Rotem Anna Diamant, 28 pgs,@rotemannadiamant, etsy.com/ca/shop/MonsterMaidenZines, $5
“I can’t get out of the tub,” laments the main figure of Cute Nose as their form begins to become liquid, flowing deeper into the water. Depicting a series of movements that evoke the fluidity of form, this abstract comic work is an evocative work. Artist Rotem Anna Diamant examines ideas of identity and mental health vis-à-vis the limits of the physical body. Throughout Diamant’s mostly-pictorial work, figures take on a fluid shape; bending, distorting, and flowing across the page, they take on different and unexpected aspects. The art is delightful and charming as it wanders through creature shapes and furniture that opens into different realms; features such as the nose, given great weight by our protagonist, become exaggerated and emphasized. The tub is a consistent focus throughout, a container through which Diamant’s main character explores their thoughts. It becomes the mouth of a creature, a ship, a witch’s house, and all the while our protagonist explores their own different shapes and characters within it. They cling to the safety presented by a circumscribed vessel. “I’m small and safe in here. I can be who I am,” the protagonist says, sinking ever deeper into its comforting shape. Inside this tub, both reader and character have the freedom to explore who they are, who they want to be, and who they could be if they might so choose.