HALO AND SPROCKET #1
"Meltdown" / "Names" / "Exhibitions"
Recommended (8/10)
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Amaze Ink/Slave Labor Graphics
Writer/Artist: Kerry Callen
Price: $2.95 US |
Callen has created a delightfully quirky book that's rather difficult to describe. Basically, two weird characters spend the whole book pointing out how weird we humans are. It's a fanciful small-press book with an instantly likeable visual style. There's an innocent tone to the title that will appeal to all ages, but there's also intelligence and insight in the writing as well. A wonderful debut.
Katie is a single gal in her 20s who likes old songs, goofy grocery products and life in general. She's a fairly typical young woman... save for the fact that she lives with an angel and a robot. Sprocket is looking to learn about mankind, while Halo has just begun paying attention to humanity for the first time in millennia. Hilarity ensues.
Callen's simple style reminds me of the work of several artists. There's a Jeff (Bone) Smith quality in there, and some elements that are reminiscent of Jim (Grrl Scouts) Mahfood. The Sprocket design puts me in mind of that of the title character from the film The Iron Giant, and there's an Archie riff at play in the book as well. Callen cuts loose with impressive computer effects to convey the immensity of Halo's divine power as well.
So why a robot and an angel? Simple... Callen is aiming for two opposite and extreme viewpoints. Sprocket is an innocent, curious about the world around him and the people in it. Halo, on the other hand, has seen it all. The two share something in common, though: how human nature can be so odd and perplexing. There are simple but entertaining contrasts and parallels in the premise.
Callen points out human foibles both through Katie's actions and the different perspectives of the two title characters. Despite the fantastic nature of those two figures, this book finds its humor and its heart in a "it's funny cuz it's true" attitude. There's a lot of potential in these characters and the premise. I hope future issues offer up more than these brief vignettes, though, and more in the way of plots.
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