Inkstuds Radio

I love getting comix in the mail, especially when they are good, and Estrus Comics by MariNaomi is certainly no exception. So far I have only been exposed to the 4th issue of her ongoing series of autobio comix. Featured in this issue, is “Ex-Factor: A Romantic Resume” a collection of short strips reflecting on her history of bumbling interactions with boys over nearly 25 years(she got a young start with a nice embarrassing story kindergarten heartbreak). While most self exposing autbio comix can be very embarrassing to read and somewhat tedious, filled with nauseating naval gazing, Mari knows this and pokes fun at her own misfortune making for a really entertaining read. My particular favorite story, is a nice unfortunate menstrual timing and the shock on an unknowing young boy. I hate the term of a comic being a good one to show to your girlfriend, but its kinda true with this one. The strength is how relate-able her work is. Mari has a great minimal cartoony style, making great use of some solid blacks, and strong inks. For the skeptical reader looking for some kind of artistic comparison to base opinion on, I would say there is definitely a flavour of Mary Fleener, which equals goodness to me.

Also included in this collection, is her story from the Pet Noir anthology, which was actually my fav from the book, so it’s a nice inclusion. Over all, its a great self-published collection that promises for more awesomeness in the future. For a nice list of where to pick up her comic, check out her site with a list of awesome stores that support the indy goodness.

I am always a sucker for the comix with loaded with great smooth storytelling using some classsic cartooning techniques. Daniel Spottwood makes me a happy reader with his classic strip shaped mini, Disquietville. Schooled in the ways of Ivan Brunetti, Peanuts and Chris Ware, Daniel’s colorful book is full of great character’s dealing with daily troubles and tribulations. The thing about his work that really sucks me in, is the way he is able to use the panel and to its full potential. The character’s of Disquietville are filled with struggles that amuse and delight. Originally posted online as a weekly webcomic, his stuff works better as a print comic. Daniel has created a small town of striving artists, pissed off deli boys and broken hearts. One of my favorite features is the great bold coloring he uses. It musn’t be cheap for him to print up the comix, so do yourself and Daniel a favor and pick it up at a con, or order it online and help support some great cartooning.

I was picked this up at SPX last fall, I was initially attracted by the minimalism in it. Written and drawn by Alex Cahill, The Last Island is neat introspective journey. Alex uses a nice clean art style to pull together a wordless journey of a young boy trapped on a desert island. While the premise sounds a little contrived, its the balance between characters and conflict that pushes the story along smoothly. Alex really excels at playing with the idea of abandonment that the character is going through. The story is a neat struggle between joy of isolation, countered with the meeting of a new companion, at first disturbing a lifestyle and experience, but ultimately having a last effect on the young mans life. I am interested to see what Alex does in future work. The Last Island is a really interesting conscious experience, and I see lots of future potential in Alex and his utilization of alternative storytelling techniques.