ComicCritique.Com Small Press Pass: "WHAM!"

Small Press Pass

"WHAM!"

By Adam White
Published: 2006-07-23

SMALL PRESS PASS introduces you to the world of independent and small press comicbooks. As small press titles are often hard to locate on the vastness that is the Internet, Adam will be doing the legwork for you and showcasing a different title each week so that you can stay up to date on the unbelievable variety of comicbooks available from places other than the main four or five companies out there that you already know. Get ready to widen your domain of comicbook knowledge and enter the world of the Small Press.

WHAM! by Sandy Jarrell

When I came across his booth at HeroesCon 2006, Sandy Jarrell’s WHAM! immediately caught my eye; the cover jumped out at me as I passed by so I knew I had to see what was inside. There were several

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printed copies of the book, yet I was told they were for viewing only and not for sale, much to my dismay because my time was limited. However, after giving them my card and speaking for a few minutes, I was generously given a copy for review. I must extend my thanks again here, because WHAM! is a fun book that gives the reader a wonderful, dream-like experience that lends itself to multiple enjoyable readings.

Sandy Jarrell serves as the writer and the artist, creating a unique visual experience full of imaginative images and great characters. The first segment (of an intended graphic novel) has very little dialogue because the art tells the story, but what is there

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gives you a sense of character and sets up the longer story at hand. Jarrell uses a wonderful color palette in WHAM!, adding immensely to the ethereal quality of the story and was part of what helped the book jump out at me at first glance. Jarrell has a clean, clear art style that perfectly suits the book, and his teen characters look like actual teens instead of supermodels (a mistake many mainstream books feature). Jarrell’s “light bugs” are amazing, and his story flows effortlessly from panel to panel and builds toward crescendo all through the first segment, leaving me wanting more.

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Sadly, WHAM! currently has no publisher, which I think is a crime. Jarrell obviously has a great story to tell and the ability to do so, so I implore anyone reading this with publishing connections to recommend it to your publishers. WHAM! offers a look that I have not seen elsewhere, and I think it would make a great addition to bookshelves everywhere. Plus, personally, I want to be able to finish reading the story — so let’s get on it, people!

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Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery

You will enjoy this series if you like: Harry Potter, Sandman, the novels and stories of Stanislaw Lem, Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, Meridian (from the late, lamented Crossgen)

Where to find it: Online at WHAMComics.com

—CCdC—

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