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NEW COMICS REVIEWS
Ghost World: Special Edition
Daniel Clowes (Fantagraphlcs Books)
Ghost World initially started out serialized in issues of
Daniel Clowes' magazine Eightball. and initial installments felt
unrelated and a little arbitrary. But taken in the larger context
of the entire saga, those earlier pieces set up an important
trend in the stories, as Clowes and his readers start out sym
pathizing with Enid and Rebecca's snarky commentary on the
drudgery of day-to-day life they witness as they're about to
graduate from high school. By Ghost World's end, though, it's
apparent that the two friends have become so fettered by
their own cynicism that they're no better off than those they
disdain. The book's main strength is in
its simple vision of its protagonists, and
the straightforward presentation thereof.
They're both comfortable in their own
lives, but as Enid and Rebecca transi
tion to adulthood they slowly realize,
at different-rates, how little they know
about themselves. Clowes portrays their
drifting apart as both tragic and healthy,
and not completely inevitable. This sort
of bittersweet open-endedness is one of
his finest contributions to comics writ
ing, and his influence carries through
to countless contemporary artists like
Adrian Tomine or Chris Ware.
By the time it was turned into a 2001
film starring Thora Birch and Scarlett
Johansson directed by the misanthropi-
cally comic Terry Zwigoff, Ghost World
(the comic) already felt a little out of
time, and revisiting the '90s feels a little
like putting on a Superchunk album and
spending time with quaint worries—
remember when sarcasm and ironic
detachment ruled the day? What that film occasionally missed,
though, and what's on full display upon revisiting Ghost World,
is Clowes' treatment of even his most tangential characters; his
artwork and writing both convey a humanity and compassion
for even the most—usually, especially the most—pathetic and
grotesque among us.
The original 80-page graphic novel gets the "special edi
tion" treatment with this new hardback edition, sporting more
than 200 pages of extras. Among the goodies are the movie's
original screenplay, new brief stories, annotations and com
mentary by Clowes and a gaggle of Ghost World paraphernalia:
photos, artwork and other assorted ephemera. More than 15
years after its original appearance, Ghost World still resonates,
and if the mid-'90s seems like a long time ago, well, wasn't it?
Ex Machina #40
Brian K. Vaughan, Tony Harris (Wildstorm Productions)
When writer Brian K. Vaughan decided to set his latest
series in present-day New York, using the story of a former
super-hero elected mayor, he tackled head-on real-world issues
like racism, terrorism, politics and the rote of government.
With last month's issue he injects even more of our world
into his by casting himself and artist Tony Harris as a writer
and artist looking to create a comic based on Mayor Mitchell
Hundred (elected after stopping the second airliner from hit-
-ting the World Trade Center on 9/11). It's the sort of meta-
fictional, fourth-wall-breaking trick that's been used before,
and frequently too obviously, but Vaughan wisely references
his past influences and acknowledges the shortcomings of the
approach. It could've easily been overwrought and absurd, but
it's neither, and Vaughan and Harris succeed completely.
The book is loaded with in-jokes that should appeal to
those more steeped in comics, from the form to the stories
and even to current problems in the industry, but it's still one
of the most accessible, entertaining books on the shelves.
(Speaking of which, there should already be a new issue of Ex
Machina out, but this issue's worth a look and requires almost
no foreknowledge of the series' ongoing story details beyond
its premise.)
One choice in particular elevates Ex Machina #40 beyond
mere gimmickry, and that's the inclusion of a particularly mov
ing tribute that writer Vaughan pays to his former hometown
of New York. It's heartfelt and emotionally resonant, and a
great example of how Vaughan, who notably writes for the TV
show "Lost," so easily glides between humor and pathos.
Kramers Ergot 7
Sammy Harkham, editor (Buenaventura Press)
Sized at 16 inches by 21 inches, and a hefty 98-pages long
on high-quality paper, the new edition of art-comics anthol
ogy Kramers Ergot isn't necessarily a coffee-table book as much
as, a few legs provided, it could be a
coffee table in and of itself. It'll be
tough to find a bookshelf that'll hold an
almost-two-foot book, but the excess in
size and the experimentation in format
and presentation are worth the trouble.
Usually.
As with all anthologies—and there
about 60 different writers and illustra
tors contributing here, including stars
Daniel Clowes, Jaime Hernandez, Adrian
Tomine, Chris Ware, Seth, Matt Groening
and Kevin Huizenga, among other newer
talent—you're bound to hit a few incon
sequential pieces, and that's usually the
case when the creators don't take advan
tage of the opportunities afforded by
such an audaciously large format.
Tom Gauld's wry four-page take on
the Noah's Ark story, for instance, is a
real charmer, and a vast piece of work.
And Chris Ware, for instance, takes full
advantage of the size of his two-page
spread, drawing a full-size baby and
exploring a moving look at a character from "Building Stories,"
one of-his past pieces. Huizenga, given only one page, makes
the most with a richly colorful dreamlike story set in the sky.
And one last thing—this is a seriously high-priced item at
$125, though a lot of online retailers have it discounted. That
breaks down to about two bucks per story, and it's easier to
justify the price when you think of this as a limited-edition,
hand-bound art piece, but still... you're well on your way to
paying a month's rent in Athens with that kind of money.
Chris Hasslotis
The State Botanical Carden of Georgia's
2009 Student
Art Competition with a
*1,000 first
to
college and
high school students.
For complete rules visit our website at
http://www.uga.edu/botgarden/news.htinl
or call Connie at 706-542-4014. April 2, 2009 deadline.
This competition is funded by The J A and H.G. Woodruff, Jr. Charitable Trust
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MARCH 11,2009-FLAGPOLE.COM 9