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Reviews
March, 2001
Comic Shop News
Have you ever seen something that appeared effortless until you tried your hand at it and discovered just how much skill it really required?
Graham Annable's like that.
Take a look at Grickle, and your first thought is, "this is easy." But the more of Annable's work you read, the more you realize the erros inherent in this first impression. Grickle is a powerful, insightful, sometimes touching work that sees the world as sometimes amusing, sometimes depressing, sometimes ironic, and sometimes poignant... but always thought-provoking.
Grickle is simplistic in a Kurtzmanesque way (although Annable's style is far removed from Harvey Kurtzman's); there are no wasted lines, no unnecessary details to detract from the point of each story. Like Jules Feiffer in his prime, Annable has found the perfect blending of essential art and essentual words for each tale.
Everyone will find a favorite in these pages; mine is "Decency," a disturbing story of two people throwing rocks at a frog on a lily pad; the story not only develops the irony of human cruelty in a poignant way, but it manages to make quite a statement about the human condition as well. We are both monsters and gods... "Photo Opportunity" likewise manages to transform an everyday problem — inconsiderate rudeness and disregard for society's rules — into an existential statement on existence, but Annable does so without seeming preachy or melodramatic. And even in his darkest observations, he communicates a sense of humor that is important to the story as a whole; Annable isn't so much disturbed as he is bemused by life's injustices.
Some talents create graphic novels, others specialize in the art of the short story, but Annable's work is best described as comic book poetry — lean, edgy, powerful, and effective on multiple levels.
— Cliff Biggers
Images, characters and likenesses © and TM Graham Annable