Paper Theater

    (Alternative, 2001)
™ and © Ben Catmull

An idiosyncratic assemblage of unrelated stories—some with dialogue, others wordless, and all quietly disturbing. Among them: a story of young love that makes Romeo and Juliet look annoyingly cheerful, the imperialist exploits of “Interplanetary Bathysphere #12,” and a quick lesson on why taxidermists should wear contact lenses instead of glasses. The illustration style ranges from woodcut–like drawings to abstract sketches similar to Ted Rall’s work, and creator Ben Catmull can make the great outdoors seem terrifying and the depths of Hell just mildly silly.

— Joe Trela
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