The Poet Color Comics Spectacular

This weekend I got the chance to attend my favorite comics convention, HeroesCon in Charlotte, NC. It is my favorite for multiple reasons: I get to see good friends like Jason DeHart, dive into back issue bins, catch up with some of my favorite comics creators, and, maybe best of all, get introduced to new comics and comics makers. In a twofer, my friend Jason introduced me to Todd Webb and his comic The Poet, and I bought this Color Comics Spectacular. I was enchanted by the comics here, and I will definitely be seeking out more. And next time I see him at a con, I will most certainly take him up on his $1 to draw me in crayon (even if the price goes up!). 

The Poet is a spare comic, full of observational humor, and contemplative moments. Mainly, the interplay is between three characters: the poet, the pigeon, and the park bench, which occasionally communicates via thought balloons(!). As you can see from the excerpt above, the strip is witty and features smart wordplay. The poet is more serene and thoughtful and the pigeon a bit more caustic and indulgent. Their differences make for interesting dynamics and exchanges, and I love how these comics bounce between philosophical and mundane matters with amusing, often poignant, results. 

In addition to drawing The Poet and various other comics that appeared in Nickelodeon Magazine, Todd Webb also records music under the moniker Seamonster. You can learn more about Webb's work on The Poet in this interview.

All of the reviews I have read of this comic have been positive. Warren Craghead wrote, "Webb whittles and peels back layers to find more and more in these spare but vast strips. A man, a bench, a pigeon; THE WORLD. They hang out up the street from Charlie Brown and in the wake of Thoreau, Bushmiller and Cage." Henry Chamberlain reviews The Poet in a thoughtful way that puts it in context of classic comic strips.

The Poet Color Comics Spectacular was published by Second House. They have several compilations of these comics, mainly in black and white and also varying in length. You can also view them for free on Instagram or, for even more, subscribe to The Poet here.