Fusion #2
Fusion #2:
Above: A Sword of Flame © Naomi Claydon (script), Paul Richter (art)
Below right: Nicole © Roger Mason
Below left: Widdershins © Adam Bealy (script) and Ant Mercer (art)
| Fusion #2: Editor: Barry Renshaw Contributors: [Naomi Claydon & Paul Richter], Roger Mason, [Adam Bealby & Ant Mercer] |
| Mail Engine Comics |
As this is an anthology comic I’ll do the boring thing & just look at each story individually.
The team of Naomi Claydon (script), Paul Richter (art) deliver 2 stories in this anthology, or rather 1, that is split into 2. Thematically the 2 plots are essentially the same in that foes are overcome by the courage of the protagonist/s.
Although the first story Vox Londinium reads well & is consistent, it is not what I would call a comic - it is an illustrated story - pictures with explanatory text underneath. The biggest let down is the typesetting, which is too small & badly spaced. The typeface used is not a natural body text, & thus should be larger to allow legibility (it was designed to be printed bigger).
Naomi Claydon's scripting on the second story, A Sword of Flame is less consistent. The 'voice' of the character sways uncomfortably between formal & colloquial language. The idea behind the story is one that appeals, being set in a period of history which is rich for exploration. I also like the inferance of universality in characters: as death appears it mutters about its medieval appearance in deference to the Greek image . It suggests a sound knowledge behind the scripting that lends it 'weight'.
Paul Richter's art in the full-page illustrations of Vox Londinium seem pleaingly reminiscent of Bob Moulder. However, in A Sword of Flame, where he is dealing with the more complicated art of creating actual comics pages he seem much less assured; it looks like these may be some of his first tentative steps into comic page creation. But even if my initial assumption is correct, this is still a very promising start: there's a willingness to take risks and to be bold which must be encouraged. Perhaps a little more consideration about comics composition? How the page hangs together compositionally from panel to panel & as a whole. How dramatic pacing is effected by layout. The format in which it will eventually be presented (some of the pages look as they were devised with the use of colour in mind).
Unfortunately historical settings in comics are not really that popular, which is a shame... but I guess it's a sad fact that society does not find it a popular venue. Bob Moulder loved doing historically set comics & we've all seen & appreciated his work, have't we?
Nicole
seems to be the sole responsibility of Roger Mason, although he does credit
it as being, "After an idea by Jorge Zentner" (name dropping?).
What strikes me most immediately about Roger's work is his confidence. He can
draw well, & his pen work is brimming with confidence - bold use of fine line
& huge black line - very pleasant... but then there are these fiddle little
unconfident lines sneaking into the edges as though he's unsure of definition.
For instance they sneak into the computer, monitor on the first splash page. They
serve no purpose, they do not add anything, and in fact I find them most distracting
as they interrupt the flow of the page. This is most odd when you consider he's
adventurous enough to whack the brush over the page to emphasise or ad depth to
the drawing. Perhaps he suffers from wanting to fill in too much background information
when only an indication is required. I feel he needs to perhaps worry less &
trust instinct more; strip things down to essentials. The story itself is a mere
piece of whimsy, but nicely told as what is actually going on is only alluded
to rather than explicitly told.
Widdershins
by Adam Bealy (script) and Ant Mercer (art) seems essentially a
scene setting piece for a wider adventure. There is an awful lot going on, for
an 8-page story, & this is the second episode! Its genre is sword & sorcery,
with the emphasis on magic - the reality it informs looks like it might be shaped
by it. Sprites & spirits are a real presence & the mythology the story
utilises seems steeped in paganism. The internal logic of this story seems nicely
grounded. It is however, far too cramped (so many word balloons, so many panels,
so much detail). The intensity is a mite confusing. Presently the 'fantasy' genre seems to be a more acceptable with the zeitgeist of Harry Potter & The Lord of the Rings keeping public imagination afloat. Unfortunately I cannot make a value judgement here as I cannot confess to have read much of this ilk, or seeing any films of recent, although I do suspect Adam's narrative heredity may have more in common with Pat Mills.
Ant's artwork seems nicely assured. There are errors in the foreshortening of human figures that point to a little to inexperience, but in general the perspective & anatomy show a dedication craftsmanship that has to be applauded. The intensity of the crosshatching may get carried away occasionally, but thankfully Ant knows how to successfully carry this off. On the whole he uses it well, adding form & motion to the page. It's a shame that his linework is so fine, as on occasion it also suffers from having being scanned before it was printed; the resolution is not adequate & so it turns out quite fuzzy in places. On the other hand this blurring effect on the hatching is also pleasing at times giving the linework a softer & more 'penciled' feel. On the whole, I'd say Ant has the potential to get quite big headed about his artwork as it hopefully matures.
So what of the raison d’être for this anthology? As with most small press anthologies the whole point is to 'be there' - to be published - to be seen. There's nothing inherently wrong with this - it is what it is & hopefully it will snowball & develop into greater things. Engine Comics seem to be a good Small press hub at the moment - Barry Renshaw is a man of energy & has created a valuable small press resource in the How to Self Publish guide & even went so far as organising a mart or 'mini convention' in Manchester. At the moment the editorial hand in the comic seems to be less concerned with guiding the artists & writers & more shouting there presence from the rooftops. Hopefully, in time it will allow it's contributors to mature & develop & also seek out new creatives to nurture. This is all we can ask.
mooncat
| Fusion #2: 40 A4 pages | Received at ZUM! HQ: Late 2002 <check postmark> |
£2 (+P+P?) | Barry Renshaw, Engine Comics, 8 Avril Close, Reddish, Stockport, SK5 6XH. |