Graffic Traffic

by Ryk McIntyre
illustration by Greg Prindeville

Back On the Chain Gang

Geezum, I’ve been down some meandering paths with this column recently. First there was a two-part tale of woe, re: the Comic Industry & Marvel Entertainment’s savaging of it and my small corner of it. While the article was well-received, I did notice Lollipop staffers playing air-violin whenever I was around. Odd, because violins never solve anything. Then there was last issue’s pumping-up of my favorite comic store, Million Year Picnic, an article that had my Editor saying, “If I wanted you to do a fluff-piece, Ryk, I’d’ve dressed you like a ballerina and taken you over to Jacques in Bay Village.” (Whatever that means…)

So in striking style, I decided to follow-up on his wild suggestion that this month’s comic review column actually review some… well, comic books. Huzzah.

I’d like to suggest the pricey (but very worth the price) hardcover graphic novel Stuck Rubber Baby (Paradox Press/written and illustrated by Howard Cruise/$24.95). This is what a graphic novel should be: 210 pages of well-drawn, well-written material that shows a reach and a grasp even farther along than the artist’s previous work. Long one of comic medium’s out and outspoken gay creators, responsible for Gay Comics (the anthology) as well as Wendell and Dancin’ Nekkid With the Angels, Howard Cruise has set his allegorical tale of coming out in the South during the ’50s/’60s against the backdrop of the Civil Rights Movement.

I could do a whole column just on this masterpiece. That’s how flawless I found it to be. Full of utterly human characters taken from whole cloth and woven with their respective sub-plots into a deeply moving piece of work. Mr. Cruise, by comparing the struggles of gay men and women to the racial strife of the ’60s and on, shows us not a truth, but truth upon truth; not just one particular struggle for acceptance and justice, but how all struggles are one struggle. And he does it by investing dignity into each character involved. Not a gratuitous packaging of some lame-legged Batman story between hardcover just to charge twice as much, Stuck Rubber Baby is worth its price, twice – and even more.

Next, and on the far opposite shore of serious work, comes The Collected Sam & Max – Surfin’ the Highway (Marlow & Co. Press/art, writing and Dementia Praecox by Steve Purcell/$12.95). Short of Evan Dorkin’s Milk & Cheese, there is nothing, nobody, nowhere, ever as funny. Collecting all their material from Fish Wrap Productions, Comico & Marvel Publishing, as well as never-before seen one-page strips, this is a great book. Savage, anarchistic, looney, culturally-subversive, and more importantly, funny reading after re-reading. If you’ve ever hated the modern world or imagined a bunny with a gaping row of teeth, or just want to count how many rats and cockroaches Steve Purcell actually put in the various backgrounds, you must walk, run, fly, drive or slither on pseudopods out to get this. I’m not kidding. Don’t make me hurt someone…

The last two items have something in common – they both have Neil Gaiman’s name attached to them, and to a certain extent, that’s what moves them.

That’s not as cynically dismissive as it may sound. First off, there is Neil Gaiman’s Teknophage (Tekno Comics/writer-Paul Jenkins, art by Al Davison & Ian McKie). One of Tekno Comics’ “If-we-associate-this-title-with-a-famous-name-it’ll-sell-right?” comics, (the other names being Mickey Spillane, Leonard Nimoy, etc.) it’s presented in story-arcs by different creators (issues 1-6 were Rick Veitch & Bryan Talbot) and concerns itself with a world dominated by capitalism and consumption gone mad, and ruled over by Mr. Henry Phage, a hyper-evolved reptilian carnivore. Whereas other books in this line wouldn’t sell were they not stamped with a famous name, Paul Jenkins (who’s done some great “Swamp Thing” issues) sets forth a tale continued from issue #7 and it’s likewise all-consuming ruler. Worth the $2.25 tag, worth picking up back issues. I’d recommend passing over the rest of Teknobooks. What’s in a name? Sometimes, not very much.

Last off Mr. Gaiman’s anointed little head comes the CD, Warning: Contains Language – Stories & Poems from Angels & Visitations ($29.95). Kind of steep, even for a two CD set, nonetheless, it features Neil reading his own work (lovely speaking voice) set against music by long-time collaborator Dave McKean. The music is iffy – sometimes wonderfully supportive, sometimes just in the way. Y’know, not every word needs its own soundtrack. Still worth it, I got it and so should you.