From reviews@lists.zumcomics.info Mon Feb 7 20:20:13 2005 From: reviews@lists.zumcomics.info (reviews@lists.zumcomics.info) Date: Mon, 7 Feb 2005 20:20:13 +0000 Subject: [review] [ZUM!] Stiro #3 Message-ID: Stiro #3 review by Maurice Wakeham I haven't read the first two issues in this series so I wasn't sure what I'd got. I read it through. Nice card front cover, full colour retro. Contents clearly drawn, six strips, various lengths. Back cover collage, full colour again. So I thought I'd have a look at the stiroville web page. There I found an appreciation: "The willful imperspicuity of the layered nonsense, nonsequitorial dialogue and brash puerility; all mere epithelium to shield the reader from the damning critique coruscating beneath the surface of every frame". Which explains everything. This comic features stories about someone leaving the circus, an evening down the pub, an attack on Tokyo by the last of the giant sea badgers, another evening down the pub on a first date, analagous stoats and ferrets and the imminent collapse of modern society brought about by its inherent contradictions. The cover says that Stiro 3 is for older girls and boys only. This is presumeably because they will need to have their cultural studies textbooks with them to interpret the knowing references cunningly slipped into the naïve artistic framework. But are these really there? Are there comments about the role of women, or the revolutionary spirit of the underclass? Or does youth hold the hope for society's future in its hands? And what of animal rights? There are lots of animals in this comic - I counted seven plus a wolf boy. You begin to wonder if this is bluff or double bluff. And the website didn't help. It's interesting but is it true? Are these real biographies? Or is it all made up? Just a dream. Who knows? As for this as a comic, it needs your attention, it's worth a look, and if it prompts a thought or two that proves it, doesn't it? Or does it? Oh shut up! For more info see: http://www.zumcomics.info/s/stiro.html#3 Discussion: http://forums.pauljholden.com/viewtopic.php?t=399 From reviews@lists.zumcomics.info Mon Feb 7 20:21:23 2005 From: reviews@lists.zumcomics.info (reviews@lists.zumcomics.info) Date: Mon, 7 Feb 2005 20:21:23 +0000 Subject: [review] [ZUM!] The Fridge Message-ID: The Fridge Review by Maurice Wakeham This is a mini-comic, drawn in a style which I always think of as Willy Rushtonesque; you know, the scratchy looking pen, lots of people do it, deceptively simple. It tells the story of a Š er, fridge. (It's not really a fridge but let's not worry too much about that). It is ultimately a rather sad, if not depressing tale but it is economically told and well designed. For more info see: http://www.zumcomics.info/f/thefridge.html Discussion: http://forums.pauljholden.com/viewtopic.php?t=410 From reviews@lists.zumcomics.info Mon Feb 7 20:22:39 2005 From: reviews@lists.zumcomics.info (reviews@lists.zumcomics.info) Date: Mon, 7 Feb 2005 20:22:39 +0000 Subject: [review] [ZUM!] Spirit Of The Highwayman Message-ID: Spirit Of The Highwayman review by Maurice Wakeman The setting of the story is the village of Autree in 1739. Law and order has broken down, it seems, and the local squire, Septimus Blenkinsop, has taken to hanging both innocent and guilty alike. It soon becomes clear that his motives are not only to do with the restoration of peace to the village. For this is tale of devils and demons, of ghoulies and ghosties and spirits and buried treasure. And pretty good it is too. This is an impressive A4 size, perfect bound black and white self published graphic novel. It is a revised, collected edition of a work originally produced in three parts in the early 1990s. It is well drawn in pen with pencil shading. There is lots of action, with fights, fires and chases and plenty of changes of scene. There are good ghosts helping the good guys and evil monsters bursting forth from the stygian depths to liven things up. There's even an ironic ending. A useful list of characters can be found on the inside cover and a gallery of illustrations at the back. Bryan Talbot, Alex Ross and Dez Skinn say complimentary things on the back cover, and who am I to argue? (Well, I might but they're right). This book is now (2004) out of print so even if you wanted to part with £6 you are too late. However David has been thinking of re-issuing the work in yet another format. So keep your eyes open. Why not have a look at his website and weblog and see what else he has to offer. For more info see: http://www.zumcomics.info/s/spirit_highwayman.html Discussion: http://forums.pauljholden.com/viewtopic.php?t=417 From reviews@lists.zumcomics.info Tue Feb 8 23:17:33 2005 From: reviews@lists.zumcomics.info (reviews@lists.zumcomics.info) Date: Tue, 8 Feb 2005 23:17:33 +0000 Subject: [review] [ZUM!] Double Woodwork Message-ID: Double Woodwork review by mooncat John Bagnal seem to occupy a forgotten country of Britain before Thatcherism; an old world of flares & spotty adolescent school kids.While this may constitute a dose of nostalgia on his part, this certainly isn't an example of foolish self indulgence - the comic exudes a warmth & charm that is hard to match. It is also 'way cool' (or whatever the present hip equivalent expression might be these days). The 'meatiest' part of the comic is not actually a comics piece, but rather text & illustration - detailing in between days (betwixt the end of school exams & the start of proper holiday) of an obviously geeky young lad. These diary entries have such verisimilitude that I'm sure they must be based on personal experience. Although I would like to point out that I personally never got dry factual books from the library to study in my own time, nor posed like a superhero as photo reference for comic book creation, this all has an eerily familiar tone. Other item in the comic, such as Disappearing Phrases & Men Over 60 Whistling, are purely observational , rather than narrative pieces. They are wonderfully drawn & hark to times past or lives lived; there's an empathy with the subjects that drags you into the drawings and seems to weave a further layer of richness than the initial illustration might seem to portray. I do wonder whether this is common 'background' on my part imprinting further detail into the pictures & subjects; some far distant youth in me visiting old scenery... & I then find myself speculating what a games console fed callow youth of today might make of it all - but then I don't believe such a person would have any judgment on comics at all. Industrial Estate is absent of people entirely - just views of industrial landscapes - there's no attempt at 'banter' - to engage an audience/reader in any way. These are no prefab industrial warehouses of the anonymous 'light industrial land' that cluster around motorway junctions; these are brick buildings - aging industrial structures. The lack of people just adds to the loneliness. This is just a single page, but it's my favourite in the book. Two up - Two down is the sort of work for which John is perhaps better known. It features an incorrigible youth questioning characters from the neighborhood. It's a more 'traditional comic' presentation with John's keen ear for language roping in a lovely bit of dry humorous dialogue. Even here though, he does not rest with a page of 4 tiers of 4 panels - he skews it all slightly to make the page just that little bit more visually interesting. John's cartooning is as sharp as ever in this book. The themes he is exploring, and the way that he is approaching the process of creating comics shows a playful mind at work. My main gripe with this comic would be that there is not enough. Can we have some more please, Mr Bagnall? For more info see: http://www.zumcomics.info/d/dblwdwrk.html Discussion: http://forums.pauljholden.com/viewtopic.php?t=419