Comic Review: Tale of Sand

    There are a lot of stars in the constellations of my creative sky; inspirations that I have looked up to and tried to grasp.  One of the brightest is Jim Henson.  I grew up a Sesame Street kid, sure.  But the Muppets were where it was at.  And when The Dark Crystal came out…Wow.  He managed to entertain, but also to make kids think and to make them dream.

    This book is based on a screenplay he and long time collaborator Jerry Juhl put together over several years.  It has a very odd, very 60s vibe.  There’s a touch of the beat generation, the post-50s frustration with stuffier aspects of American culture, and a bit of Kafka.

    Ramon K Perez’s artwork helps cement the late 50s/early 60s vibe, while also infusing a bit of classic European comics, in spite of the American Southwest setting.  Like a comic equivalent of a spaghetti western.

    While this is not the Henson you are likely familiar with, there are dashes of his well loved and remembered sense of humor, and flourish of creativity.  Long time fans should enjoy this glimpse into a different side of the man and his art.  And after reading it, a part of me would sure love to see it adapted into a film.  I could see something in the style of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (style, not content).

Jim Henson’s Tale of Sand
Authors: Jim Henson and Jerry Juhl
Artist: Ramon K. Perez
Publisher: Archaia
ISBN: 978-1-936393-09-1

-Matt

Comic Reviews: Saga & The Storyteller

Saga

    I was hearing some pretty high praise for this series.  Brian K. Vaughan wrote one of the best comic series ever, Y: The Last Man.  And I love me some science fiction.  But right from the start, I wasn’t digging this.  The first thing one notices, of course, is the art.  I don’t like it.  At all.  The pencil/ink work looks fine I guess, but the coloring is disgusting.  Some of the character design is OK, but I think conceptually there’s too much silly.  Like an anime, it jumbles fantasy and science fiction pointlessly.  Why do some people have animal heads, some have wings, and others have TV faces?  Don’t know.  And it doesn’t seem to effect them in any way or mean anything.

    The story, about two soldiers from opposing forces who fall in love, have a baby, and flee for their lives, doesn’t break any new ground.  The incongruously colloquial, snarky dialog feels totally wrong.  And annoyingly, the only two characters I found especially interesting are dead by the end of the trade.  Humph.

Saga Volume One
Author: Brian K. Vaughan
Artist: Fiona Staples
Publisher: Image Comics
ISBN: 978-1-60706-601-9


The Storyteller

    Jim Henson was and frankly is very important to my development as a viewer, a reader, and a writer.  One of my favorite shows as a kid was The Muppets.  One of my favorite fantasy films is The Dark Crystal.  And one of the best shows from the 80s was The Storyteller.  And after Archaia’s amazing Dark Crystal graphic novel, I was jazzed to check out this anthology.

    Well, it’s not nearly as strong as the one for The Dark Crystal.  But it is nice.  The stories are brief and the styles diverse.  Old Fire Dragon is pretty good, another tale about the storied life of Jack.  But the best of the volume is certainly The Witch Baby, which is based on an unused script from the show by one of the programs strongest voices, the late Anthony Minghella.  It is the only one that got the dialog of the Storyteller himself right.

    Like most anthologies, the work is uneven.  And as a whole, I found it a bit of a disappointment.  I’d rather have had three really good stories, on par with The Witch Baby, than the numerous very short stories that do appear.  And while some of the art is interesting, none of it is especially good.

Jim Henson’s The Storyteller
Authors: Anthony Minghella, etc.
Artists:  Ronan Cliquet, etc.
Publisher: Archaia
ISBN: 978-1-936393-24-4


-Matt

Comic Review: The Dark Crystal Creation Myths: Volume 1

    I know most folks of my generation who have any kind of interest in fantasy and/or the weird, prefer Jim Henson’s Labyrinth, but while I love that film, The Dark Crystal was my passport to wonder.  I still think it’s among the best fantasy films ever made.  An amazing achievement and a real joy.  So, while I was curious about a newly produced graphic novel, I was also very skeptical. 

    Thankfully, my worries were quickly proven unwarranted.  The book itself is beautiful, with a nice Brian Froud cover, thick pages, and a generally handsome design.  The interior artwork quite lovely, doing a fine job of capturing the themes and content.  And the richness of the world is explored in a respectful and thoughtful way.  The expansion and deepening of themes and concepts introduced in the film pulled me right in, made me fall in love with it all over again. 

    Each story lends more depth to the world, while unfolding the story of Aughra, her son Raunip, the Gelflings and origin of the Skeksis and Mystics.  Apparently this is intended to be a three volume work, and I can not wait to read the next two.  For any fan of the movie, anyone who likes a tale well told, and any fan of fantasy, this is a must read.  Frankly, a must own. 

The Dark Crystal Creation Myths: Volume 1
Author: Brian Holguin
Artists: Alex Sheikman and Lizzy John
Publisher: Archaia
ISBN: 978-1-936393-00-8
Pages: 96

-Matt