEASED 20th century FRENCH NOVELIST PIERRE MAC ORLAN.

in essence, this COMIC is an ENGLISH translation of DAVID B's ADAPTATION of a PIERRE MAC ORLAN SHORT STORY about a YOUNG KIDNAPPED BOY being raised on a PIRATE SHIP manned and operated by a DECEASED CAPTAIN and CREW.  such are DOOMED in a REPETITIVE, DOLDRUM EXISTENCE of ETERNAL DAMNATION where they are HUNGRY but cannot eat, are THIRSTY but cannot drink and have no way of offing THEMSELVES to make such end.  every time they attempt to KILL THEMSELVES in one MASSIVE gesture, FATE or NATURE gets involved and alleviates them of that SWEET embrace of DEATH.  for they are DAMNED for ETERNITY to just wander and SUFFER endlessly across the ocean.

in this STORY, the YOUNG boy functions as an OPPORTUNITY for the CAPTAIN and his CREW to showcase and project a hitherto lost sense of HUMANITY towards a JELOUS god that has left them with this ABYSMAL FATE.  what is INTRIGUING to me is that there is no CONCLUSION in the PLOT as to their success in this SCHEME.  it is basically up to the reader to JUDGE the MERITS of their actions.  i was raised catholic and attended (briefly) parochial school and i can remember how SIMPLISTIC the MORALIZING was during religion classes and mid-day mass lectures from the pulpit.  i never bought in, it all seemed so easy placing JUDGEMENT and BLAME on others, as well as ourselves.  when i have learned since then is that LIFE is COMPLICATED and people do the best they can IN-THE-MOMENT more or less.  sometimes if pushed to a brink, people can make all sorts of decisions they later come to REGRET.  just like there was no RESOLUTION stated in THE LITTLEST PIRATE KING with regard to the FATE of the CAPTAIN and CREW, there are no guarantees in our lives either.  when one thinks back to their own MISTAKES, MISGIVINGS and MISADVENTURES, one quickly realizes the power of INTENTION.  how they were feeling and what OUTCOMES they intended to effectuate at the moment of a decision.  JUDGEMENT may occur down the line, but at least being SELF-REFLECTIVE will help possibly prevent RECIDIVISM in the future.

for me that is the message of this GRAPHIC NOVEL.  be in the moment.  learn from your MISTAKES and move forward with a sense of GRACE and try not to consider outcomes.  be KIND and CHARITABLE with no reward in mind, ETERNAL DAMNATION or not.  at least that was my take from reading THE LITTLEST PIRATE KING.

INTERPLANETARY COLONIES, NURSE CLONES and SPACE PIRATES?  QUEENS cartoonist KATIE SKELLY in her debut offering NURSE NURSE (SPARKPLUG, 2012) seemingly has all that covered and more in an OPAQUE but thoroughly ENTERTAINING SCIENCE FICTION NARRATIVE about an INQUISITIVE, WELL-INTENTIONED and SELF-SACRIFICING NURSE named GEMMA who is thrown into a MAD ADVENTURE as she INNOCENTLY goes about her duties on VENUS battling a MYSTERIOUS SPACE VIRUS. 

right off the jump this GRAPHIC NOVEL had MAJOR BARBARELLA (PARAMOUNT, 1968) vibes with its EPISODIC PLOT STRUCTURE and LOVABLE INCOHERENCE.  it very much felt like SKELLY intentioned us to enjoy the ride and admire the PSYCHEDELIC DEPICTIONS of FAR-OUT, FUTURE worlds, space travel and INTERPLANETARY COLONIES than get to mired down in the PLOT or deeper meanings.  GEMMA, a NURSE straight out of school, is thrown into a vortex of CHARACTERS and SITUATIONS that confront and challenge her sense of SELF-IDENTITY and PURPOSE, but ultimately when such gets too HEAVY she outsmarts her adversaries and finds DELIGHT in being in the moment. 

no TRAUMA.  no deep-seated MOTIVATION.  no WISDOM gained.

