Petrichor.
By Gareth A. Hopkins.
An unusual review for an unusual book.
‘The war rages. People are slain. Vince Hunt decides he doesn’t like pork pies. Dan Butcher this week doesn’t imagine painfully murdering someone on the commute and the world will never be the same again.’
As quotes go that is one that is completely made up. Outrage huh? I’m actually referring to the sub-tweeting snarky debate about what is ‘allowed’ to be a comic. I see this often popping up on the social media of the fat and pompous and snarky and cool. Various formats and delivery systems are argued over until we end up ‘reverse flippin’.
Let me start by saying that I have always considered the work of Mr Hopkins to be comics.
This creator often steps outside of the comfy world of superheroes and autobiographical and horror and sci-fi and cats to create something monumentally different yet nonetheless intriguing and original.
With Petrichor he takes a step forwards to something new and different. Something altogether more intimate and idiosyncratic.
In the life we lead the seeing of the hidden and honest face of even the person that you think you know well can occur through the art that they produce. In this book the creator combines his own true voice with the abstract art he has of recent time become known for.
The black and white art reminds me alternately of a detailed rock face or a crystalline structure or even the wind blowing over a beach in winter. But what Gareth does here is that hovering above these visuals are some personal thoughts and words of the moment to moment of his day. Gareth is also a very thoughtful creator and I enjoy talking about his work with him, but this comes over as incredibly moving. Like we are hearing his thoughts float over art that we are interpreting beyond their meaning.
I know.... I’m not making much sense. This book is more of an experience you have to observe for yourself.
And in saying that I realise that I have written far too much for something that just needs to be read.
I can only do justice to this comic by saying that you should read it and think about it....
Petrichor will be out soon.
Get yourself a copy.
I generally don’t know what I am talking about but I do know that this is very, very good!
Many thanks for reading.
You can find more about Gareth at www.grthink.com or follow him on Twitter @grthink
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