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Reviews
May 23, 2001
iCOMICS
One thing I love so much about the comic book industry is that it introduces me to new creators on a very regular basis. For instance, I'd never heard of Graham Annable until his book Grickle was published by Alternative Comics. I had absolutely no idea what to expect when I opened the book, preparing to plunge into the unknown. What I found waiting for me was an absolute delight.
Grickle is a collection of stories by Annable; there aren't recurring characters, or a continuing storyline. What you do get is a series of (mostly) disturbing stories that make you stop and think, even as moments of the stories are masked in a dark comedy that makes you want to laugh... almost.
Annable's stories really surprised me; at first glance, it seemed like Grickle was going to be a collection of funny, goofy stories. Once I sat down and started reading them, though, I discovered it was really anything but. Instead it's about people saying what no one else has the courage to, about the cruelty of children, about self-delusion, and about doubt. Annable's stories are rarely "safe" or simple, instead choosing to go for the more difficult and challenging route. (And on those rare occasions when you do end up with a genuinely funny or happy story, it makes you appreciate it all the more.)
Annable's art is a very stripped down, simple style. It's a little deceptive, because it may put you in mind with joke-a-day comic strips, or goofy comics like Sam Henderson's hysterical Magic Whistle. Annable's little bald people with their big eyes are almost comical just by their appearance, which makes the anguish and torture that they go through all the more agonizing. Don't be fooled by the clean, cheerful looking art; this is a distinctly dark book.
I really hope Alternative Comics publishes more of Annable's work; I can't remember the last time I was so excited about a new cartoonist's work. My only caution is not to sit down and read all of Grickle at once; this is something that you need to pick up from time to time and read a story or two before putting back down. (And as tempting as it may be, I don't recommend leaving it out on your coffee table, handsome as the production values of Grickle may be. Unless, of course, you like disturbing your houseguests, in which case please go right ahead!) This is going to be one of those books that everyone's talking about in six months; avoid the rush and check it out now.
— Greg McElhatton
Images, characters and likenesses © and TM Graham Annable