Browner Knowle 5

 

Browner Knowle 5
A5 [Digest]
20pp
£3.00
The cover should be familiar to you by now? Very neat illustration that,if you look at it often enough,will throw up a few optical effects -go on:look closely!
When this arrived in the post this morning I was expecting the “usual stuff” from Mr Brown.  But I got a bit of a surprise.  Okay,he’s a miserable sod who needs to chill out with a stack of comic books.  That or get laid -but after his last date turned out to be a Thai lady-boy he’s been a bit reticent.
The cover illo leads into the strip “Her Face”.  Not very happy bunny time but an interesting piece.  I loved the illo “Loathsome Oafs”.  Hey,we’ve all seen these skanky sacks of doo-dah and I think this illo sums them up just right and that battered lamp post seals the deal.
There are the usual “about Bristol” pieces so if you live in Bristol you may well recognise “Reggae Beckett”!  The centre-pages feature a spread that you will recognise if you’ve been in Bristols Broadmead shopping area:that very loud Jesus freak that keeps screaming in my face that I’ll only find redemption through Jesus.  In fact,he shouts this at everyone [yet people from a Muslim centre handing out leaflets for a "come and get to know us" meeting were moved on!].  Anyway,not sure what happened to the “Shouter” but not seen him for a while.
“Wonky Leg Girl” is also quite accurate so maybe Mr Brown ought to draw a “Guide to Notable Persons Seen In Bristol” for visitors?
“Slate Grey Series” is depressing.  Depressing but good. I’m glad Mr Brown’s idea of giving away a free razor blade with every copy fell through!
The quality of printing is excellent -as is the paper stock.  What I like is the way that the art seems to have clicked here.  The solid blacks are well balanced with the white areas in “Slate Grey Series” and I’m not sure what he’s using to draw with but the lines are just right and the figures look full of movement.  Perhaps all those cups of tea while reclining on the sofa croaking out:”Mother -fetch me some opium!” has worked.
Certainly the best art of the Browner Knowle series so far.   Well worth adding to your collection.
the book is orderable via Mr Brown at:
paulashleybrown@googlemail.com