As you probably noticed from the hashtag on this post (#ZineMonday), I’ve been taking a day a week to share some of my favorite and most recently acquired zines. This blog is mostly about picture books but really it’s about my inspirations. I find a lot of inspiration in zines but I have to say, they’re not always the most kid-friendly. This week’s zine* in particular is intended for mature audiences.
What I’m finding inspiring here is the technique. It’s risograph but it looks like something between a watercolor and marker.
The line drawings underneath this color remind me very strongly of Joann Sfar’s work. There’s a raw energy in this comic that I really admire.
Beanboy’s original’s story feels like a Creole folktale viewed through a sort of 1920s comic strip lens. I don’t know enough about the main character or the artist’s background to know how much of the story is drawn from life but the fact the book is dedicated to the artist’s mother makes it feels like the subject and themes are all very personal.
The book is small, measuring something like 2.5 by 4 inches, which seems to suit it perfectly.
Buy it at Silver Sprocket.
*I call it a zine but maybe it’s more of a mini-book? I’m not sure how you would differentiate the two except maybe by price.