Michael Vance   Mark Allen   Michael Vance Books
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     What looks like a Max Fleischer cartoon, or a turn-of-the-century comic strip or magazine, or a Doctor Seuss kid's book, or a Marvel or DC superhero title, but isn't one? Why, that old changeling Fred the Clown, of course, who hams it up in one to eleven page stories that parody popular culture and the human condition. Of course, Fred also looks like himself when the mood overtakes his creator, cartoonist Roger Langridge. Fred has a bulbous nose, oversized pants and big, floppy feet. And we all know what that means. Fred also has big, floppy socks.

     In fact, Langridge masters any artistic style that strikes his fancy, and that is the mark of a tremendous talent.

     Mark these words, his knowledge of and love for older comics, and a large chuck of popular culture from the 18th and 19th centuries, will endear this cartoonist to you even more even if you don't share his knowledge. It was adds a certain bwa to bwahahahaha!

     When in his own skin, Fred is drawn in a simple, minimalist style that is technically near perfect. Langridge draws backgrounds, people, animals, aliens and cream pies with equal finesse. His visual storytelling is

flawless, and Langridge even makes his spattering of 'silent' stories interesting.

     You'll mark Fred's words as well. Langridge's prose is as potent as his plot and dialog, and Fred the Clown is actually delightfully funny! One stand-out among many is a history of the Fred The Clown comic strip that takes the actual history of entertainment and twists it into something amazing.

     Wow. Can this review gush any-more about this clever collection of wildly divergent art and whimsical and entertaining observation, or what?!?

     Blush. It just did.

     Fred the Clown, although a bit pricey, is highly recommended. And thanks, Roger, for the lack of profanity, graphic violence and sexual nudity!

     Fred the Clown/192 pages, $16.95 from Fantagraphics/sold in comics shops and at www.fantagraphics.com.

     Review by Michael Vance

     I don't generally care for under-ground comics because of their glamorization of drugs and alcohol, promiscuous sex, rebellion against authority, profanity, and nihilism. But I did enjoy Stickleback.

     Sure, there is a bit of profanity, but Stickleback is a profane man living on the edge of society and trapped by an angst created by his own personality. His narrow world of apartment, cat, tiny wadded up toilet paper people, and one nutty friend, could produce nothing healthy.

     On the prose side, believable dialog and thought-provoking characters do much to recommend this title.

     Plot, however, is not the point of Stickleback. His cat destroys his toilet paper statues, and Stickleback meets a nagging friend with a disgusting fingernail at a restaurant.

     That's all, folks.

     Visually, the artist's thick, simple line creates a distinctive style that interests the eye and is suited for its story. In addition, Stickleback's pipe-cleaner limbs struggle to rupture the thick panel borders that restrict his world and create a claustrophobic, oppressive atmosphere.

     Stickleback is a wonderfully rich, subtle character study drawn by a cartoonist with the ability to communicate more than is obvious on its surface through a near flawless marriage of word and art.

     Graham Annable is one talented cartoonist, my brother. And the overriding, saving grace of this alternative title is that his characters are not painted as normative. Hurrah!

     Stickleback is recommended for thoughtful adults. Buy it today. MV

     Review by Michael Vance

     Website recommendation: Monsterblog.oneroom.org gives a look at the monster comics work of Jack Kirby. A wealth of reproduced covers, some never-before reprinted material, and review options for fans. A fun and historically relevant site!

     Review by Mark Allen

     I enjoy comics projects which employ Biblical material, as well as those which utilize historical information. The Lone and Level Sands, by writer A. David Lewis and artist Marvin Perry Mann, does both, while building a framework of "speculation and creative thought" around it.

     Sands tells a story of Ramses II, a somehow-prominent historical figure, of whom precious little is really known. From what I've seen (40 pages of lettered work, 105 more of panels, sans lettering), this is going to be comics work worth owning.

     Lewis pens a wonderfully-entertaining tale of a proud, dignified and noble ruler, who loves his family and nation, at odds with a man who is driven by sincere conviction. The later will be familiar to those acquainted with the book of Exodus. The former is a fresh take on a king of long ago, but could be imagined true without clashing with Biblical material. After all, how many of us could be (or have been) undone by our pride, under the proper circumstances? The characters are deep and emotional, and certainly the primary source of entertainment in this story.

     Mann has an art style that, while not complex, is certainly not your run-of-the-mill independent fare. It is reminiscent of animation art, yet replete with mood and emotional overtones. It is consistent, with a mature air; a sense that this is what his style has become after working at it. And, while I believe all good artists seek improvement throughout their career, I could be very happy with Mann's current style from now on.

     The Lone and Level Sands could prove one of the best independent offerings of 2005, and is highly recommended for all ages. Check out www.captionbox.net/lals/ for all purchasing information.

     The Lone and Level Sands, published by Caption Box, 145 pages, $9.95

     Review by Mark Allen

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