Infandum! . . . ad Infinitum
Reviewed by R. Krauss
Infandum! . . . ad Infinitum
By Molly Lawless
32 b&w pages, plus cover
8.5' x 11' saddle-stitch binding
$7.12 from Lulu.com: www.lulu.com/content/1694570
Hooray for Mollywood!: tyrnyx.wordpress.com
Reviewed by R. Krauss
Infandum . . . ad Infinitum is a compilation of comics from Lawless' first four mini comics. The Latin word Infandum has a nice sound and certainly the similarity to 'In Fandom' comes to mind whenever you see a small press comic like this. But the translation in English is 'unspeakable' which has virtually no connection with what's between the covers. That is, unless you consider the secret romance tips and dark side of baseball as better left unmentioned.
True to her name, Lawless makes her own rules. She and her collaborators not only talk about these unspeakable things, they document them for small press posterity. The book's most frequent entry is a series of one-pagers called Great Moments in Baseball. But don't worry, you can leave your face paint at the door. These juicy tidbits of trivia are loaded with more drama than fanaticism and Lawless hits a home run in almost every time. The narrative is clever, the facts are fascinating, and the tone is just the right combination of snark and scrutiny. Lawless is a terrific cartoonist, but the detail she puts into her baseball pages make them some my favorites from the book.
There are also numerous embellished memoir entries like Repressed Memory Theatre, Jesus Van, Communion, The Robbery, and My Health Regimen. All of them are fun to read, but where Lawless really shines is in her autobiographical quips and commentary about her childhood misadventures.
The book's longest piece is The Turning of the Worm, written by Carlton King and drawn by Lawless. A fanatic devotee of a pop culture fictioneer falls into a job as said writer's assistant. True to his inner slacker birthright, he soon begins to abuse his benefactor. But what happens when the up-to-now oblivious wordsmith finally begins to notice? Well, I'd like to know too. But we'll all have to wait until the next episode of this entertaining comic soap opera.
King also collaborates with Lawless on a couple of installments of the Rules of Romance that are hilarious.
This is the first time I can recall seeing a magazine-style publication printed through Lulu.com. It's interesting to compare it to something printed by one of the other POD suppliers. This one certainly is one of the best. I hope Lawless sells a bunch, because her work is excellent and deserves a larger audience.
Take A Look Inside
Reviewer Bio
R. Krauss reviews small press and mini comics on Midnight Fiction, Poopsheet Foundation and Comic Related.
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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