Al Harahap
May 1, 2004, 04:20 am
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/ind/bloodorange1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/ind/bloodorange1t.jpg" align=left alt="Blood Orange #1"></a>Reviewer: Al Harahap, al_harahap@comixfan.cjb.net
Quick Rating: Great!
Suggested for Mature Readers
"Strips": Nicolas Mahler
"Doofus": Rick Altergott
"Fingertalk": M. Kupperman
"Birdgame": Lauren R. Weinstein
"Death and the Maiden": Typex
"Sketchbook": Gary Baseman
"Grandad": David Collier
"Maaike's Little Diary:" Maaike Hartjes
"Old Lady": Allison Cole
"Fanny & Benny Go to a Ball": Tobias Tak
"A Labor of Love": Dan James
"Purple Hands": Marc Bell
"Jazz/Asthma": John Hankiewicz
"Mr. Colostomy: His Deep Descent": M. Thurber
"Fight or Run?": Kevin Huizenga
"The Sublime Realm Between": Ron Rege Jr.
Cover: Andrew Brandou
Contents: Matthew Thurber
Editor: Chris Polkki
Check this out if you like: Comic anthologies such as Drawn & Quarterly, the variety in Cartoon Network's nighttime block Adult Swim programs.
Ahh, the smell of cheap paper and ink. :cloud9: No, it's not an addiction of mine. It just means that I'll most likely get a fulfilling read. At the very least, something original. Blood Orange is Fantagraphics' latest venture into the anthology of short comics. It uses its own unique dimensions with an almost-square format of 7'' x 8½''. It houses many works of new and established international creators from America and Europe. And I mean many. With 16 different creators and their equally unique styles, this anthology serves as a great avenue for both readers and other creators to check out how the medium's potential can be realised.
In "Fingertalk" by Michael Kupperman's (Scooby Doo, DC/Paradox's Big Book of series), the reader gets a comical guide on a secret sign language supposedly used amongst criminals. It's not so much sequential art as it is depictions of body language and various gestures with a description of what it means in the context of a heist. For example: a thumb and index finger holding something in front of the eye means, "I've got the diamond"… pointing out a wide smile means, "And I'm keeping it for myself"… and winking while waving means, "You're never going to see me again." It's quite a hilarious perspective on the subculture of criminals, and I wish Kupperman was allotted more pages as they feel pretty crammed, and therefore somewhat convoluted, because there are quite a few of them.
The reader is also treated to a look into the (creatively) perverse mind of Gary Baseman, of Disney's Teacher's Pet (http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/teacherspet/main.html) fame. At first glance, these few pages seem like a gradeschooler's amateur scribblings. And then I realised that it is, just like it obviously says, a sketchbook, and appreciated the piece more and more. The first half contains Baseman's twisted perspective of the Hollywood Bowl (a venue used for concerts). But don't expect subdued all-ages figures like in his Teacher's Pet. As that animated series and its full-length feature movie suggests, there's a much more warped side to his ideas - skeletons, sea creatures, and naked mermaids. Then the second half moves into even more creepy subjects - a K.K.K.-like white-hooded figure and a head. Although without any apparent story, Baseman's sketchbook artwork is a fine display of creativity that thrusts childish cartoon figures into a mature-themed visual stream of consciousness.
The main event for me, and perhaps as intended by the book as it's entrusted with the most pages, is "Fight or Run?" by Kevin Huizenga (Drawn & Quarterly). Here is a series of comic shorts in the vein of Mad Magazine's "Spy vs. Spy" with a Street Fighter twist. Each short is a round of creatively choerographed fighting between two constructs from Huizenga's imagination. Although the figures and art can be overly simplistic, as a whole, the rounds form a very enjoyable read. Perhaps the best is the final fight between "Rabbit" vs. "Duck," wherein Huizenga borrows from renowned psychologist Joseph Jastrow's "Rabbit-Duck" optical illusion (http://www.coenradie.net/Fleur/Documents/Optical%20Illusions/Rabbit%20or%20Duck.jpg ). Is it a rabbit or a duck? There is no right or wrong answer. Likewise, throughout Huizenga's ensuing battle, he toys with the readers by allowing the two figures to collide and interchange roles with a mere shift in the readers' perception.
