Unspeakable Part 6

Some elements from this strip hold up - I think - I really like that punch and the third panel.

When I was initially drawing this strip, I was tackling it from an improv perspective, each day I’d sit down (usually late at night) and just write and draw the four panels in that one sitting. I had no story outline, and only a vague plan in my head. When I return to this concept I’ll likely have an actual outline to go by and just improv the way I get to each story beat.

What I’m Reading

Shuna’s Journey

Grabbed this at the Target while picking up baby stuff (Target adding a manga/graphic novel section is dangerous, also you can order House on Fire there) anyway - I don’t know that I’ve actually seen any Miyazaki movies before, I keep starting to watch Nausicaa, but never get very far (usually due to falling asleep or being interrupted). Anyway - I’ve begun reading Shuna’s Journey and the art is lovely - beautiful book, I can see a lot of what Jake Wyatt is/was doing with Necropolis at least from an art style perspective. The pencils + watercolors look is really pleasant, along with the rounded off panels, it’s a pleasing book to look at.

Slum Wolf

This is a Tadao Tsuge collection translated by Ryan Holmberg. It’s an interesting read - there’s definitely some cultural and historical context that I’m missing which I assume will be filled in by the essays in the back of the book. I got mine at Partners & Son and you should too. The stories are all about run down people and places - I’m not sure any of the stories strike me as super memorable on their own but taken as a body it’s intriguing work. Holmberg also translated Yokoyama Yuichi’s Plaza (easily available at Living the Line Books, where you can also pre-order House on Fire) which is just an eyeball melting book - it’s visual overload in the best kind of sense. I thought Sean’s decision to put the essay in regular English reading direction in the back of the book was smart, especially since most of the books Holmberg translates benefit greatly from his essay and the supplemental translated materials that give the reader much of the cultural and historical (if applicable) context. So I’m excited to finish reading Slum Wolf and then go back through it again.

That Distant Fire

This book was initially released as a webcomic, however it’s available in print here. Really enjoyed the artwork in print, the production of the book was top notch, Curt Merlo’s art is wonderful, and the color palette sings. The book’s story could have used a few more pages as I think a lot of the themes and story ideas were underdeveloped in the script. This is definitely a message book, and that stuff didn’t entirely land with me. It’s all very pro-union, anti corporation, workers have the power, stuff - but it all came across too on the nose for me. I’m not just sure how well it works, the art’s fantastic and there are some good moments, but I do think the story falters a bit. Still have to recommend for Curt’s art.

Ronin Book 2: Issue 1

Very thin book. It’s just decompressed to nothing, Tan & Henriques do a great job on art, but the whole time I’m reading it all I can think is “this would have been better if it was just Miller” the art wouldn’t be nearly as slick - but it’d have been more honest.

And maybe that’s what I’m constantly looking for when I read new comics - it’s an artist being honest with whatever’s being put on the page, and Ronin Book 2 feels like a weird halfway - you can clearly see Miller on the page, you can hear him - but the book just seems to lack purpose. I hope they publish a version that’s just Miller’s layouts as I think that’ll be more interesting.

At least they’re not trying to color the book.

Plugs

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I have original art for sale on my website.

“Ghosts of the Carousel” is available from Dauntless Stories.

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