Lost Shoe Comics
Lost Shoe Comics #1
Lost Shoe Comics #1 © Alex Potts
| Lost Shoe Comics #1 Alex Potts Lost Shoe Comics #2 Alex Potts Adam Steel Jim Medwag |
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An unusual tale, narrow in its narrative focus, but with attractive artwork, Lost Shoe Comics is another example of the limitless possibilities of comics as an artform outside the boundaries of the commercial mainstream. The drawing is very appealing: good, solid, chunky lines, lots of cross-hatching, unusual angles, kind of combining hints of the European Bande Dessinee school of cartooning with the underground influences of R. Crumb's familiar 'bigfoot' style. The story is less substantial, but entertaining enough, with sufficient weirdness and black comedy to just about hold the readers interest over the course of the comic.
Lost Shoe Comics No.1 concerns the trials and tribulations of one Henri Martini, dole-scrounger and supplier of counterfeit sportswear, when he becomes involved in a violent skirmish with a dissatisfied customer. Also featured are rockers with big quiffs, amputations and lots of insane laughter. Oh, and lost shoes, of course.
The artist, Alex Potts, knows how to compose a panel and how to design a comics page.The eye glides smoothly and comprehensively across his well-drawn layouts. The whole book is neatly designed. It would be interesting to see how he tackles more substantial, narratively demanding subject matter, in future volumes.
Vic Pratt
Lost Shoe Comics #2
Lost Shoe Comics #2© Alex Potts
Lost Shoe Comics #2 is a strange one. It's
a sort of slice of life thing about two brothers who look nothing like each other;
Jesus, a quiff headed rocker, and Henri, a bizarre comedy Frenchman, who seems
to have wandered in from Tintin.
The full length story concerns Henri's attempts to pull Barbera, the barmaid at
their local, while avoiding his horrendously boring friend Maurice.
Meanwhile, Jesus and his buddy Pablo (who do look like brothers) beat up
an old guy in the street for no apparent reason who later turns out inexplicably
to be the centre of many coincidences.
I might be missing something, as I haven't read Issue 1, and maybe this was all
set up there, but I was totally bemused. If this is a continuing story, some attempt
really should've been made to explain what happened before.
In terms of the art, Alex Potts has an appealing drawing style, slightly
eccentric, although foreshortening defeats him occasionally, and some panels seem
extremely rushed.
The script isn't particularly funny, and is unfortunately at odds with the artwork,
which is drawn, I think, in some kind of marker, it's an experiment which actually
works, as it fits Alex's bold line. Barbera, for one, is a beautifully drawn character.
A plump, slightly past her best girl who comes alive in a way that Henri simply
doesn't. I'd actually rather the story had placed her centre stage.
The layouts are mostly good, particularly the wordless page showing the characters
drinking the night away. I'm not sure if the slightly intrusive lettering works
though.
Alex is obviously a talented cartoonist, with a potentially great style. I'd say
he just needs to be a bit harder on himself, and take the time to produce more
pages like the wordless one, or the one where Barbera finds Henri's shoe.
The cover works, with nice logo design, and at least it's on card!
I'm almost going to reserve judgement on this one, as, in terms of the story,
I think I might be being unfair on a 2nd issue without seeing the first.
Mind you, you should judge everything on its own merits, so let's just say it's
nearly there. Just needs a few tweaks.
Pete Doree
| Lost Shoe Comics #1 24 A5 pages, colour stock cover #2 24 A5 pages, glossy colour card stock silk screened 2 colour cover |
Recieved at ZUM! HQ: #1 not noted #2 5xi02 |
#1 £1 + 1st class stamp #2 £1.50 + 1st class stamp |
Alex Potts, 59 Tenby Court, Tenby Rd, Walthamstow, E17 7AT |