KING-CAT COMIX and STORIES #74

review from Anne: KING-CAT COMIX and STORIES #74

28 pages, 1/2 page (5.5 x8.5 inches), $4 US, $? CAN/MAX, $? world, trades ? Nov 2013
John Porcellino

Spit & a Half

PO Box 142

So. Beloit, IL 61080

www.king-cat.net

I gotta confess: I let out a little yelp of glee when I found a King-Cat in my review stack. Some years ago, someone gifted me a subscription to King-Cat, which I found out when the first (and, sadly, only) issue arrived, and I kinda love the crisp lines and the stark drawings; there's a certain charm there. There's a bat story in this issue that's totally charming, and apparently Porcellino's got a whole slate of amazing stuff happening in 2014 (which is the 25th anniversary of King-Cat, natch) with new titles, new issues, and a King-Cat movie. Porcellino's work is solid; it's straightforward and evocative, and though the drawing seems simple and uncluttered, there's beauty in it and the storytelling pace is pretty much perfect. It seems dreamlike in some ways (the Tennessee driving story) and almost mundane in others (the series of drawings of the local bridges is pretty great).

I would be astonished to find someone who hasn't heard of King-Cat, but if that's you, don't wait to get your hands on this issue. It's well worth tracking down.

EDIT, June 2017: Here's how awesome John Porcellino is. He read this review & got in touch to offer make-up issues for my gift subscription that somehow went out into the ether! (If that doesn't convince you to get going and order some King-Cat, I'm not sure what will. But you should.)