The Interior Life
Comic, Michelle Kwon, 40 pgs, michellekwon.com
Isolation, acceptance and mortality are central themes in Michelle Kwon’s The Interior Life, a nifty pocket-sized comic. Its primary strength is its universality. From finding and reviewed on losing friends to the mundane realities of the digital age, Kwon etches modern realities with a keen starkness a sharp version of the reality we all face every day. Luckily, it’s not all bleak. In fact, there are several LOLs to be found. My personal favourite is a cat giving a dog the finger, or the paw, I guess. Sparse can be fun and funny, and I really enjoy how Kwon mixes things up with first-person views and drawings of smart-phone screens. There’s an intimacy to what she’s doing here. The soft edges, muted colours and cute kitty drawings all make it accessible. Better still, the action never lags. Sure, 20% of the zine depicts a young lady following a cat around. But it’s quite compelling somehow, a basic combination of words and visuals maximized for effect (or no effect). Plus, as a bonus, the zine ends with a one billion mile view of the Earth and a stark reality check. But still… seriously… it’s really fun and you’ll enjoy it.