Comic – Sliced (Quarterly) #9

Steve Taylor-Bryant ingests his regular dose of  experimental comics goodness by reading issue 9 of Sliced (Quarterly) edited by Ken Reynolds...

Its that wonderful time of the year again where I can explore a comic collection with a difference, a collection I may not like everything in, or even understand everything in, and that’s exactly the appeal of Sliced (Quarterly), it is different, it doesn’t chase the mass market, it is experimental in its stories and its art, and that is a blessing in a world of superhero and zombie comics. This issue has a beautiful cover from Sarah Harris that is more art gallery fine than comic book style and is so pretty to look at it took me a while to actually get past the cover and into the collection.

The Editorial from Ken Reynolds thanks everyone for their recent Kickstarter contributions (we even put our own money into it because we love it so much) and he writes about how creating comics are seen to be a lonely pursuit but that real people are behind them with stories to tell and it's nice to be reminded about that sometimes. Issue 9 starts off with Bingo Bonanza from Tony Esmond (script), Michiru Morikawa (art), Michael Phoenix (Colours), and Gustavo Gimenez (flats) and shows a man walking through many robots that are singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, until he destroys all of them piling them up trying to reach the star. I’m sure this is supposed to be a metaphor for something but to be honest I spent most of the time just admiring the art. ypidemi is up next with three funny little strips from Bob Schroeder entitled Campaigning, Safety, and Virtual Shopping that are great little self-contained pieces. His Last Walk from Tom Slocombe (script), J.C. Grande (art), and Ellie Wright (colours) is by far my favourite piece in the entire issue. The art is stunning and the story twist you get at the end after really feeling the desperation is incredibly pleasing.

The Condom from Ida Henrich is a funny little story that basically is about the flavoured condoms and sex education classes we had in school. Funny memories. Abnormality is next, and we are yet again at the point of the collection that I often find myself, that point where I don’t understand what I’ve seen but really wish that I ‘got’ it. The art intrigues me but my understanding is not at a level where I know what I’m supposed to have experienced. Then comes Farquhar: Part 3 from Tara Lucy which is a continuation from other issues (see my glowing praise of Tara’s simple yet effective use of pencil here) and I’m pleased to say it will continue to run into the next issue.

Ken Reynolds then does a Small Press Preview again, a wonderful thing to do, and we get a sneak peak at something new that is coming. This time it’s Le Petit Mort by Marc Flack that looks beautiful and intriguing so keep your eye out for that one.

Yet again Sliced (Quarterly) has entertained, its confused and pushed my boundaries of understanding, its brought different artistic styles to fore, and its taken risks that not many other collections would do. A must read for anyone searching for something different.

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Sliced (Quarterly) #9 is available to download for FREE from the website along with all the back issues. The first collected volume is now available to buy in print from slicedquarterly.bigcartel.com

Images - Courtesy Sliced (Quarterly)