GRAPHIC NOVEL REVIEW: GRAHAM ANNABLE’S "STICKLEBACK"
A Martian primer for graphic novels
By Tod Caviness | Orlando CityBeat writer
Posted January 31, 2005
If I had to introduce Martians to rock and roll music, I'd probably pick the Rolling Stones. Not my favorite band, mind you, but let's face it – "Satisfaction" probably serves as a blanket statement of what rock is supposed to sound like. On the other hand, if the Martians (for some reason) asked me for a definition of underground comic books, I'd dig up something by either Daniel Clowes or Graham Annable – whoever I could find in my comic's pile first.
Again, Annable isn't my all-time favorite creator, but his latest graphic romp is a pretty good introduction to everything that works about comics, as well as everything that keeps it 'alternative.' Hell, just look at his publisher, Alternative Comics. Even the comic name is offhandedly hip, made even weirder by the fact that it seems to have been chosen at random. A "Stickleback,",the protagonist's last name, is a type of fish.
"Stickleback," however, has nothing to do with fish. It's not the only non sequitur in the book, which follows the creative adventures of George as he struggles to finish the masterpiece sculpture in his chosen medium of wadded-up toilet paper. George's perfectionism is put to the test by his destructive cat Patty, and by the constant interruptions of his equally neurotic friend Yanni. A trip to the café to placate his pal turns into a miniature adventure, as George finds inspiration in the unlikely form of Yanni's horrible fingernail malady and a brief imprisonment in the café bathroom.
As with most of Annable's work, it only seems to make sense when you see it. Those with expectations of some grand message will be disappointed. You could say, I suppose, that Stickleback is a wayward stroll through the creative process itself. You could more accurately say that Annable is just having a laugh, unafraid to just introduce a character and see where he wants to go. In that respect, George's journey seems to mirror the one Annable takes in all his work, where the humor and insight comes when it comes, often from the angle you least expect it.
Like the best underground creators, Annable isn't too showy, and he doesn't have to be. His pacing and character design (think twitchier, more manic versions of the Simpsons) are by-products of his day job as an animator. The easy tempo of the story may be slow for some, but it does what good comics should do. Readers will find themselves filling in the spaces between the panels easily, unless they're lingering to laugh out loud at George's sudden freak-outs and slapstick moments of violence.
All in all, it's a brief but effective showcase for what Annable and his peers do best, a succinct blend of humor and skewed narrative that's a pleasant relief from the predictability of the mainstream's splash-page overstatement.
Martians, Graham Annable. Graham Annable, Martians. I'm sure you'll have plenty to talk about.
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