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SLOW NEWS DAY #3
Highly Recommended (10/10)
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Slave Labor Graphics
Writer/Artist: Andi Watson
Price: $3.50 US |
I don't think I'll ever stop being amazed at how Watson writes such absolutely true-to-life stuff, covering all the mundane details of the everyday, without making his stories routine. This issue covers a routine spat, a change of living quarters and some of the dullest (and as a result, most realistic) journalism I've ever seen, and yet it's absolutely riveting, entertaining and funny and insightful. In less talented hands, this might be a standard "fish out of water" story, but in Watson's hands it is much more. My expectations for this series were high, and so far Slow News Day has exceeded them on every
count.
I've never been to England,
but Watson manages to make everything perfectly clear to me without sacrificing
a feeling of accuracy. The little differences make for some terrific dialogue
between Katharine and Owen, which serve both to amuse the reader and to show a
little of how each character relates to the world. I never get the feeling that
Katharine is the "American character" and Owen the "English character." They're
just people, and their culture is but a part of their personalities. And their
cultures aren't the only thing that is clashing, which makes for some great
chemistry between them.
In addition, I've never done
much work in journalism, aside from a spell at the college paper and a bit of
freelancing, but from what I do know, Watson has really captured the
simultaneously mundane and strange job of a journalist. In most fiction,
journalists are heroes busting corrupt Presidents and taking on criminals, but
in reality, most of them are spending their days looking into choirs who need
new lead singers and turkeys with broken legs just in time for Thanksgiving.
The perfect atmosphere is just
a part of this book, though. The characters are going through very personal
journeys as well, and it's interesting to see those move along. Owen's change of
living circumstances, Katharine's trouble with boyfriend and mother and script
and the fight between the two of them as a result of Owen's invasion of privacy
are all wonderful moments that help to flesh the characters out even further.
Finally, Watson's artwork took
me a while to get used to, but at this point I love it. The work is clear and
distinct, easy to read but with a unique style. The iconic nature of the work
makes it easier to relate to the characters, and despite fairly simple figures,
Watson conveys a lot of meaning in faces and body language.
Email Randy Lander comments about this review. |
