By Evan Harrison Cass
As a comix enthusiast and creator, I try to read and appreciate comix in all their forms. The wealth of quality-stories and inspiring-craftsmanship that can be found in the North American comix-market today -- on the web, in bookstores, in specialty-shops, and at conventions -- is limitless. And, let's be honest, overwhelming. Which is a wonderful thing, really. In this environment, the citizens of North America have a chance to look beyond "comix as a genre." No matter who they are, they now have a chance to see "comix as a medium" -- there really is something for everyone. For those of us who are proponents of "comix as a medium," then, we have an obligation to Educate and Share. That's where the "Best Of" list is of benefit: focused through our own reading experiences and preferences, the breadth of the comix medium can be gleaned by those who are curious about it. If we're lucky, maybe some of them will even check our favorite medium out; after all, More Readers equals More Comix. With that in mind, I present my "Five Faves of 2008":
(Disclaimer: This is by no means an exhaustive consideration of the notable comix releases of 2008. It's exceptionally limited in two ways: One, by my own preference for North American, English-language comix; I have a passing awareness of the European scene, and a near-complete ignorance of the Asian scene. Two, by my financial limitations -- I wish I had the money to buy and consider all the comix I've wanted; no THE EDUCATION OF HOPEY GLASS, GOOD-BYE, or SKIM for me this year...)
AMERICAN ELF: 'The sketchbook diaries of James Kochalka.' Elves are magical creatures. The "elf" here is James Kochalka, and he daily highlights the magical moments around him. Father, husband, musician and cartoonist, Kochalka has a knack at pinpointing life's inherent wonder and casting an enchanting "spell" in the form of his web-comix diary. Mostly of an optimistic and silly nature, occasionally of a realistic and existential one, every strip is a charm. Add the craft of Kochalka's stylistic minimalism and color experimentation to the mix, and AMERICAN ELF is something to behold.
BLUE PILLS: 'An HIV love story.' Frederik Peeters' BLUE PILLS (translated by Anjali Singh) is one of the most moving comix of the year. Originally serialized in Europe in the early part of the decade, Peeters' love-story memoir in the shadow of his partner's and her son's HIV is layered with emotion -- Love, Fear, Despair and Hope primary among them. Equally important as the narrative in accomplishing this is Peeters' raw, immediate brush-work; at times Dark, at times Light, you can "feel" the ink and the creator's feelings behind it. BLUE PILLS might not change your life, but it will surely enrich it.
DAREDEVIL: 'Lawyer by day and Daredevil by night, Matt Murdock battles injustice -- and himself.' This purely entertaining pulp-fiction comix-magazine seems to have it all: heroes and villains, sex and violence, plot-twists and cliffhangers. (Not to mention secret-agents and ninjas.) Writer Ed Brubaker -- in collaboration with artists Michael Lark and Stafano Gaudiano, editor Warren Simons, and others -- weaves a hard-boiled, superhero genre yarn to die for. The always chaotic story of Matt Murdock/Daredevil and his dynamic supporting cast (law-partner Foggy Nelson, private-investigator Dakota North, super-friend Iron Fist, and reformed-villain Black Tarantula) makes for the best serialized "fix" of its type.
GLAMOURPUSS: 'Beautiful girls in the Al Williamson photo-realism style.' Equal parts illustration-technique theory, comix history, and fashion-magazine satire, Dave Sim (with assists from Sandeep Atwal) presents one of 2008's most unique comix experiences. Sim seamlessly and jarringly accomplishes this via a comix-internal dialog with himself along with the words-and-writings of a cast of "characters" (namesake Glamourpuss, evil-twin Skanko, and psychotherapist Dr. Norm). The reading experience is wonderfully bizarre; the artwork is absolutely absorbing. Rich in content on so many levels, GLAMOURPUSS is the best "deal for your dollars" ($3.00/issue) comix-magazine on the market.
THINGS CHANGE: 'The Metamorphoses comic.' Poet Ovid's books of METAMORPHOSES are the inspiration and springboard for this twice-weekly web-comix experiment by Derik Badman. It's been said that poetry is "the rhythmical creation of beauty in words" (Poe). THINGS CHANGE is comix-poetry. From Panel to Page to Chapter, from Figures to Balloons to Colors, it is 'rhythmic creation of beauty in comix.' The resultant story is surreal, strange and reflective; Badman's comix poems stay with you long after you read them. With Book Three recently wrapped and Book Four just starting, THINGS CHANGE is a modern-day Art-House Comix classic.
Next month: "Why 'Comix'?"
