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Column:
Small Press Pass
"WHAM!"
By Adam White
Published: 2006-07-23
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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.
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
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
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.
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!
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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