Tuesday 12 June 2012



Sam Coleman.

Wunderbar! My first post!

Well, comics, I could waffle for hours but instead I want to throw you straight in the direction of something I enjoy that I consider seriously undervalued (and possibly mental).

BEAR!




Bear is a comic series  produced by writer/artist Jamie smart who is currently revamping the dandy (pause for nostalgia). Bear is ten issues long and all in beautiful black and white.The comics main characters are Karl; a placid judgemental everyday Joe who works in a CD store, his psychopathic and inventive cat lookshin and his twelve inch tall friend bear, literally a stuff bear who enjoys telling people about his military victories in world war two and watching wrestling. sold yet?

what's interesting to me about smarts work is two very simple, very important points.

point 1. The art. I love the black and white inked style that's bursting with characters and witty humour. The characters seem to literally explode from the comic panels like something from Ridley Scotts alien before running around causing all sorts of fictional mayhem. I love seeing how far smart pushes our suspension of disbelief (there's something very satisfying in seeing a male silver back gorilla wearing a tinkly cat collar do battle with a stuffed bear and homicidal cat, lord knows exactly what)

point 2. its funny. I love the characters and how they interact, I love the dark humour and I especially enjoy the way you can clearly see how smart enjoyed creating the comic. He has held back on nothing, this comic has more crazy in it than Kerry katona has sausage rolls in her freezer, its like smart took the original old comics such as beano and dandy and re -did that style with a modern dark brand of madness and I really feel it works. Kind of reminds me of a much more insane and less intelligent Calvin and Hobbes (more nostalgia pausing)

I understand everyone's got their own individual tastes and I'm not trying to force feed the world bear just highlight a comic that I enjoyed that is buried beneath the mountains of spider men and superman's. Jamie's taken classic comic book ethos and span, beaten and reforged them  in such a way that they are enjoyable to adults today and that's a really nice new take to see kicking around the shelves.

Jamie is now working on a four issue mini series called ubu bubu based on some of his older work.

You can now read all of bear online at  http://www.bearfoo.com/

also check Jamie smarts own website for more frolicking fun!  http://www.fumboo.com/

Grab a coffee or hot chocolate (even a whiskey if your days really been that tough) sit back and enjoy.

Toodle pip.


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