its almost like an EPISODE of SEINFELD (NBC, 1989-1998) or IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA (FXP, 2005-present) in the sense that the EPISODIC nature of SITCOM TELEVISION PROGRAMS has each segment a SELF-CONTAINED NARRATIVE world unto itself.  this way they can be scheduled interchangeably with no CONFUSION to the viewer.  i almost feel like GEMMA and her ADVENTURES functioned in a SIMILAR fashion.  yes the space pirates reoccur a few times, but their reoccurrence doesnt elicit any DEEP-SEATED FEAR, ANGER or TRAUMA in GEMMA, more as a  PLAUSIBLE VEHICLE or PLOT DEVICE to alter the SETTING.

my FAVORITE thing about this GRAPHIC NOVEL are the EMOTIVE, SIMPLY DRAWN ILLUSTRATIONS that to my eyes had a DISTINCT PETER MAX feel to them.  in that sense there is an almost CHILD-LIKE AMORALITY to them, as if GEMMA's EXPERIENCES are almost DREAM-LIKE and SURREAL, which is not far from the VAGUENESS and IMPRESSIONISTIC manner in which the NARRATIVE unfolds and concludes.

i definitely enjoyed the INVENTIVE RIDICULOUSNESS that was NURSE NURSE and look forward to seeking out other SKELLY titles in the FUTURE.  definitely worth checking out.

both volumes of the much REVERED graphic novel PERSEPOLIS (PANTHEON, 2000-2003) by FRANCO-IRANIAN cartoonist MARJANE SATRAPI are a masterclass in NARRATIVE STORYTELLING and the INTERPLAYING POWER of ILLUSTRATIONS to further an AUTHORIAL PERSPECTIVE.  of course i am completely biased as i have taught the first volume on more than one occasion during my former teaching career, once to freshman at BROOKLYN TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL as a student teacher and then later to my eighth graders at a private international school in EASTERN VENEZUELA.  the fact that its subject matter faces head-on the STRUGGLE for IDENTITY and AGENCY in that of developing YOUNG WOMAN in IRAN during the ISLAMIC REVOLUTION in the late 1970s didnt deter my students in both countries from being totally engrossed by the story and the PARALLELS in their lives as YOUNG PEOPLE.  you never really know what KIDS will respond to and PERSEPOLIS was a consistent hit.

in both environments, BROOKLYN and RURAL VENEZUELA, i had students that were intimately familiar with the IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCE and the inner TURMOIL that comes when your country's POLITICAL ORDER / ECONOMY / SOCIAL CONTRACT shifts dramatically beneath your feet.  at BROOKLYN TECH many students were either the SONS and DAUGHTERS of IMMIGRANTS or immigrants themselves, which my VENEZUELAN students were acutely aware that the then-IMPLODING economy of their HOMELAND was going to alter everything about their lives in relative short order.  most of them now are living permanently abroad in GERMANY, ARGENTINA, PANAMA, CHILE or the UNITED STATES (i.e. FLORIDA) as EFFECTIVE REFUGEES.

as i mentioned before, the EXTENDED graphic novel PERSEPOLIS is all about a YOUNG WOMAN 's journey into ADOLESCENCE and later ADULTHOOD while dealing with the extensive PERSONAL and SOCIETAL TRAUMA that was the IRANIAN ISLAMIC REVOLUTION.  the privileged EGALITARIAN and COMMUNAL order of her youth virtually overnight shifted into something of a REAL-LIFE ORWELLIAN fever dream with MASSIVE restrictions on her SPEECH, APPEARANCE and BASIC FREEDOMS.  more than than that the TIGHT-KNIT, mutually SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY of which she was raised under and which her FAMILY enjoyed for GENERATIONS turn in on itself, with PEOPLE unsure of who or what action would leave them VULNERABLE before the state.  people escaped.  people disappeared.  everything changed including SATRAPI and he relationship with herself.  in the second volume she is older, living in VIENNA as a REFUGEE and making her way through the FRENCH education system and again, dealing with the aftermath of her CHILDHOOD TRAUMA and its LONG-TERM CONSEQUENCES on her sense of IDENTITY as a YOUNG WOMAN  of PERSIAN descent.  the message is sent that even those that survive TRAUMA are somewhat still TRAPPED by such thereafter.  even going back and visiting IRAN years later is an act of REVERSE CULTURE SHOCK and immense PERSONAL STRUGGLE due to the delta of what once was to what now has been undoubtedly IRREPARABLY LOST.  you are with the idea that our sense of AGENCY and IDENTITY are intertwined with MEMORY and the PERSONAL HISTORY and EVOLVING NARRATIVE we tell OURSELVES about OURSELVES.

