Stardog
Comic zine, Simone Kousol-Graham, 32 pgs, [email protected]
We never see the big adventures in life coming. They tend to suddenly come upon us, triggered by a casual choice on our part, or by some unexpected outside intervention. For Stardog, that outside intervention takes the shape of a meteor crashing into their idyllic picnic and sending them hurtling through space on a grand adventure. Our plucky adventurer passes through both space and other, even more exotic locales; samples new snacks with gusto; and makes new friends on their brief journey through brave new worlds.
Kousol-Graham’s textless storytelling is mostly clear, though there are a few points where the narrative seems rushed, and a bit more world-building would give stronger grounding and higher stakes to the story. It would be nice to spend a little more time with some of the other creatures Stardog encounters to develop a more complex view of the world the artist draws for us. Where Kousel-Graham really excels, however, is in their creation of the character of Stardog themself, who clearly conveys both trepidation and curiosity as they bounce through space, and who proves a fascinating host on a charming adventure story.
