Jim Woodring’s comics capture dream atmosphere and logic more effectively than any other I’ve come across (with the possible exception of Jesse Reklaw’s “Slow Wave,” which I would also recommend but which is a little different in that it illustrates dreams submitted by the public).
Most of Woodring’s books involve the adventures of a character named “Frank,” who looks almost like something you’d see in a Disney or Looney Tunes cartoon. But while there are amusing moments, these wordless comics tend toward the phantasmagorical.
For a good introduction to Woodring, I’d look for either “The Frank Book,” a large collection of short stories and other art, or “Weathercraft,” a shorter book that tells a single story.
If you’re already familiar with Woodring, what motivated me to create this post now is a new documentary. The film consists primarily of Woodring discussing his art and his background as he works. I found it fascinating. You can watch it for free online if you’re so inclined.
Years ago, I came across an unassuming but clever comic strip on the Web called “Boson” by an artist named Christopher Ford. Each strip was a stick drawing, and most were on lined paper.
The site featuring the comics, fordcomic.com, disappeared around 2008 as the artist went on to do other things. That site can now be found only at archive.org, but these are some sample strips:
Ford later created a Web comic called “The Lonely Infermo” and published two physical books titled “Stickman Odyssey.” (I was not aware of these books until writing this and am curious to see what they are like.)
I don’t remember whether it was before or after I came across the comic strip that I also discovered “Waverly Films.” Ford and others created a series of short comedy videos.
A few examples:
Warning: This one includes brief strong language (but is probably my favorite):
Lasagna Cat is a series of (very) short films by a group called Fatal Farm. Each includes a live action enactment of a Garfield comic, followed by a music video featuring a well-known song.
