Release date: 2013
Writer: Robert Brown
Artist: Robert Brown
Cover: full color
Interior: black on white paper
Synopsis: Killjoy is a vehicle for my ongoing cartoon memoir project, Catch a Fairy, a gradual accumulation of stories and vignettes from my childhood.
The Deal
I got this comic from the 'Traveling Man' comic store in York, United Kingdom when I was there in September 2014. I'd already bought the first issue so in order to keep my collection complete I had to get this second one.... or that's just the excuse I tell myself so I can add to my ever expanding collection. I did a review last year about the first issue which you can find here. It took me a while to read this second issue, mostly because I felt reminiscent towards the first one and the feelings and memories it gave back to me. It's only now that I feel ready for this second one.
The Feel
Like the first issue this full-color cover is made of sturdy thick paper that folds away easily to open up to the inner pages. The inner white pages are perfectly printed and cut and they're all held together with two evenly spaced saddle stitches trough the spine. The A5 sized booklet contains five stories spread over twenty pages.The Stories
This comic contains the following five memory snippets:
- Le Secret de L'aura
- Smart Arse
- Ex Corpus
- Watershed
- Lost & Found
They are anecdotes from Roberts childhood and I think almost everyone will recognize themselves in one or more of the stories. I found myself in the first story 'Le Secret de L'aura' where a secret gets told. I really felt for Robert because the same thing had happened to me and I knew exactly how he felt. Be prepared to have long repressed (or forgotten) memories come back to you when you're reading this comic. I think you'll appreciate the autobiographical nature of it more when you're a bit older (like me).
I thought Ex Corpus was a hilarious story. I never did that but it would have been right up my alley as a kid. The story that spoke to me the least was 'Lost & Found' but I was never lost... or found so maybe that's why.
The great thing about all five stories is that as the reader you feel immersed in the anecdote. It sucks you in and the characters become your friends and it starts to feel like your life. Yet again Brown does the seemingly impossible just by making you reminiscent about the past by telling us his autobiographical anecdotes.
They are anecdotes from Roberts childhood and I think almost everyone will recognize themselves in one or more of the stories. I found myself in the first story 'Le Secret de L'aura' where a secret gets told. I really felt for Robert because the same thing had happened to me and I knew exactly how he felt. Be prepared to have long repressed (or forgotten) memories come back to you when you're reading this comic. I think you'll appreciate the autobiographical nature of it more when you're a bit older (like me).
I thought Ex Corpus was a hilarious story. I never did that but it would have been right up my alley as a kid. The story that spoke to me the least was 'Lost & Found' but I was never lost... or found so maybe that's why.
The great thing about all five stories is that as the reader you feel immersed in the anecdote. It sucks you in and the characters become your friends and it starts to feel like your life. Yet again Brown does the seemingly impossible just by making you reminiscent about the past by telling us his autobiographical anecdotes.
The Look
Just like in the first issue, the panels are made up of black line drawings. The characters are realistically drawn and Robert has a knack for facial expressions. The backgrounds are not too cluttered with details that have nothing to do with the story. I like his style and I'm not even sure they'd benefit if they were full-color. I like the art just the way it is. and I'm not particularly fond of black/white line art, but I'm glad I made an exception for Browns work.The Conclusion
It's an autobiography in the making and not just that of Robert Brown, with a few tweaks it could be yours too. The five recreations of the memories that make up the comic felt like ten or more. I recounted the number of stories at least three times because I thought there were more. That feeling was probably brought on by the memories it jolted in me. I would suggest this comic to anyone that's gotten nostalgic for the past or those that have few memories, but would like to have more, because I'm sure it will jolt some forgotten old memories loose.If you're looking for a story that has a plot, a clear beginning and an end then this is not the comic for you. It's about reliving moments of Browns life, remembering the old days and living- even if it's just for a little while- in the past.
How to get a copy
If you can't get them from your local comic store in the UK, it should be available from Traveling Man in York, then your best bet is to go online and buy it from Robert Brown himself through his website store. You can also view some sample pages on his website. This second issue will set you back 3GBP plus shipping.
