Madburger: Comics Questioning Sanity

(Forum Ljubljana, 2003)
™ and © Forum Ljubljana

It’s madness. Sheer madness. That’s not a criticism, per se; that’s coming right up. No, madness is the stated theme that runs through this anthology from the same publisher as the previous XXX(Strip)Burger and Miniburger volumes. And it’s maddening, all right.

Anthologies in general already are less desirable in a market dominated by graphic novels and serialized stories. Add the fact that the contributors for this particular effort are mostly unfamiliar small-press creators from Europe, and the result is a mix that will probably chase away most of the potential North American audience. And the hearty, well-meaning fans who purchase on faith will likely lose theirs before the finish, for most stories in this volume are incomprehensible, both literarily and artistically.

The seven or so readers who haven’t been sifted out by book’s end, though, will at least receive a consolation prize for their perseverance. Vladan Nikolic’s “Messiah” is a Kafka-esque tale of preaching non-conformity, and Madison Clell’s relatively lengthy “Multiples and Their Siblings” features two sisters who drift apart as the outlook of one begins to change. The nuggets are few but just numerous enough to keep the reader strung along. Now, that’s maddening.

— Jim Johnson

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