The Neil Brideau Experience

Neil Brideau was on my "must see" list for Stumptown. I had stumbled across his mini-comic, The Trugglemat, and had enjoyed it thoroughly. So, when I saw that he was coming to Stumptown, I knew I had to stop by his table and see what else he had to offer.

The first book he showed me was Spitting Pennies. This is a long-form book (as opposed to a mini-comic), about a boy who begins to spontaneously regurgitate objects he never ingested. Now, while this sounds like a gross-out type book, it is actually a story about friendship, misunderstanding, and desire to judge others based on something not completely understood.

Brideau carefully blends the humor of the ridiculous situation with the pathos of a character whose life spins completely out of control. Added to that is the experience of the narrator, the protagonist's friend (who happens to be a girl, adding to the judgement and misunderstanding of the other characters in the story), and a twist ending that leaves the reader both shocked and overwhelmed...much like the characters in the story. This is a must-read book.

The next book I picked up was Anxiolytic: accounts of actual anxiety dreams about the 2009 Stumptown Comics Fest. I picked it up because, like Neil, I had been having plenty of anxiety dreams about Stumptown. I wanted to see what other people were panicking about!

Like all dreams, the ones represented in Anxiolytic started off steeped in the reality of a situation before veering off in to the absurd possibilities that stress can induce. I am sure that many of the other artists attending the convention had similar fears and dreams.

The comic was hastily assembled. I don't mean that as an insult. I mean that as an indication of how fresh the dreams were to hm when they were put to paper. The last dream was recorded on April 15th, a mere three days before the convention doors opened! The art is sketchy, and the dreams are absurd, but both are much more telling than a simple dream journal entry of, "Had another dream about Stumptown."

As an added bonus, the last page of the book was blank. Taped to the blank page was one of the pieces of original art which was used to make the book. So, in a way, once the books are all gone, the art is gone, and so is the anxiety. A nice trick. And a nice treat for the people who picked up the book.

The final book I picked up (well, actually, Neil shoved it in to my hands) was Alpha City Comics issue 1. It is written by Kevin Sciretta and drawn by Neil Brideau. It is an anthology of short stories, revolving around life in the future. Set in Alpha City, each story is a different genre with an entirely different effect and result.

The first story, Run Like Hell, is a neat sci-fi adventure involving cybernetics, international espionage, corporate interests, and some pretty cool pseud0-science. For all that, it draws heavily on the trappings of hard boiled detective stories, allowing for a cool juxtaposition of styles. It is the kind of story that would feel right at home coming from the pen of Warren Ellis.

The art was a bit rough for the story. Brideau's art is cartoony and fun, while the story being told was much more serious. While the art captured the essence of what was happening, I just didn't feel like it enhanced the story.

The story is continued in the second half of the book. The conclusion is not quite as satisfying as the build up, but there are some fun parts along the way. This story could easily be expanded in to a full 32 pages and it would be pretty satisfying.

In the second story, The Horrible Case of Fred P. Lemke, Brideau's art really sets the tone. It is the story of a jilted science student who uses his "brilliant" mind to get revenge on the woman who left him for an English major. As they say, hilarity ensues.

The story was humorous, and the pacing was spot on. This is the kind of tale that I enjoy in an anthology; short and to the point. It conveyed the entire situation in a complete package which had me smiling from beginning to end.

Dancing Larry (the third story) was a real surprise. What started out appearing to be an absurd, over the top cartoon, takes a bizarre and strange turn that is totally unexpected. Unexpected in an Alan Moore's The Courtyard type of way. It is a real treat.

The bizarre twist in the story takes the reader (and the characters) by storm and makes the reader sit up and take notice. it opens a world of possibilities, not just in storytelling, but also in the way that we look at the people around us. Not bad for a four page story!

Overall this collection was a complete surprise. Two fantastic stories and one that has the bones of a really good story make this a better value than most anthologies on the market (I'm looking at you Marvel!!!).

Now it looks like, in addition to finding other things by Neil Brideau, I am going to have to track down anything by Kevin Scrietta as well!
Look for more books by Neil Brideau as well as ordering info at www.fromthewell.info