Let Go Of The Quarter-Scale Mothra
...slow news day?
...normally when I blog about something that I either recommend or offer opinion on, I tend to have finished said thing first. I try not to make these posts so much reviews as just a short story about my own personal relationship to said thing or how it caught me at a certain point in time. Reviews tend to have more of a time stamp on them. This would be why I often talk of things that are not particularly new, but still very relevant in my eyes.
I believe I have mentioned Bob Fingerman's Minimum Wage series on here months back. It was a single issue of the current iteration of the series that I stumbled upon. A semi-autobiographical of a comic book writer and artist in his daily life. The general feel instantly brought to mind American Splendor, a comic book series I would argue has a place in the American high school curriculum. As much as I enjoy a good superhero yarn (and I most certainly do), comics are a great medium because they go anywhere from the fantastic to the everyday. If you don't believe me, try Marbles, Ghost World, American Splendor, Drawn Together, Hate and more.
Minimum Wage fits beautifully into this canon. While this certainly has the element of fiction, Minimum Wage is grounded, realistic and as bitter as any day-to-day existence that permeates the landscape of humanity. With each success comes another setback, each enjoyable moment met with one of worry and each situation relatable. One chapter can involve the inner workings of having Christmas dinner at the family households of a significant other. It sounds as dry as possible told in this manner, but the details are what make this otherwise droll set up blossom into storytelling gold.
With each character introduced, they have the distinction of bearing similarly physical space while possessing personality traits that make them all unique and memorable. None of them have a particularly special ability or talent. No one is solving a grand mystery or the active centerpiece of catastrophe. Where these people stand out as that as you come to know them, you see yourself and those around you in them. The characters in the story are people you know and as a result, they leap into your consciousness.
The cadre of black-and-white artwork compliments this book masterfully. It serves as a visual cue to how average the lives of these characters truly is and reminds us that we are hardly alone. In the moments when we feel like no one understands what we struggle with each day, Bob Fingerman's universe is here to show you exactly how unexciting life is for most people at a glance. Rather, it is the inner workings of these and our own lives that give everything real color and vibrancy.
Yes, I could feel all of this simply from the 100+ pages of a near 400 page hardcover compendium. Much like American Splendor, Minimum Wage invites you to come along, walk for a while and just find yourself amongst friends. No one has anything going on that requires braggadocio. No one has a perfect life full of highs. Everyone has their flaws, their insecurities and makes their fair share of missteps. Minimum Wage feels like a new group of friends that you have yet to meet.
I believe I have mentioned Bob Fingerman's Minimum Wage series on here months back. It was a single issue of the current iteration of the series that I stumbled upon. A semi-autobiographical of a comic book writer and artist in his daily life. The general feel instantly brought to mind American Splendor, a comic book series I would argue has a place in the American high school curriculum. As much as I enjoy a good superhero yarn (and I most certainly do), comics are a great medium because they go anywhere from the fantastic to the everyday. If you don't believe me, try Marbles, Ghost World, American Splendor, Drawn Together, Hate and more.
Minimum Wage fits beautifully into this canon. While this certainly has the element of fiction, Minimum Wage is grounded, realistic and as bitter as any day-to-day existence that permeates the landscape of humanity. With each success comes another setback, each enjoyable moment met with one of worry and each situation relatable. One chapter can involve the inner workings of having Christmas dinner at the family households of a significant other. It sounds as dry as possible told in this manner, but the details are what make this otherwise droll set up blossom into storytelling gold.
With each character introduced, they have the distinction of bearing similarly physical space while possessing personality traits that make them all unique and memorable. None of them have a particularly special ability or talent. No one is solving a grand mystery or the active centerpiece of catastrophe. Where these people stand out as that as you come to know them, you see yourself and those around you in them. The characters in the story are people you know and as a result, they leap into your consciousness.
The cadre of black-and-white artwork compliments this book masterfully. It serves as a visual cue to how average the lives of these characters truly is and reminds us that we are hardly alone. In the moments when we feel like no one understands what we struggle with each day, Bob Fingerman's universe is here to show you exactly how unexciting life is for most people at a glance. Rather, it is the inner workings of these and our own lives that give everything real color and vibrancy.
Yes, I could feel all of this simply from the 100+ pages of a near 400 page hardcover compendium. Much like American Splendor, Minimum Wage invites you to come along, walk for a while and just find yourself amongst friends. No one has anything going on that requires braggadocio. No one has a perfect life full of highs. Everyone has their flaws, their insecurities and makes their fair share of missteps. Minimum Wage feels like a new group of friends that you have yet to meet.
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