Monday, 8 February 2021

The Many Harold Holts of Space and Time. Ryan K. Lindsay (Writer), Louie Joyce (Art), Nic J. Shaw (Letters). (2014)

 

A very engaging short comic that has a great idea and executes it smartly in a great example of compressed storytelling.

Harold Holts, Australian Prime Minister goes missing at sea after going swimming, eighty years later he returns in the most wonderfully unexpected way.  Ryan K. Lindsay uses a great science fiction idea in a different way to create a very short, funny, and thoroughly entertaining story. It packs enough ideas and unexpected twists in a few pages to have easily expanded a considerable length without stretching the fabric of the story to breaking point. What Ryan K. Lindsay has done is significantly more difficult, he has compressed the story and not lost any of the coherence or necessary information.  Carefully picking the relevant highlights and allowing them to carry the weight of the story the whole epic is delivered in the minimum space needed.

Louie Joyce rises to the challenge with the pulp style art that captures the story dynamics with detail and flair, Harold Holts is give every ich of his due as his strange fate plays out. The cast are vivid and expressive, their body language is clear and gives the force needed to the action. The colours highlight the details of the art and give the cast a strong physical solidity.

Nic j. Shaw’s letters are clear and easy to read, they flow naturally with the art and help the story.

A short treat of a comic.


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