i think that for KIDS who are the brink of adjusting into YOUNG ADULTHOOD, that message is a CONSEQUENTIAL and SELF-EMPOWERING one.  that you are part of a COMMUNITY, but that in the end YOU DEFINE YOURSELF.  you write your own NARRATIVE by the LIFE DECISIONS you make.  that even severely TRAUMATIC events can be overcome with EMPATHY and LOVE, especially with regards to one's self.  i adore both volumes of PERSEPOLIS and consider them ESSENTIAL graphic novels that should be read by everyone. 

also the film aint half bad either.

the GRAPHIC NOVEL BEZIMENA (FANTAGRAPHICS, 2018) by SERBIAN cartoonist NINA BUNJEVAC is a HARROWING quasi-PARABLE that deals with the FRAGMENTED MINDSET and WARPED SELF-DELUSIONS of a serial SEXUAL PREDATOR.  with full page panels lovingly depicted with almost DRAFTSMAN-LIKE PRECISION in STARK black-and-white that almost seems more indebted to early PHOTOGRAPHY than subsequent COMIC BOOK visual traditions.  it similarly relates a sort of CRISP REALISM and TANGIBLE AUTHENTICITY that effectively invites the reader to take in the situation as fact, regardless of the FANTASY gender-switching and inter-dimensional time-and-space traveling elements that bookend the NARRATIVE.

the crux of the STORY is manner in which the MAIN CHARACTER devolves from a SOCIALLY INEPT, SELF-INVOLVED child to the sort of VOYEURISTIC, MALIGNANT NARCISSIST that has lost all touch with REALITY and any sense of MORAL CLARITY.  finding a SKETCHBOOK outside when peeking in on a FORMER CLASSMATE taking a bath, the main character sees SEXUALLY EXPLICIT DRAWINGS therein the showcase a series of events in which he has sex with her FRIEND and household MAID on separate nights.  for him such a BOOK bypasses the realm of PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY or FREE WILL and goes straight to carrying out its DESCRIPTIONS word-for-word in REAL-LIFE.  only later do we find out that his VICTIMS were NOT CONSENSUAL, but FEMALE CHILDREN he brutally MURDERED after SEXUALLY ASSAULTING them.  the SKETCHBOOK nothing more than a child's RUDIMENTARY drawn DEPICTIONS of a trip to the zoo, where he worked.  that SKETCHBOOK was the key to a SELF-PERPETUATED PERMISSION STRUCTURE that enabled him to move forward his DARK IMPULSES without risking PSYCHOLOGICAL DAMAGE to his INNERMOST sense of IDENTITY and MORAL CONSCIOUSNESS.

BUNJEVAC explains in the afterward about her PERSONAL EXPERIENCE with the DISTRESSING TOPIC of SEXUAL ASSAULT, having gone through it twice back in SERBIA, including once with someone that was entrusted as a GUARDIAN.  BEZIMENA is told from the PERSPECTIVE of the PERPETRATOR, but the DAMAGE is MUTUAL regarding the VICTIM.  that lost sense of PERSONAL AGENCY and PHYSICAL AUTONOMY.  or TRUST.  perhaps the EXPERIENCE of seeing the situation from the other-side is a means of coming to terms with her LOSS.  as lyrically written and beautifully depicted as this GRAPHIC NOVEL was conceived, such only made the TRAUMA inflicted that much TORTUOUS and DEPRAVED to consume as a reader.  and maybe that was part of the point, that people who inflict this sort of HEINOUS MORAL OUTRAGE on others are by definition involved in a double con on both the VICTIM and themselves.  hard to make sense of the truly DEPRAVED and IRRATIONAL.

