Another batch of fold-out Colossive Cartographies zines launched a few weeks back ready for the Autumn with the first of these always worthy Colossive Press artist showcases spotlighting the practice of Taran Taylor. Those who followed our LDComics online fair coverage closely will recognise Taylor’s name from (Un)Diagnosed: My Adult ADHD Diagnosis Story, his graphic medicine comic about neurodiversity.
Taylor’s Cartographies entry – an incredible #67 in the run – is titled ‘Fleece and Fibre’ and once more acts as reminder to the series’ eclectic and sometimes even esoteric subject matter. Here Taylor introduces us to four breeds of sheep from the UK and informs us of the ways in which their wool is used in crafts and in practical terms.
To do this he uses the fold-out gutters of the zine to show us the types of sheep concerned, with illustrations sitting side-by-side with factual text about them. The main fold-out section complements this with a more immersive visual experience. A wordless minicomic giving us depictions of the sheep=shearing process and then the ways the wool is then utilised creatively with traditional tools and methods.
It’s a neat juxtaposition that takes us from the educational to the directly observational, and one that shows forethought aplenty as to how best to use the tactile physicality of the Cartographies format to both the artist and the audience’s advantage. Look for more coverage of the most recent Colossive Cartographies series soon at Broken Frontier.
Taran Taylor (W/A) • Colossive Press, £2.00
Review by Andy Oliver
