Fred Egg Comics WOW! RETRACTED

A5
110pp
Perfect bound
B&W/Colour
£10.00
http://fredeggcomics.bigcartel.com/product/wow-retracted


Comic book with stories written and drawn by David Robertson and includes contributions
from  by Eileen Budd, Marc Casilli, Zu Dominiak, Damon Herd, Olivia Hicks, Rebecca Horner, Paddy Johnston, Tim Kelly, Neil Paterson, Ludi Price, and Pam Wye.

There can be a problem when you get a book like this.  Firstly, it is an anthology and I have found that in the past highlighting the work of specific contributors has led to complaints.  You know, like "I contributed a piece to that book so what was wrong with it?"  I normally point out that a reviewer has to try to highlight the best of any anthology whether professional or small press.  Pressed further and depending on my mood my response could be "Well, firstly, you cannot draw.  Would you like a further critique?"

Look at the number of contributions in this book:

01. NANDO. 

02. INK DRIVE. 03. PATRIOTISM. 04. REVENGE ON THE ORBITING SPACE POD. 05. ENDLESS LOVE. 06. NEWS FOR THE DEAF. 07. MISSILE ATTACK CONCORDE. 08. RODOLPHE TOPFFER’S REVERIE. 09. I LIVE WITH A KILLER. 10. IN CONCERT. 11. HOOVERING. 12. PEZZ. 13. TH:12:43. 14. I LIVE WITH A KILLER 2. 15. LADY MASQUE. 16. THE MAKING OF SPACE FILM EPISODE 7. 17. META AF (art: Zu Dominiak). 18. HORRIBLE PUPIL (art: Neil Paterson). 19. VISUAL MUSIC (art: Rebecca Horner). 20. MILDEW (art: Paddy Johnston). 21. TURBO-SLUSH (art: Tim Kelly). 22. DEADLY DEODORANT (art: Eileen Budd). 23. ASS/U/ME (art: Olivia Hicks). 24. GRAFFITI WALL (art: Pam Wye). 25. TEENAGED TARGETTED TERRORIST TARANTULAS (art: Damon Herd). 26. I DON’T SEE DIFFERENCE (art: Marc Casilli). 27. THE FUTURE (art: Ludi Price). 28. FUMETTI. 29. UNEXPLODED GRENADE. 30. HOMELESS. 31. I LIVE WITH A KILLER 3. 32. ORCHESTRAS. 33. LIVE EVERY DAY LIKE IT’S YOUR LAST. 34. FB -- OUT! 35. SMALL WORLD. 36. MOUSE. 37. SHOPPING FOR TUNA. 38. GEORGE VS. HERBERT. 38. HOURLY COMICS DAY 2017. 39. ROBOT // MONSTER. 40. INTERSECTIONALITY.



Not all credited though there is something about contributions in 2 or 3 point font size and that is no good for a reviewer or someone glancing through it.  Here is what should be done:

26. I DON'T SEE DIFFERENCE  script:----   art: Marc Casilli

Where David Robertson writes the scripts then it should read "D. Robertson" or "Robertson" because tucking that away in tiny text is very amateur. My new spectacles show the tint text reads "stories 1-16 and 28-40" are by Robertson.  No. Credit next to the story, please. I just spend an hour going through the art pages trying to see if there was any script or art credits!  It highlights a very big problem for a reader, too.  If he/she is reading a strip and likes it the automatic thing to do is flip back to page 1 of that strip to see who drew or wrote it.  Having to flip back to page one of the book itself and squint at tiny text is not on. Credits for writer and artist ON the strip.

It is a niggle and I have taken larger publishers to task on this.

But "Uncle Terry is in a mood" is not what you want to read, right?

Nando is a bit of a bleak strip to start on: plane crash on a mountain, cannibalism...one man left. Ink Drive still has me wondering what the hell the ending was about as it seemed messy. I read it at 01:00 hrs and at 11:45 hrs but same impression. Not sure if I missed something.  Deadly Deoderant drawn by Eileen Budd was a nice colour strip and Pam Wye's Graffiti Wall was a nice style. Intersectionality  by Robertson had some nice work. Teenage Targetted Terrorist Tarantulas also had some promising art by Damon Herd. Olivia Hicks, Neil Patterson and Rebecca Horner are also notable contributors.

Is the book worth buying?  That depends on whether you are only interested in super heroes because if so -no. You only buy full colour comics -no.  If you want to buy and read small press books and see what new creators are up to then -yes.  And for the contributors I've noted it is worthwhile -Budd, Wye, Hicks, etc. I would like to see more of their work. 

There are preview pages on the Fred Egg Comics page so check it out.

Comics should not just be confined to the slick, full colour companies or even Independents.  If someone wants to draw or put together for fun or as a hobby then why not?  There is a degree of snobbery from all quarters but the point is creativity and having fun.

Support the Small Press and Independent Comics.