The stories being told throughout the book range from the very serious, and perhaps too preachy, anti-smoking "Grandad" by David Collier, to the very lighthearted "Maaike's Little Diary" by Maaike Hartjes wherein a young couple strolling in the park are inspired by an old couple they see who are still happy together, to the downright trippy and metatextual "A Labor of Love" by Dan James who takes a bike ride through his own comic. The art, too, varies from the casual squiggles of Gary Baseman's sketchbook to the realistic and minutely detailed aforementioned "Grandad" by David Collier. One short, "Birdgame" by Lauren R. Weinstein, even incorporates two distinct art styles - thin-lined inks for a flock of birds that's watching a round of female wrestling rendered in a more fluid paint/pastel style.
And all this isn't even half of what's in the book! My only problem is that, unlike other anthologies, some of these pieces are too short and the whole seems congested. The few one-page shorts there are - keep in mind that these are already smaller pages to begin with - especially suffer because of this, as they don't get enough attention (compared to the multiple-page pieces). Half the amount of creators, each getting double the page-count, I think would make it a more digestable read. On the other hand, if it's not yet obvious, the best thing about the book, as with any other anthologies, is the amount of variety in storytelling and art styles the reader can experience. If some comics are considered "braincandy," then this is like going to an all-you-can-eat buffet and sampling a bit of every single food item. If you don't like one short, you're bound to love another. And it can be read all at once or enjoyed short by short at a time. Check out Blood Orange #1 to see how the comic medium can push its boundaries to the limit.
ART:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/ffull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/ffull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/ffull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/ffull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/fhalf.jpg
STORY:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/ffull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/ffull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/ffull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/fhalf.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/fnone.jpg
OVERALL:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/ffull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/ffull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/ffull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/ffull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/fnone.jpg
Quick Rating: Great!
Suggested for Mature Readers
"Strips": Nicolas Mahler
"Doofus": Rick Altergott
"Fingertalk": M. Kupperman
"Birdgame": Lauren R. Weinstein
"Death and the Maiden": Typex
"Sketchbook": Gary Baseman
"Grandad": David Collier
"Maaike's Little Diary:" Maaike Hartjes
"Old Lady": Allison Cole
"Fanny & Benny Go to a Ball": Tobias Tak
"A Labor of Love": Dan James
"Purple Hands": Marc Bell
"Jazz/Asthma": John Hankiewicz
"Mr. Colostomy: His Deep Descent": M. Thurber
"Fight or Run?": Kevin Huizenga
"The Sublime Realm Between": Ron Rege Jr.
Cover: Andrew Brandou
Contents: Matthew Thurber
Editor: Chris Polkki
Check this out if you like: Comic anthologies such as Drawn & Quarterly, the variety in Cartoon Network's nighttime block Adult Swim programs.
Ahh, the smell of cheap paper and ink. :cloud9: No, it's not an addiction of mine. It just means that I'll most likely get a fulfilling read. At the very least, something original. Blood Orange is Fantagraphics' latest venture into the anthology of short comics. It uses its own unique dimensions with an almost-square format of 7'' x 8½''. It houses many works of new and established international creators from America and Europe. And I mean many. With 16 different creators and their equally unique styles, this anthology serves as a great avenue for both readers and other creators to check out how the medium's potential can be realised.
