Comic, Cara Luddy, caraluddy.com, $5 or free download
Themes of sexual oppression are heavily conveyed in this short, one-off zine from Syracuse illustrator Cara Luddy.
Told through noir-like, black-soaked panels, Luddy shares a series of devastations with both men and women: distant throughout the first half, but pointed in the second, especially when she questions the (possibly) exploitative reasons why she was rejected by a specific ex who plays in a band “fronting as pseudo feminist peace fighters.”
At the end, one is left with a close up image of Luddy’s tongue-squeezing face, presumably sick from all the mind fucking. While the comic could benefit from a more central narrative and specific title, the mix of scratchy drawings, color cover, and dark design makes for a lasting impression. (Jason Luther)