Sexy Chix
We've mentioned superhero comics, horror comics and indy material a lot recently, so perhaps it is time to look at something slightly different. 'For your consideration' as they say in Oscar-land - Sexy Chix. No, it isn't a collection of voluptous superladies in tight spandex with gravity defying cleavages, so get your mind out of the gutter! Sexy Chix is a very cool new anthology of women cartoonists which has just come out from Dark Horse.
I decided to treat myself to a copy and I'm not regretting it. As with any anthology, be it comic or prose, the reader is exposed to a variety of diverse styles, characters and subjects; this is one of the charms of anthologies. Another attractive quality they have is that readers are likely to stumble upon work they have never read before and feel compelled to seek out more of that writer or artists' material. There is a multitude of voices present in Sexy Chix, including some well-known names in comics such as Jill Thompson and Carla Speed McNeil as well as some that even I hadn't come across - but as I said, that it one of the delights of this kind of anthology. If you are looking for something a bit different then this is well worth a look.
Staying on the anthology front I've thoroughly enjoyed Margo Lanagan's award-winning short story collection Black Juice. Those in the know in Australia have enjoyed Margo's work for a while, but for a lot of us in the UK this small, handsome hardback from Gollancz is likely to be our first exposure to her work. It is a luscious collection of speculative fiction which has quite drawn me in to little tales of life, love and death, all imbued with a deep, personal touch which the reader's own emotions will empathise with.
The only drawback is that I am just slipping under the enchantment of each new tale and it comes to an end, although this does produce a delightful sensation in other ways, like moving through fragments of dreams as you lie half asleep. Again this is something quite different which I've found to be a gorgeous gem of a book, each tale another facet. Some critics compared this to early Angela Carter and I think Margo easily bears that comparison.
I decided to treat myself to a copy and I'm not regretting it. As with any anthology, be it comic or prose, the reader is exposed to a variety of diverse styles, characters and subjects; this is one of the charms of anthologies. Another attractive quality they have is that readers are likely to stumble upon work they have never read before and feel compelled to seek out more of that writer or artists' material. There is a multitude of voices present in Sexy Chix, including some well-known names in comics such as Jill Thompson and Carla Speed McNeil as well as some that even I hadn't come across - but as I said, that it one of the delights of this kind of anthology. If you are looking for something a bit different then this is well worth a look.
Staying on the anthology front I've thoroughly enjoyed Margo Lanagan's award-winning short story collection Black Juice. Those in the know in Australia have enjoyed Margo's work for a while, but for a lot of us in the UK this small, handsome hardback from Gollancz is likely to be our first exposure to her work. It is a luscious collection of speculative fiction which has quite drawn me in to little tales of life, love and death, all imbued with a deep, personal touch which the reader's own emotions will empathise with.
The only drawback is that I am just slipping under the enchantment of each new tale and it comes to an end, although this does produce a delightful sensation in other ways, like moving through fragments of dreams as you lie half asleep. Again this is something quite different which I've found to be a gorgeous gem of a book, each tale another facet. Some critics compared this to early Angela Carter and I think Margo easily bears that comparison.
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