i found BEZIMENA to be a PROFOUND GRAPHIC NOVEL.  definitely worth checking out but i advise that it does hold some ADULT CONTENT with GRAPHIC SEXUAL DEPICTIONS inside so probably should be not viewed by minors.  up to parental discretion regarding that i suppose.

i absolutely adored CANADIAN ARTIST and HUMORIST JESSICA CAMPBELL's HILARIOUS takedown of the ACADEMIC and CULTURAL PATRIARCHY inherent to the ART WORLD in her HOT OR NOT: 20th CENTURY MALE ARTISTS (KOYAMA, 2016) graphic novel.  the comic finds CAMPBELL herself as an instructor leading a group of people through an ART GALLERY, hitting on the finer points of the cultural INNOVATIONS, TECHNIQUES and LEGACIES of various ARTISTS and, well, whether or not they were HOT.  inevitably, as it usually is, all of the ARTISTS discussed were MEN as WOMEN through the generations were not respected by the ELITE ACADEMIC and PATRON CLASS due to what can only be described as outright MISOGYNY.

what CAMPBELL is doing here by reducing the CELEBRATED contributions of SEMINAL ARTISTS like MARK ROTHKO (NOT), HENRI MATISSE (NOT), GUSTAV KLIMT (NOT),  PIET MONDRIAN (HOT), PAUL GAUGUIN (NOT) and AMEDEO MODIGLIANI (HOT) to their PHYSICAL APPEARANCE is the height of ABSURDITY, but that is the point.  she is counteracting what has been referred to as the IMPLIED and INTENDED MALE GAZE of the viewership.  it is beyond PREPOSTEROUS that WOMEN have long been subject to such AWFUL SCRUTINY in order to accumulate and broadcast VALUE both in the ARTISTIC and ECONOMIC MARKETPLACE, past and present.  historically this is a concern most MEN dont even consider or remotely think about, so PERVASIVE is this WARPED MINDSET.  CAMPBELL is bringing such a culturally sanctioned PERSPECTIVE to its LOGICAL conclusion by including MEN, but such naturally feels UNNATURAL and out of place.  that FRICTION and UNBALANCE we perceive is a showcase of how acculturated said messaging has been to our internalized sense of SELF and our place within the WIDER COMMUNITY.  the tone is LIGHT, HUMOROUS and AIRY but the implications are BRUTAL, PENETRATING and quite CONSEQUENTIAL as we have been handed down BEDROCK MISINFORMATION that informs our basis for RELATIONSHIPS and OPINIONS regarding one another, especially with regards to GENDER.  it is also just FUNNY to read and take in.

this graphic novel doesnt discount the contributions of said MALE ARTISTS, but the inference is that there is a whole body of work missing in the ether of HISTORY from CREDIBLE FEMALE ARTISTS that never received a fair shake at a legacy due to MALIGNANT ATTITUDES and OPINIONS culturally handed down the generations and reinforced by GENDER REDUCTIVE JUDEO-CHRISTIAN VALUES in THE WEST.  HOT OR NOT: 20th CENTURY MALE ARTISTS places such an EVOCATIVE and CONTROVERSIAL conversation in its PROPER PERSPECTIVE: with humor, wit and UNBRIDLED CLARITY.  much as with other works from her catalogue, this work by CAMPBELL is definitely worth checking out.

