Meanwhile…by Jason Shiga. I was at the graphic novel section in Partick library the other day and was intrigued to see about ten copies of this comic piled up on the shelf, so I had to take one out…

This is the craziest comic book I’ve ever seen! My eyes were popping out my skull as I wound my way through one of the 3,856 story possibilities. It’s pretty hard to explain what this little comic-puzzle is like, you have to start reading it to understand. The general story line is about a boy who buys an icecream and ends up visiting a professor who has invented a time machine, a ‘killitron’ and a ‘SQUID’, but the plot isn’t really the point. And I have to admit it did get a little tiresome at points when I kept inadvertedly travelling back in time and repeating the same panels over and over again, but it’s so great to pick up such an innovative and exciting comic. I really think it’s one of the few mediums that still have far to go and it seems like Jason Shiga is leaping forward.

On another note, someone in Partick library clearly supports comics. They now have this additional display with posters of work by Adrian Tomine, Jeffrey Brown, Daniel Clowes and the like all over the shelves. Not many new comics yet, but maybe they’re planning on expanding? Proud to have them as my local library!