Al Harahap
Jul 24, 2004, 05:33 am
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/ind/conversation1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/ind/conversation1t.jpg" align=left alt="Conversation #1"></a>Reviewer: Al Harahap, al_harahap@comixfan.cjb.net
Quick Rating: Excellent!
James Kochalka and Craig Thompson debate art, culture, spirituality, and life through the magic of comic book sequential art.
By: James Kochalka and Craig Thompson
Cast: James Kochalka, Craig Thompson, and some mischievous creatures!
Check this out if you like: My Dinner with Andre, The Beatles' Yellow Submarine, those trippy Sesame Street cartoon bits where things morph into other things...
Once in a while, an original idea comes along to the comic book medium that just makes it completely gratifying for me to stay loyal to such a niche hobby. Conversation is one of these gratifying ideas to read. When I say "original," I can't actually claim that it's the absolute first time comic creators have done something like this, but it's definitely a novel idea.
Multiple Harvey Award winners James Kochalka (Bizarro Comics, Peanutbutter & Jeremy's Best Book Ever, Sketchbook Diaries) and Craig Thompson (Blankets, Carnet de Voyage, Goodbye, Chunky Rice) create a back-and-forth comic "jam" by conversing and debating their philosophies as artists and as people. Taking turns, each creator illustrates a page in response to the other. The experience of reading this book is truly watching two comic creators talking the best way they know how -- through sequential art and personal dialogue.
But if all this sounds too heavy, don't worry, Kochalka and Thompson remain down-to-earth with their musings, and in fact make the whole conversation universal because they are speaking with sincere truths. Things they discuss range from: Art philosophy
Craig: "Maybe for our own comfort we want to organize the chaos of the natural world, but ultimately, art is more a SURRENDER than a competition."
to art spirituality
James: "God may have created the universe, but as artists we have the power to challenge him. The universe is still a work in progress and our efforts can have a profound effect on it."
to everything in between
Craig: "Although, I think it was by ACCIDENT that we found our way out of that cave."
James: "Master the ACCIDENT."As you can see, Kochalka and Thompson show no restraints. Even in their artwork, the back-and-forth format isn't restricted to their own pages. The two erase and add to each other's pages so that the whole book flows smoothly from front to back. And to lighten the mood, they even insert small animals and creatures to lightheartedly mock each other's seriousness with things like: "So soon in the comic, the clothes come off," and "Look how the flower obscures the genitals. How contrived!" For a "jam" piece, Kochalka (whose style is more cartoony and abstract) and Thompson (whose style is more sketchy and realistic) do their best to fuse their styles. In most cases, it works seamlessly, but in one or two scenes, the changes almost feel like inconsistencies. But this is so minor compared to what the format offers.
I almost feel dirty for previously mentioning their awards, because what they've done is so genuine, that it feels sacrilege to taint their pure thoughts and art with such notions of prestige and accolade. I've never read a more sincere comic book, in both the technical and emotional sense of the medium, than I have with Conversation #1. Through their struggle to understand art and themselves, the reader too is challenged to try to understand with them. Kochalka and Thompson pour their hearts and souls for the reader. It's a shame for any comic reader to miss out on their truth.
ART:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tsnone.jpg
STORY:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tsfull.jpg
OVERALL:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tshalf.jpg
Buy this issue online at Top Shelf Productions! (http://www.topshelfcomix.com/catalog.php?type=12&title=405)
Quick Rating: Excellent!
James Kochalka and Craig Thompson debate art, culture, spirituality, and life through the magic of comic book sequential art.
By: James Kochalka and Craig Thompson
Cast: James Kochalka, Craig Thompson, and some mischievous creatures!
Check this out if you like: My Dinner with Andre, The Beatles' Yellow Submarine, those trippy Sesame Street cartoon bits where things morph into other things...
Once in a while, an original idea comes along to the comic book medium that just makes it completely gratifying for me to stay loyal to such a niche hobby. Conversation is one of these gratifying ideas to read. When I say "original," I can't actually claim that it's the absolute first time comic creators have done something like this, but it's definitely a novel idea.
Multiple Harvey Award winners James Kochalka (Bizarro Comics, Peanutbutter & Jeremy's Best Book Ever, Sketchbook Diaries) and Craig Thompson (Blankets, Carnet de Voyage, Goodbye, Chunky Rice) create a back-and-forth comic "jam" by conversing and debating their philosophies as artists and as people. Taking turns, each creator illustrates a page in response to the other. The experience of reading this book is truly watching two comic creators talking the best way they know how -- through sequential art and personal dialogue.
But if all this sounds too heavy, don't worry, Kochalka and Thompson remain down-to-earth with their musings, and in fact make the whole conversation universal because they are speaking with sincere truths. Things they discuss range from: Art philosophy
Craig: "Maybe for our own comfort we want to organize the chaos of the natural world, but ultimately, art is more a SURRENDER than a competition."
to art spirituality
James: "God may have created the universe, but as artists we have the power to challenge him. The universe is still a work in progress and our efforts can have a profound effect on it."
to everything in between
Craig: "Although, I think it was by ACCIDENT that we found our way out of that cave."
James: "Master the ACCIDENT."As you can see, Kochalka and Thompson show no restraints. Even in their artwork, the back-and-forth format isn't restricted to their own pages. The two erase and add to each other's pages so that the whole book flows smoothly from front to back. And to lighten the mood, they even insert small animals and creatures to lightheartedly mock each other's seriousness with things like: "So soon in the comic, the clothes come off," and "Look how the flower obscures the genitals. How contrived!" For a "jam" piece, Kochalka (whose style is more cartoony and abstract) and Thompson (whose style is more sketchy and realistic) do their best to fuse their styles. In most cases, it works seamlessly, but in one or two scenes, the changes almost feel like inconsistencies. But this is so minor compared to what the format offers.
I almost feel dirty for previously mentioning their awards, because what they've done is so genuine, that it feels sacrilege to taint their pure thoughts and art with such notions of prestige and accolade. I've never read a more sincere comic book, in both the technical and emotional sense of the medium, than I have with Conversation #1. Through their struggle to understand art and themselves, the reader too is challenged to try to understand with them. Kochalka and Thompson pour their hearts and souls for the reader. It's a shame for any comic reader to miss out on their truth.
ART:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tsnone.jpg
STORY:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tsfull.jpg
OVERALL:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tshalf.jpg
Buy this issue online at Top Shelf Productions! (http://www.topshelfcomix.com/catalog.php?type=12&title=405)