Last Bus #1

Reviewed by John Maybury

By Patrick Lynch (Cardboard Press)
20 pages + covers, 18cm x 22cm black & white interior, black and red cover. 3 euros in Eire, 3.50 euros elsewhere (inc. postage and free badge).
Contact www.patrickl.net, www.cardboardpress.com

A slice of life comic, dealing with a bus driver’s experiences as he drives the last bus of the evening.

The futility and depressing unpleasantness of the situation is brought out, but despite this the comic pulls you in and takes you along with it. The driver sees the public good, bad and indifferent. The majority of human contact he gets is people asking, “How much to…”. He gets verbal abuse and has to deal with a couple of yobs. As the story progresses, you know someone will get beaten up and this air of menace is well carried without being overpowering.

The artwork is sketchy ink and wash that serves the story well. The unusual page size is put to good use, allowing the creator to get more in the page.

Whether the hero will rise above the situation remains to be seen. I look forward to the next issue.

Copyright © 2008, Patrick Lynch. All rights reserved.

Reviewed on 26-06-2009

DRUG CONVERSATIONS

Reviewed by John Maybury

or monologues with Muthah

By Jenny Linn-Cole. 3 parts, each 24 pages + covers, Approximately 10cm x 10cm. Colour covers and B&W interior with occasional interior colour. £1.50 per part. Contact jennylinncole.myartsonline.com A three-comic set dealing with a mother’s conversations with her son, regarding drug use. The three parts deal with LSD, Cannabis and Alcohol. Initially surprised her son has asked her about drug use, the author details her reply. In the process she gives an honest account of her experiences when experimenting with drugs and the effects they had and also comments on some of her son’s experiences. This set of comics manages to discuss drug taking without preaching or passing judgement. Accepting their existence, the author neither advocates nor condemns them, but evaluates them in terms of entertainment. Despite the fact that alcohol abuse destroyed her relationship with her husband (a surely painful experience which is touched on), she still maintains an objective approach. This is autobiographical comics at its best and deserves the widest audience possible. Copyright © 2008, Jenny Linn-Cole. All rights reserved.

Reviewed on 16-07-2009

A Confused Pursuit

Reviewed by John Maybury

by AM
20 pages + covers, A6 black & white interior, black and red cover. ÂŁ1.00
Contact www.amdrawing.co.uk

A light-hearted comedy story demonstrating the difficulties of creating true Artificial Intelligence. An inventor tells his robot creation it is now ready to face the outside world and should go out and “pull a bird”. The robot is clearly an advanced model but unfortunately the inventor has omitted colloquialisms from its programming…

The comic is presented in wide-screen - you hold it horizontally so that the pages are one-above-the-other, not side-by-side.

The simple line-art style complements the script and does not attempt to pack in extraneous detail, fitting the page size well.

Reviewed on 01-10-2009