Styx Taxi: A Little Twilight Music

    (FWD, 2004)
™ and © FWD

After someone dies in New York City, they have one last decision to make. They can dive straight into the Great Beyond, or they can hire a possessed driver who’s “on loan” to the Styx Taxi Company and spend two hours performing a vital task, such as saying goodbye to their loved ones, or simply seeing the sights one last time. This concept was first thought up by Steven Goldman in 2001, realized in “Pastrami For The Dead” in 2003, and continued here.

In the three stories, the supernatural aspects take a backseat to the interplay between the driver (a relatively new guy named Charon), and the stream of souls that pass through his vehicle. In “Sing Along,” the supernatural taxi squad deals with a sudden spike in the number of passengers. “Coda Vita” has Charon risking the anger of “Dispatch” when he becomes too closely involved with a future client, and “Encore For My Babies” follows the melancholy ruminations of a grandmother over the success and failure of those she loves. Music is a thematic link between the stories, and the black and white art from Dan Goldman, Leland Purvis and Rami Efal add a sense of atmosphere and melancholy to the stories.

— Joe Trela
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#1

July, 2004
Cover Price: $3.00
2 copies available from $1.70 		Steven Goldman, Elizabeth GencoDan Goldman, Leland Purvis, Rami Efal