And Now, For The World Weary Reader, Presenting
The Lonely Skeleton!
Sounds like the title of a kid's Halloween book, doesn't it? 'The Lonely Skeleton'. You can practically predict the plot. Poor Lonely Skeleton will be lonely. Then he'll make a friend. Then he'll be HAPPY!
....ahem. Not exactly. Imagine that kid's book was written by Kafka or Nietzsche. After a few shots of bad vodka.
....ahem. Not exactly. Imagine that kid's book was written by Kafka or Nietzsche. After a few shots of bad vodka.
You get the idea....
That's 'Lonely Skeleton', a gaga gag-a-day strip created by João Duarte Silva.You were warned.
The Rating
Well played, sir. Well played.
The Raves
This offbeat comic will regularly have you bursting out in small spurts of giggling, because it states so baldly facts that we spend our entire lives dancing around that you laugh almost in self defense. Reminiscent of the Farside at its best, 'Lonely Skeleton' holds up a mirror to our lives and points out just how absurd the life we call 'real' is. Its main point is the meaning of life: that is, how desperate we all are for there TO BE ONE. Skeleton and Rock's pitifully desperate search for things to occupy their ENDLEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSS time is at once hugely amusing and darkly satisfying.
When you've had a rotten day at work, when you've realized that the paper you spent days writing will be read by the professor in about 5 minutes and then tossed, this is the comic to soothe your savage breast with. In future I know I'll flop down after a crappy day, flip through a few pages, smirk grimly and murmur 'damn straight!' to myself. And that, ladies and gentlemen, takes some skill. It isn't easy to tell people blatant truths in an amusing way, but Silva pulls it off with aplomb.
The style is classically gag-a-day simplistic, and has what I call the 'DIY aesthetic', meaning that a skilled artist is doing something with casual ease by hand. They aren't afraid for you to KNOW it's hand drawn, with slightly wobbly lines here and there, but the very fact that clean, well rendered drawings can be created in such a casual manner shows the skill of the creator. It took me back to reading Gary Larsen, PHD, Love And Rockets and some of my favorite indie zines.
Just one suggestion? Work on the lettering a touch; some of the hand-drawn letters are a touch blurry and difficult to parse at a glance. No big deal, but something to keep in mind. Other than that, as a reader I'd LOVE to see updates on a more regular basis, and would love even more to buy the print book of strips. When does it come out? Granted, I already know Skeleton's answer...
The Razzes
The Revue
Grab a shot of grey goose and give it a read when the boss has been an ass. You'll feel oddly validated in the ultimate meaninglessness of life...oh and you'll laugh too.
No comments :
Post a Comment
Drop us a line!