This is a really difficult book to try to describe to someone - on the surface the story is illustrated in traditional panels in a kind of Crumb-esque style and features no words, it's all pictures. But then you come to describe the pictures and falter. A Manhog - a human-like person who nonetheless has pig-like features. A cartoonish cat called Frank and his faithful box-like pets (dogs?). Two cackling hags who are probably witches but look like dragons and other things. A bad guy called Whim whose head is shaped like a crescent moon and is constantly smiling in a sinister rictus and experiments on odd looking animals. And that's just a handful of the inhabitants. This is my first Jim Woodring so his 20 year long career writing and drawing "Frank" is unknown to me but I enjoyed this book nonetheless. As we watch Manhog bumble around this surreal landscape getting into strange situations and escaping them, you feel like this is a hugely symbolic dream. The kind of story which, if had been produced in medieval times, would almost certainly have a number of conspiracy theories surrounding it as to what it meant and who authored it - a mad monk in league with dark forces? What does this scene mean? And this? Is there another world lurking beneath ours? Instead it's a creation of Jim Woodring's Unifactor world but you nevertheless feel there are layers here with hidden messages in the odd symbols. Or it could all be a completely mad vision/dream of Woodring's. Whatever your interpretation of this well produced comic book, you'll definitely remember it long after you put it down. It's a compelling, mysterious, very strange and wonderful comic book about a weird place and fascinating creatures. If you're a comics adventurer, take a trip to Weathercraft and explore. It's a memorable place. Jim Woodring - Author4/5 starsWeathercraft is a story told entirely in wordless pictures that follows the adventures of the odious Manhog in the fantastically surreal titular land. Manhog is a disgusting pig-man hybrid, intent only on satisfying his base desires. During his hedonistic quest Manhog is captured and experimented upon by the evil Whim, a stick-thin, mask-faced demon. In enduring the malevolent punishments Manhog achieves spiritual enlightenment, but his newfound peace is short-lived as he must undertake a desperate quest to save the life of his one-time nemesis Frank and thwart the ascention of the evil Whim.The story is even stranger than the synopsis makes it out to be, and is entirely wordless. The art of Jim Woodring is a surreal, multi-layered fever dream with its own internal logic. Highly recommended.
What do You think about Weathercraft (2010)?
how do i give this a million-trillion stars?
—Gracefound
