< comics/x >
REDBIRD #1
($2.00 from Dan Zettwoch / 1914 Yale Ave., #1N / St. Louis, MO / 63143 USA or
usscatastrophe.com)
I don't know what it is, but there's nothing like cracking open a comic or zine whose production clearly took much thought and physical effort. Dan Zettwoch's
Redbird is one such comic and it's nice to look at from beginning to end. The covers (on a great textured stock) sport a three-color silkscreen, there are vellum endpapers and the rest of the interior was designed with care. It really gives one the feeling of being somehow connected to the artist.
Anyhow, what makes
Redbird even better is the comics contained within. Zettwoch tells an interesting story and he does so by really taking advantage of the medium. He has a design sense that many cartoonists (new or otherwise) are lacking and adorns the clear, traditional narrative with inserted drawings that add depth to what's happening in the panels proper. The stories in this issue involve a nervous artist giving a presentation to high school students, a fried chicken thief and the True and Proper way to make sweet tea. Zettwoch's comics are engaging, inventive and demand to be re-read. I can't wait for the next issue.
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