In "Fingertalk" by Michael Kupperman's (Scooby Doo, DC/Paradox's Big Book of series), the reader gets a comical guide on a secret sign language supposedly used amongst criminals. It's not so much sequential art as it is depictions of body language and various gestures with a description of what it means in the context of a heist. For example: a thumb and index finger holding something in front of the eye means, "I've got the diamond"… pointing out a wide smile means, "And I'm keeping it for myself"… and winking while waving means, "You're never going to see me again." It's quite a hilarious perspective on the subculture of criminals, and I wish Kupperman was allotted more pages as they feel pretty crammed, and therefore somewhat convoluted, because there are quite a few of them.
The reader is also treated to a look into the (creatively) perverse mind of Gary Baseman, of Disney's Teacher's Pet (http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/teacherspet/main.html) fame. At first glance, these few pages seem like a gradeschooler's amateur scribblings. And then I realised that it is, just like it obviously says, a sketchbook, and appreciated the piece more and more. The first half contains Baseman's twisted perspective of the Hollywood Bowl (a venue used for concerts). But don't expect subdued all-ages figures like in his Teacher's Pet. As that animated series and its full-length feature movie suggests, there's a much more warped side to his ideas - skeletons, sea creatures, and naked mermaids. Then the second half moves into even more creepy subjects - a K.K.K.-like white-hooded figure and a head. Although without any apparent story, Baseman's sketchbook artwork is a fine display of creativity that thrusts childish cartoon figures into a mature-themed visual stream of consciousness.
The main event for me, and perhaps as intended by the book as it's entrusted with the most pages, is "Fight or Run?" by Kevin Huizenga (Drawn & Quarterly). Here is a series of comic shorts in the vein of Mad Magazine's "Spy vs. Spy" with a Street Fighter twist. Each short is a round of creatively choerographed fighting between two constructs from Huizenga's imagination. Although the figures and art can be overly simplistic, as a whole, the rounds form a very enjoyable read. Perhaps the best is the final fight between "Rabbit" vs. "Duck," wherein Huizenga borrows from renowned psychologist Joseph Jastrow's "Rabbit-Duck" optical illusion (http://www.coenradie.net/Fleur/Documents/Optical%20Illusions/Rabbit%20or%20Duck.jpg ). Is it a rabbit or a duck? There is no right or wrong answer. Likewise, throughout Huizenga's ensuing battle, he toys with the readers by allowing the two figures to collide and interchange roles with a mere shift in the readers' perception.
The stories being told throughout the book range from the very serious, and perhaps too preachy, anti-smoking "Grandad" by David Collier, to the very lighthearted "Maaike's Little Diary" by Maaike Hartjes wherein a young couple strolling in the park are inspired by an old couple they see who are still happy together, to the downright trippy and metatextual "A Labor of Love" by Dan James who takes a bike ride through his own comic. The art, too, varies from the casual squiggles of Gary Baseman's sketchbook to the realistic and minutely detailed aforementioned "Grandad" by David Collier. One short, "Birdgame" by Lauren R. Weinstein, even incorporates two distinct art styles - thin-lined inks for a flock of birds that's watching a round of female wrestling rendered in a more fluid paint/pastel style.
And all this isn't even half of what's in the book! My only problem is that, unlike other anthologies, some of these pieces are too short and the whole seems congested. The few one-page shorts there are - keep in mind that these are already smaller pages to begin with - especially suffer because of this, as they don't get enough attention (compared to the multiple-page pieces). Half the amount of creators, each getting double the page-count, I think would make it a more digestable read. On the other hand, if it's not yet obvious, the best thing about the book, as with any other anthologies, is the amount of variety in storytelling and art styles the reader can experience. If some comics are considered "braincandy," then this is like going to an all-you-can-eat buffet and sampling a bit of every single food item. If you don't like one short, you're bound to love another. And it can be read all at once or enjoyed short by short at a time. Check out Blood Orange #1 to see how the comic medium can push its boundaries to the limit.
ART:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/ffull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/ffull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/ffull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/ffull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/fhalf.jpg
STORY:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/ffull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/ffull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/ffull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/fhalf.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/fnone.jpg
OVERALL:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/ffull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/ffull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/ffull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/ffull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/fnone.jpg