Candy of Medicine #5
Reviewed by R. Krauss
Edited by Josh Blair
October 2008
16 b&w pages, including self-cover
Letter-size mini comic
Printed on 30% recycled paper
$1.50 (includes postage)
Website: www.candyormedicine.com
When Josh Blair started this mini comic anthology over a year ago his goals were to keep the content open to a wide variety of contributors and publish it regularly on a quarterly basis. But let's face it, in self-publishing good intentions are a dime a dozen. Fortunately, for us Blair has been as good as his word.
The fifth volume of the series came out right on time and he's working several issues ahead to ensure they keep coming. As the book's reputation builds, Blair has expanded his readership and the book's distribution. He just secured representation through Tony Shenton to improve access to this mini showcase of emerging and basement cartoonists.
The content has improved along the way with a sort of defining point that began with the third edition. Since part of his vision is to encourage new talent, the book is open to beginners and there's often a few pages by people still learning to draw and/or communicate their ideas clearly. Nonetheless, it's the variety that makes anthologies fun and as an editor Blair provides a good mix of beginners and veterans in each issue.
You can check out sample panels from all of the contributors to issue five below, but my favorite was Andrew Goldfarb's The Somnambulist's Lament. Just the title is worth the price of admission! (Note: Back cover by Steve Rack not shown.)
Rating the Issue
Story: Overall 6 |
Storytelling: 8 |
Take A Look Inside the Comic
Reviewer Bio
R. Krauss reviews small press and mini comics on Midnight Fiction, Comic Related, and Poopsheet Foundation.
Name: Richard Krauss
email: arkay@midnightfiction.com
Been reading comics: since I started reading Marvel comics in Junior High School.
Review Bio: After several years I discovered titles like Zap and Bijou at a headshop and was seduced by the freedom and variety they offered. When the new-wave comix era sprouted from the seeds of the undergrounds, I quickly joined the ranks of other struggling cartoonists with phenomenally low print runs. After almost a decade of small press comix, I retired and made a solemn vow never to return. Several years later the Internet happened and over time many of my favorite new-wave cartoonists got online. The bug bit again and I started exploring the new crop of small press cartoonists. Today's explosion of small press comics is more exciting than any time I've ever seen.
Favorites: Papercutter, Not My Small Diary, Slam Bang, Comic Eye, stuff from Main Enterprises and Weird Muse, to name a few.
Website: MidnightFiction.com
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