Fran

Today, the last stop on my Comixology Unlimited tour (for now).

Why I chose it: I have been reading Jim Woodring's comics for decades now. They are all extremely well rendered, dreamy, surprisingly complex, philosophical, and full of life. Weathercraft, Frank, and all his other works are well checking out. How could I not read this latest book of his?

An excerpt:

 

The Bottom Line: This book is simply fantastic. It is a wordless adventure that follows Fran and Frank's relationship, which is complicated when they find a gizmo that projects past experiences as a movie. Frank is enamored with it, and Fran hates it. After she wrecks the device, Frank loses his mind in anger, and she sets off on her own. Everything that follows can be read as a search for forgiveness or some larger allegory about love, relationships, and finding one's identity/place in the world. I loved this book, cannot recommend it enough, and really need to find and read its prequel/sequel The Congress of Animals.

Don't just take my word for it: Joe McCulloch wrote a great meditation about how this book comments on love, identity, and cycles. Derek Royal called it "a very enjoyable and approachable book." Henry Chamberlain wrote that this book only adds to the fact that "Jim Woodring is one of our greatest cartoonists."

Fran was published by Fantagraphics, and they have a preview and much more available here.

Thank you for checking in on me this week as I wrote about my borrowing habits of late. I will review more of these books in the future.

Weathercraft

Weathercraft is a 100-page long journey into Jim Woodring's dreamlike world, and the book practically defies description. The all but wordless tale may be read as a philosophical or spiritual journey. It mostly follows the plights of Manhog, a pig/man hybrid who lives in a rubbish pile and is ruled by his basest appetites. He encounters many strange creatures in this tale, including devils, carnivores, paisley-shaped critters, and Frank, a cartoon animal who resembles a dog or a bear. In this world creatures typically eat or are eaten; they go through transformations, see visions, are imprisoned, and are magically transported across time and space. Over the course of the strange and fantastical events a kind of logic starts to emerge.

Jim Woodring is a Seattle artist who has been drawing comics for decades now. He gained some notoriety lately for making a functional, seven-foot-long ink pen. He is best known for his independent comics series Jim which featured the adventures of Frank. He won two Harvey Awards in 1993 for his work on the series. He also won the Inkpot Award in 2008. This interview with the Onion AV Club as well as this one with Shaun Manning lend insight into his work on Weathercraft.

Woodring's first graphic novel has been almost universally praised. Reviewer Jason Michelitch wrote that "Weathercraft paints small moments of beauty and mystery on a huge canvas of twisted wonder. If you've never ventured into the deranged world of Woodring, take it from a belated first-timer that this book is as good a starting place as any." Henry Chamberlain and Brian Heater also have great things to say in their detailed reviews of the book.

A video preview is provided here from the book's publisher Fantagraphics. They also provide a great number of links and images here.