COCHLEA & EUSTACHIA (FANTAGRAPHICS, 2014) by the MASSACHUSETTS-based HANS RICKHEIT is bar-none one of the more BIZARRE and outright OPAQUE GRAPHIC NOVELS i have ever come across.  its PHANTASMAGORICAL depictions of what appear to be two IDENTICAL twins in a future DREAM-LIKE, DYSTOPIAN LABYRINTH of DEMENTED yet IMAGINATIVE HORRORS is nearly IMPOSSIBLE to discern much of anything NARRATIVE-wise.  the first thought that immediately came to mind as an analogue was the WORK of early SURREALISTS like MAX ERNST or the DADA COLLABORATIVE CINEMATIC EFFORTS of LUIS BUNUEL and SALVADOR DALI, but with RICKHEIT there seems to be no sense of an UNDERGIRDING, LOGICAL CONSTRUCT to anything. 

things just happen.

no ORIGIN STORY.  no CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT.  no EXISTENTIAL questions raised.  no desire expressed for searching out a DEEPER MEANING.  seemingly nothing gained or lost.  even what appear to be TRAUMATIC events that include the BRUTAL depictions DISMEMBERMENT and DISEMBOWELMENT of what are assumed to be our TWIN PROTAGONISTS, merely is just another TRIVIAL step to absolutely NOWHERE.  just a PERPLEXING and consciously UNDECIPHERABLE GRAPHIC NOVEL, much like the similarly CODED work of CHILEAN filmmaker ALEJANDRO JODOROWSKY.  although i didnt understand what i was experiencing, the starkly VIVID ARTWORK of RICKHEIT is the main attraction here, with depictions of HUMANOID beings and VINTAGE CYBERPUNK technology a PLEASURE to envelope ones senses that only adds to the COMPOUNDING MYSTERY of it all.

i cant make heads or tales about what i just read, but that may be an endorsement for some else out there to make a better, more INFORMED attempt than i did.  ive never been on an LSD or DMT PSYCHEDELIC experience so maybe i am severely missing the BIG PICTURE here.  all ears to others' opinions because i am LOST and CONFUSED when it comes to the COCHLEA & EUSTACHIA GRAPHIC NOVEL.

sometimes with art there is no pretext or subtext, there is just the TEXT.  and i can safely attest that all five of the zines brought together in this PIZZA PUNKS COLLECTION (CONUNDRUM PRESS, 2021) by CANADIAN artist COLE PAULS is just that: a celebration of all things PUNK ROCK and PIZZA.  originally just an excuse for SELF-EXPRESSION and EXPERIMENTALISM with the graphic novel format and later a dedicated art school project, this collection does not bother much with BASIC aspects of LITERARY ELEMENTS like CONFLICT, CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT or even PLOT per se, instead reveals a series of ABRUPT visual VIGNETTES into the PUNK ROCK underground and how such is fueled by, you guessed it, PIZZA.

for me the FUN of experiencing this collection is obviously not the more FORMAL elements of STORY CONSTUCTION, but the LOVE and CARE that PAULS obviously put into his STARK black-and-white IMAGERY and the minutiae of details related to the scene from the PINS, STUDS and PATCHES on participants jean jackets to the BEARDS and SHAVED HEADS that demarcate SUBCULTURES from the GNARLY HESHERS to the TIGHTLY-WOUND STRAIGHT-EDGERS.  its all lovingly depicted in these PANELS and seemingly PIZZA is again the thing that unites them all.  only in CANADA, eh?  my personal FAVORITE part of this collection were the PUNK ROCK and HARDCORE album sleeve PARODIES that showcased ICONIC records with PIZZA-infused IMAGERY such as THE RAMONES' ROCKET TO PIZZA, THE CRAMPS' BAD PIZZA FOR BAD PEOPLE, SONIC YOUTH's GOOEY, BLACK FLAG's PIZZA WAR, THE CLASH's PIZZA CALLING, FUGAZI's A STEADY DIET OF PIZZA and THE CIRCLE JERKS' GOLDEN SHOWER OF PIZZA as particular highlights.  its all so RIDICULOUS that its hard to not find UNIRONIC JOY in the ABSURDITY.  PERFECT for a satirizing a scene that notoriously has no HUMOR and takes itself way-too-seriously.

the PIZZA PUNKS COLLECTION is definitely something that you have to take for what it is, and that is a celebration of the good things in life (i.e. PUNK ROCK and PIZZA).  can't argue or find any fault with that.