Week of 9/25/2023
El Puro conclusion, merch announcements, and more are in store this week!
Comics
El Puro 17
And that’s all folks! If you made it to the end, what were your thoughts about the storyline? Whether you liked it, hated it, or didn’t care, send your opinions in by replying to this email! I plan to reprint them in the upcoming issue of The Shapes which collects El Puro. If you would not like your location (i.e. city, state, or country) to be printed, please specify.
If you have anything to say about The Shapes in general, fanart, cosplay, etc., feel free to send those too!
News
The Shapes Ministickers
Do you like collecting or, dare I say, hoarding stickers? If that’s you, then I just released a new line of Shapes ministickers on my online shop! And as a little incentive, the first 5 buyers of any sticker get a free minibook copy of The Shapes #3.
Whatcha waiting for, grab onto this offer while you still can!
Carousel
Next Saturday, October 7, I’ll be doing a live reading of The Shpaes #1 alongside a lineup of other cartoonists and animators at the City Reliquary in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Doors open at 6 while the show begins at 7. Tickets are not up yet, but stay tuned on the Carousel page for updates.
Village Works
Grab The Shapes #3 at Village Works in Greenwich Village along with several books about NYC culture!
Sammy the Critic
Wine Ghost Goes to Hell Review
Sage Coffey's first foray into graphic novels hits with a fiery splash. I’m quite fond of their short-form auto-bio and informative comics work, primarily through the now sadly defunct Nib magazine. However, paranormal humor is uncharted domain for Coffey, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Luckily for this reader, the instant I turned to page 1, I knew I was in for a surprise treat. Wine Ghost is introduced within the first two pages as emblemizing drama, fashion, depression “that just won’t quit”, and more descriptors before she cuts off the narration because “she is waiting on a very important delivery." What that delivery is, in question, we never know as she is interrupted by a surprise visit from her old friend Sebastian who just arrived in Hell, which is depicted in a more surrealistic way than a dystopian one, a deviation I can appreciate.
As you’ve probably figured, this is a fast-paced book with a lot going on, a quality that perfectly suits the main character and the setting’s chaotic tone. It helps that Coffey draws their characters and sound effects expressively with a flair that pops amid simple backgrounds. The title character is the best example of this. She’s designed to look like your everyday cartoon tablecloth sheet ghost but with hairy legs. Due to her design’s simplicity, she has a wide range of expressions that can be easily displayed with meager restraint with the legs serving a similar role arms would in showing emotions.
Meanwhile, the composition knows how to get creative when depicting a setting. My favorite instances of this include a scene where Wine Ghost and Sebastian are touring an apartment that’s literally a monster’s mouth forming the borders to the panel. Borderless white space is also used to great effect to emphasize mood and emotion, particularly in facial expressions.
The story’s main premise centers around Wine Ghost helping Sebastian find a new apartment to varying results and conflict along the way (which perhaps is an understatement). The duo’s dynamic is impeccably written as best friends who exchange delightful banter as BFFs should, but there are also a few hints left throughout of red flags geniusly foreshadowing the conflict occurring later on.
Over the course of the book, Wine Ghost’s character unveils many layers. Beyond her fun-loving, devil-may-care exterior, she’s shown to have a vulnerable and sensitive side as a devoted friend who deals with insecurity and heartbreak.
Wine Ghost Goes to Hell is going to heaven in my handbasket of favorite books of 2024 when it comes out (sorry, I’m not a time traveler). It sublimely puts Sage Coffey’s comedic and storytelling abilities at full display, leaving me wanting to see more stories with the character. You can preorder the book on the Barnes & Noble site.
Thank you Sage Coffey for the advance reader copy!