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Jumbo Comics and Stories #3
posted January 5, 2006
Creators: Various
Publishing Information: Liam Brooks, $4 ppd.
Ordering Numbers:
An undistiguished anthology of short stories most notable for its evocative colors and use of computer-aided imagery. Most of the stories are unremarkable, like Liam Brooks' slice of life "The Frog Pond," or Mark Stadler and Jason Whitley's slow-moving, sci-fi gimmick story "Immigrant." The most accomplished story is "Abby Logan," where a dead mother tries to communicate with her son and ends up communicating with her son's dog (that sounds better than it actually is), and the most interesting is Liam Brooks' "The Trip."
"The Trip" is a collage story told with photos and computer graphics. While some of the layout implications are interesting, such using a photo subject body as a design element on page four, the story itself fails to impress in its attempt at fractured, meditative narrative. The art and imagery is also disappointing, approximating a "trippy" feel that has more in common with airbrushing than the capabilities of computer-assisted art. Admittedly, the printing may have something to do with those sort of limitations.
This review was written in the late 1990s as part of a then-ongoing freelance gig; I apologize if it reads oddly or seems incomplete.