Fri
Oct
17
“ Contrary to the rumors you have heard, I was not born in a manger. I was actually born on Krypton and sent here by my father, Jor-el, to save the planet Earth.
Barack Obama
Wed
Oct
15
puffpaint sidewalk drawing near playground in downtown Seattle
Cosmocopia art by Jim Woodring
Cosmocopia is a surrealist story that takes place in an alternate universe. It relies on the strange environment to do most of the storytelling. This is my first book by Paul Di Fillipo. I found out about the book through Fantagraphics bookstore. While advertising for the limited edition book claims that it is illustrated by Jim Woodring, creator of the Frank comics, this is far from the truth. There are no illustrations in the book. There is a 500 piece puzzle of the box cover art by Woodring. I was seriously dissapointed by the lack of other art, considering the book is described as illustrated. The cover art by Woodring does fit the story quite well, and I enjoyed the story itself.
The story begins with Frank Lazorg, an artist past his prime, receiving a miraculous drug that reinvigorates him for one last masterpiece. He goes overboard and the drug sends him to an alternate universe with bizarre humanoids and creatures.
I noticed many similarities to Faust: A tragedy involving his lover, his overcoming his conflicts and rivals, and an eventual parody of redemption. Like Faust, who is never satisfied with his life and the amount of knowledge he has, Lazorg is not satisfied with his success and accomplishments as an artist.The drug serves effectively as a devil symbol and as a gateway to youth, knowledge, and success. In this story the tempted is thrown into an alternate universe where he finds his new female companionship and success with art. The “devil” shows up at the end as well, ironically a sort of bland, detached god of all creation as well as the temptation that led Lazorg astray in the first place.
I enjoyed reading Cosmocopia. It’s pretty far out on the weird scale, but Fillipo writes well, and while the weirdness has more too it than simply shock value, the symbolism does not detract from the science fiction tale at its heart.
Mon
Oct
6
Dave McKean adds beautiful illustrations that fit Gaiman’s style perfectly.
Neil Gaiman is satisfying and addicting. Unlike most authors these days he knows how to tell a fantastic story with a deeper meaning below the surface, instead of assorted contrived meanings with a fantastical story thrown in. The Graveyard book is a very entertaining story about a boy who grows up in a graveyard and is raised by ghosts and other supernatural creatures. It also happens to be an homage to The Jungle Book. You can take or leave the comparison and still enjoy the book as a whole. Gaiman is subtle with his references to classic elements such as werewolves, and as a result they feel familiar but not stale. He always puts his own spin on ideas that I think have been written to death.
