I have bemoaned the marginalisation of old school DIY culture on multiple occasions here at Broken Frontier; that ethos that declares self-publishing comics and zines gives a voice to everyone and that hand-stapled or photocopied lo-fi (in terms of presentation) work is as worthy of consideration as slicker formats. While zine fests seem to be in some kind of renaissance period right now (certainly recovering from the pandemic far quicker than the associated small press comics events) the profile of work published through professional printing outlets has become significantly more pronounced in recent years. Fortunately we still have events like the now celebrated South London Comic and Zine Fair where I recently picked up a number of more zine-style publications, including today’s subject When I Came Briefly Back.
I have covered the work of Jessika Green before at BF on a couple of occasions, with a review of her The Catalogue of Tiredness to be found here. When I Came Briefly Back is a short example of graphic poetry but one that resonates instantly with the reader with its recognisable themes of home, identity and surroundings. It represents Green’s feelings on leaving her home city of 40 years on the occasion of a brief return there soon after. Or, as she describes it in the zine’s afterword, as if the city had brought her back to say a “proper goodbye”.
With haunting poetry, and something approaching a stream-of-consciousness meditation, Green examines ideas of displacement, personal history, and the intimate relationship we form with our environment to the forefront. It’s a fond anthropomorphism of a city, with Green’s collaged visuals evoking fragments of memory that feel both elusive and yet pivotal. A near final page of tactile and (quite literally) cut and paste imagery (unique to each edition) gives When I Came Briefly Back an added personal touch that only amplifies the intimacy of Green’s depicted experiences.
Jessika Green (W/A) Self-published, £5.00
Review by Andy Oliver
