So rampant is the idea of dysfunction in our culture that almost any given person will describe their family as such. Each unit contains an air of mystery and each member flaunts an individuality that can make dysfunction seem real, as if being on your own track is the same as being on a separate [...]
When it comes to legendary comic book artist Steve Ditko, there are two paths of interest in his story. One is obvious — as the co-creator of Spider-Man who wrote and drew the first few years of the character’s existence, his skill as an great innovator in the comic book form is of great importance.
There [...]
As the movie world jumps into Apatowmania (or is it Roganmania?), Alex Robinson’s “Too Cool To Be Forgotten” may function as the perfect companion/antidote. Robinson manages to tread the same territory — being a grown-up isn’t so bad, being a man-child isn’t so advisable — while not succumbing to the mentality it dissects. In this [...]
In the never ending struggle against misconceptions about those who are different from us, few people consider what preconceived notions oogly monsters have of humans. Eleanor Davis’ easy reader graphic novel “Stinky” investigates the possibilities through a mix of old-fashioned cartoon good feelings and modern gross humor that sit quite nicely next to each other.
Stinky [...]
The Web comic “Wondermark” is the sort of creature that begs mystery — how did it come about? And how can you effectively describe it?
It might sound less than the sum of its parts, but here goes — “Wondermark” is a collection of traditional three or four panel daily style comic strips that, instead of [...]
It’s hard to have much sympathy for the quivering little dictator J. Edgar Hoover and Rick Geary’s sober retelling of the man’s life doesn’t offer much to change your mind. By focusing on the fractured psychology behind Hoover’s strengths as well as his weaknesses, Geary paints a picture of the ways in which people over-compensate [...]
This book of short graphic fiction features members of the Israeli collective Actus Comics, one member of which, Rutu Modan, authored the superior graphic novel “Exit Wounds” earlier. In “How to Love,” Modan examines the relationship between a down and out Israeli musician and his American fan in “Your Number One Fan,” a depiction of [...]
“Paul Goes Fishing” is a sweet slice of Quebecois life that covers an existence not extraordinary necessarily, but honest in its presentation and likable in its demeanor. Creator Michel Rabagliati invites readers into some very personal space via his apparent alter ego, dealing with that most awkward of spaces — the one where you grow [...]
Firefighter Ursa Cain has a lot to prove and in Danica Novgorodoff’s “Slow Storm,” you begin to wonder if she ever will. Ursa is the only female firefighter in a firehouse in Kentucky, constantly having to prove herself as good as any of the guys and particularly tortured by her own brother, who mocks her [...]
“Scrambled Ink” seems like an obvious attempt to duplicate some of the beauties of the Flight series by utilizing some top animators for sequential art side projects of a charming variety and for the most part it works wonderfully. Animation and comics are finding equal ground as the elevated ghetto apart from the film world, [...]
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