< comics/x >
DREAM
($7.50 ppd from George Parsons / PO Box 2027 / Nevada City, CA / 95959-1941 USA. Web:
www.dreamgeo.com)
Two things: First, although the publisher is the same, this is a different beast from
Dream Magazine, which was reviewed earlier on this site. Second, this is not a new book. It was originally published in 1995, but it's still available from the publisher. I don't want to get into the habit of reviewing old books, but in this case I couldn't resist.
Dream is a comix anthology with a line-up that reminds me of what I loved about alternative comix in the '90s. Many of these cartoonists, sadly, have moved on to more commercial (read: $) work. The general theme of this collection is dreaming, but there's much more going on than just adaptations of nocturnal fantasies. As with editor George Parsons'
Dream Magazine, the concept of dreaming is not limited to sleep activity.
My absolute favorite piece happens to be Parsons' six-page story about the death of his father and the dream that helped him regain peace of mind. It's beautiful and feels real. My second favorite would have to be Mack White's "The Chuck Carson and Boy Howdy Show". It's the tragic story of a has-been kids' entertainer who's had one too many and, like Parsons' "Dad", features a dream that figures into the ending. It's quirky and unsettling and, in my opinion, the kind of work White does best. There are a number of other stories that also affected me strongly, but I'll not go piece by piece. I will say, however, that this is a well-rounded, worthwhile project and I'm happy to have it in my library. A
partial list of the remaining creators includes Eddie Campbell, Wayno (boy, I wish he'd do more comix), JR Williams (ditto), Dennis Worden, P. Shaw, Danny Hellman, Jim Woodring, Mary Fleener, Roy Tompkins, Joe Coleman, the Pizz, Dan Clowes (great sketchbook stuff), Steven Cerio and lots more. Recommended.
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< comix/travel >
SHOT BY A RAYGUN Jan. 2002
($1.00 or trade from Billy McKay / PO Box 542 / N. Olmsted, OH / 44070 USA)
Shot By a Raygun is Billy McKay's new catch-all title. This issue is sort of a travel journal of his trip to Florida that mixes text, comix and photos in a fun way. Alligators, old people, bluegrass, hippies, hoodoo, bingo – it's all here! Billy's drawings are like noone else's I can think of save, perhaps, some of Carrie McNinch's work. It's a fun read and extra points go for packaging, too, as it's got color covers and is spiral-bound. Nifty!
Billy's got lots of other comics available, too, such as
The Secret Nightmare Factory (a fun illustrated poem) and
Invisible Robot Fish (an older catch-all title that featured a few 1-hour comics). Send him a few bucks or a trade; I think you'll be pleased with what comes back.
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< zine:personal:travel >
ROAD SCHOLAR #1: Morning Pages
($3.00 from Alan Rankin / PO Box 200846 / Arlington, TX / 76006 USA)
This is writer (and sometimes-
Poopsheet contributor) Alan Rankin's new journal/perzine that – unless the project is expanded – will cover his travels during 2002. You see, Alan is what's known as a Rennie, which is to say he drives all over the country for most of the year to work at one Renaissance Faire after another. It's a lifestyle that allows him to fully indulge his creative aspirations in the form of writing and photography. In this debut issue Alan discusses his love of Austin, Texas, how a job in Arizona saved his bacon, a mind-blowing set of exhibits at the University of Texas, the SXSW Film Festival and rants about technology. Lots of other stuff, too, between the color covers. I'm biased, of course, but I liked this a lot. If you dig stuff either personal or travel-related, I'd say check it out.
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< comics/x >
COMIC EFFECT #33
($3.50 from Jim Kingman / PO Box 2188 / Pasadena, CA / 91102-2188 USA)
Editor Jim Kingman's slogan for
Comic Effect is Emphasizing the Fun in Reading Comics" and that's exactly what he does. You won't find much in the way of hard criticism, but there is a bit of analysis. What's mostly here is a love of comics. This zine is aimed at people who read comics for the sheer joy of it. Most of the titles discussed are mainstream, but alternatives certainly aren't excluded and Jim relies on submissions to fill out each issue. My favorite piece this go 'round is the editor's overview of Jim Starlin's "The Magus Saga" that ran in
Strange Tales and
Warlock in the mid-'70s. I haven't read any of those in years and enjoyed his attempt to make sense of the convoluted storyline. Other stuff: Mike Hall on
American Flagg, Tony Seybert on the Golden Age Human Torch, Michal Jacot on an oddball item called
Giant Grab Bag Comics, Dan Beck on
Venus #11 from 1950 and the first part of Kingman's examination of Archie Goodwin-edited DC war comics of the '70s. There's lots more to be enjoyed, too.
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< comics/x >
MAD WORLD #1
(Nika Nelson / Austin, TX? Contact c/o Poopsheet)
I picked this up for free at a bookstore in Austin and know nothing about creator Nika Nelson, but I like this a lot. It's a comic by someone who, I gather, doesn't consider herself an artist. Granted, her inexperience with drawing shows, but comics aren't about knowing how to draw; comics are about knowing how to present the elements necessary to tell the story in such a way that they're easily understood. And that she does well. This seven-page comic seems to draw partly from her life and partly from elsewhere. Her pal Dizzy Spells, a dream (it would seem) and relationships are all written about in a compelling style that leads me to believe this woman who says she can't draw should make more comics.
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