Steven Ingram’s ThirdBear Press continues to provide a vital UK platform for cartoonists with the Boxes anthology, a publication reminiscent of a British small press heyday of similar collections which has, sadly, long since passed into history. When I first started focussing on the UK self and micropublishing scene, lo those many years ago at BF, the fourth issue of a series had something of a cursed reputation about it, generally accepted as the make or break point at which editors/organisers stepped back and moved on. So it’s very pleasing indeed to see the fifth issue of Boxes on the horizon.
As ever, editor Steven Ingram has curated an excellent sampling of current indie names to represent the community in #4. The text articles that complement the comic strips are limited to Dominique Duong’s essay on creating and self-care this time around but it’s a hugely relevant and thoughtful piece of writing. If you have been following Boxes to date then it will come as no surprise to hear it’s the same eclectic mix of styles and subject matter in this fourth issue that was so ably showcased in its three predecessors.
Behind an enticingly colourful and busy cover by Aimee Lockwood (which ties into her and J W Murray’s darkly comedic urban folktale ‘Dance of the Trows’ inside) Boxes #4 is comprised of a dozen short comics stories. Eleanor Sikorski’s ‘Runaway’ (above) was the story which most surprised me in the way in which it went off in directions I was not expecting. A tight-panelled tale of police corruption and shattered lives it uses shifting timeframes to counterpoint events and ends with a twist that is faintly absurd… and all the more satisfying for it.
Jules Valera’s ‘Do Not Speak’ shows their usual command of the language of comics in a haunting tale of loss (you can read a recent review of another Valera project here at BF). Mike Armstrong’s ‘Drop!’ (above) is one of the highlights of the issue. Although it retains Armstrong’s usual fluid cartooning style it’s an extremely different piece from him, abandoning for the moment his focus on humour and fantasy for a devastating tale of a painter with a condition that is gradually stealing her ability to create. Armstrong remains one of the most underappreciated creators on the UK scene and this offering underlines his versatility.
A semi-regular review favourite at BF, Emilia McKenzie, gives us ‘The Scratchcard’ wherein a young woman wins a most unexpected prize in a modern fable that has a suitable lesson to teach us. Michelle Freeman’s ‘Postcode Lottery’ uses a similar premise to go in a far darker direction, with Freeman’s oppressive, claustrophobic pages intensifying a sense of drama. Similarly Pictii’s ‘A Place to Rest’ (above) uses rich orange hues to create a resonant visual atmosphere in this poignant story of finding your way home again.
Once again, I’ve spoken about just a few of the stories in the pages of Boxes #4. The joy of books like this, of course, is that everyone will have their own personal favourites. It cannot be stressed how important a job ThirdBear Press are doing with this vital anthology.
Enrico Ariis, Emilia McKenzie, Eleanor Sikorski, Lucy Freeman, Will Hudson, J W Murray & Aimee Lockwood, Pictii, Mike Armstrong, Michelle Freeman, Jules Valera, Faye Stacey and Dominique Duong • ThirdBear Press, £14.00
Review by Andy Oliver
