Broken Frontier

“The world is a great book, of which they that never stir from home read only a page.” –Augustine of Hippo

Above is the tagline introducing Vancouver-based comics collective Cloudscape Comics Society’s latest print anthology, 21 Journeys. A travel-themed collection featuring a veritable horde of all-Canadian talent, 21 Journeys is a thick tome; the quote from Augustine couldn’t be a more apt hook.

These are cutting-edge tales, each one representing a destination in the vast landscape of the comics medium, and showcasing the talents of some of Canada’s rising stars. From slice-of-life vignettes to downright creepy chillers, 21 Journeys isn’t simply an anthology about the trials and tribulations of travelling abroad but a voyage through the diverse realms of the world of comics.

Although not every story will be for all readers, each short work is crafted with intelligence and care. A variety of artistic styles lends the book an eclectic visual tone that supports the central theme. From the outright abstract to the achingly realistic, 21 Journeys is a feast for the eyes and courageously displays the technical virtuosity of its contributors. The editorial team does a fine job compiling the anthology, each story flowing nicely from one to the next with anchoring title pages, while allowing the reader to browse through the numerous tales at their leisure. The overall effect is akin to reading a travelogue. One can flip through the book, letting the art and their personal interests guide them or read it back to front in the traditional manner.

Standout stories include: “Garden Footpaths” by John Christmas; “Gloves and Bookshelves” by Jason Harris and Cat Tang – both chilling takes on the travel theme, while Anise Shaw and Wei Li’s “Of Death and Wandering” presents an internal journey into the nature of existence. While most of the stories contained in 21 Journeys set their sights directly on the theme of travelling, recounting some of the dangers and joys everyone faces on their voyages, these three come at the core idea from different angles, proving that some journeys – whether frightening or mundane, start from within.

With a little something for the traveller in all of us, 21 Journeys is an interesting exercise in theme-based anthologies and a must-read not just for all those Canuckleheads out there but for anyone intrigued by the marks we leave on the world outside our windows, and the marks the world leaves on us.