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CBG SATELLITES
The ADD Blog by Alan David Doane
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Or Else #3
There's a ton of stuff going on before you even crack this
open. There's an amusing turn of phrase on the cover that brought a
slight grin, only to return as full-fledged revelation once I read one
of the stories within. If you're like me, you often check out the back
cover before plunging into the book proper; the back cover is a blurry
photograph. "Ah, Kevin's being arty." Well, sure, that too, but once
you read the book, if you're like me, a second glance at the back
cover will be enough to bring a tear to your eye.
Huizenga is an artist deeply in touch with his own emotions, and
masterful at putting them on the page to share with his readers. The
four page "March 6, 1999" near the front of the book holds enough
genuine humanity and insight to make you thankful for the book's
existence and Huizenga's gifts. But he's just getting started. "Al and
Gertrude" is the highlight in an issue full of home runs: Huizenga
recounts moving next door to an elderly couple. To say any more would
spoil the tale for you. I promise, though, that it's one of the most
moving stories you'll read, full of compassionate observation, and
with a final panel that will have you reflecting on your own life and
its likely path long, long after you close the cover. And when you
close the cover, you'll see that back cover again, and you'll
understand even more about why Huizenga created the story, and the
experiences, curiousity and innate decency that inform his talents as
a cartoonist.
"Fashionably Zen," is the other lengthy piece of the issue, and if
it's a bit lighter in emotional tone than "Al and Gertrude," it is no
less accomplished for its sense of verisimilitude. Huizenga is a guy
who thinks about things, apparently all the time, as a good
observational cartoonist must. "Zen," sees him thinking something very
nearly to death, only to find, as we often do in real life, that he's
not as crazy or alone as he thinks he is. You'll like the story, and
then, if you're like me, you'll once again laugh in amazement when you
see how it ties in to something seemingly unconnected elsewhere this
issue.
What else can I say? This issue, as with the previous issues,
absolutely blew me away: Huizenga grows with every passing story,
sharing more of his talent and more of his thoughts and insights into
his life and the world around him. We're profoundly lucky to have him
working in comics, and to let Or Else slip past you unnoticed
would be one of the great tragedies of your life, if you're like me --
someone who loves good comics. Grade: 5/5
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In the space of three issues, Or Else has become essential
reading, and one of the most exciting and entertaining comics being
published. In a world where we only get a new Eightball or
Acme Novelty Library once every year or two, it's nice that a
creator quickly proving he is as engaging, inventive and unpredictable
as Dan Clowes or Chris Ware is regularly publishing. The implicit
praise in the early notes that this title is the first regular series
D&Q has launched since Optic Nerve has borne fruit: Or
Else is the real thing.