The Hairy Monster: A Guide by Tom Gauld

I didn't think that I would use this as a review because my first thought was, well, that this isn't a comic. Then I thought, says who? This Hairy Monster guide consists of seven panels in the form of attached portfolio plates in a limited edition of 500 from Cabanon Press, and I thought well, the seven panels do tell a bit of a story, even if it is a light one. At least in the McCloudian sense it would comprise a comic. (It does make it difficult to stick to my "minimize spoilers" rule when you can see the whole thing in one shot). I mostly just thought that this is a good opportunity to spotlight one of my favorite new cartoonists, Tom Gauld.

I first bought some of his mini-comics from Buenaventura Press at A.P.E. 2005 and was blown away. He has an amazingly economic style, and approaches his drawings with a style that while refined and assured, seems to be roiling with energy. His characters and places carry a real heft, yet achieve this with a minimum of rendering. Even in the panel you see here, which is dense and full, you still get the sense that every line was necessary to convey the texture and vibe of the hairy beast.

While somewhat sated by the one page biographies that appeared in last year's Kramer's Ergot, I really look forward to Mr Gauld's next full length comic, which should be available from Buenaventura before the end of the year. In the meantime I marvel over this and the postcard book I picked up at San Diego, Robots, Monsters, Etc.