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Russell: the Saga of a Peaceful Man
The Saga of a peaceful man part 1
96 pages, Paperback
First published July 11, 1991
21 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 27, 2009
Having grown up reading the Beano, I found this very British comic with its humour and madcap plotlines to be comfortably familiar territory. Of course, the Beano didn't contain frequent drugs, nudity or even left-leaning political content like 'Russell...' does - but these were handled in a way that was light and entertaining. Aside from the overall sense of depressed fatalism and paranoia that seemed to hang over Russell's head, there was no heavy content.
The plotline follows Russell along on several adventures such as trying to find employment, going to a festival and selling toilet seat covers at a different festival. There is no overall arcing plotline, but really I don't think that was needed in the book. We are also introduced to a number of other characters such as Andy the punk. They are all excellently and quirkily drawn, providing an interesting insight into Britain's sub-cultures.
Loveday writes as well as draws 'Russell..' and I found his black and white drawings to be a highpoint of the book. It was refreshing to see that none of the characters were traditionally handsome or pretty. The detailing in the panels was also amazing.
As a find in a charity shop, I'm very pleased to own this.
The plotline follows Russell along on several adventures such as trying to find employment, going to a festival and selling toilet seat covers at a different festival. There is no overall arcing plotline, but really I don't think that was needed in the book. We are also introduced to a number of other characters such as Andy the punk. They are all excellently and quirkily drawn, providing an interesting insight into Britain's sub-cultures.
Loveday writes as well as draws 'Russell..' and I found his black and white drawings to be a highpoint of the book. It was refreshing to see that none of the characters were traditionally handsome or pretty. The detailing in the panels was also amazing.
As a find in a charity shop, I'm very pleased to own this.
July 27, 2022
There's a slight skin of irony over the fact that Pete Loveday's first collection of "Russell" stories has the subtitle "A Peaceful Man" as I obtained this copy after a fight with a former colleague. Long story there, but thankfully it didn't colour my perception of this beautifully drawn alternative saga directly from the underground world of 1980's UK festivals. My dad used to have a copy hidden about his bedroom, where he also kept the works of Gilbert Shelton and other great stoner cartoonists.
There are some dated elements for certain here, but Russell's world of fascist police, chaotic festival experiences, violent British eccentrics and deep weedy paranoia is vividly realised. Parts of it still very much apply in a modern Britain currently doing some apocalyptic Thatcherite cosplay. The plots are largely stream-of-consciousness but are bolted into place by earthy (and sometimes genuinely hilarious) observations and often what feel like a few seat-of-the-pants narrative callbacks to tie things together. The central figure of Russell, as a drifting feckless stoner who doesn't really have any ambitions or forward momentum, is both a realistic feeling character and a smart narrative excuse to allow the story to just drift wherever he goes.
Loveday's art here is the real draw - scooping merrily from both Shelton and Crumb - his work (apart from the colourfully painted cover) is a crosshatch heavy world of rain soaked festival hijinks and monochromatic freakouts. There's a charming lack of polish to some of it but he can surprise you with a sudden 2000 AD style action sequence (with Dredd-alike fascist cops) or a deeply beautiful landscape. His large festival renderings of "Glastonphant" are particularly beautiful and still feel accurate even in the modern glamping era. That link to not only my local area, but the pop culture of my parent's younger days render this a really special artefact.
Something that didn't quite hit in my earlier readings of this is that Russell is a lot older than his contemporaries - his shaggy dog ballad about a "lost festival" set in the summer of love puts his meandering and existentially troubled form squarely in the mid-to-late thirties. Where I am. I never dreamed I'd be an anxious cartoonist of Russell's own age as I covertly stole glances at my dad's copy of this in my youth. But here we are man. Oh well.
There are some dated elements for certain here, but Russell's world of fascist police, chaotic festival experiences, violent British eccentrics and deep weedy paranoia is vividly realised. Parts of it still very much apply in a modern Britain currently doing some apocalyptic Thatcherite cosplay. The plots are largely stream-of-consciousness but are bolted into place by earthy (and sometimes genuinely hilarious) observations and often what feel like a few seat-of-the-pants narrative callbacks to tie things together. The central figure of Russell, as a drifting feckless stoner who doesn't really have any ambitions or forward momentum, is both a realistic feeling character and a smart narrative excuse to allow the story to just drift wherever he goes.
Loveday's art here is the real draw - scooping merrily from both Shelton and Crumb - his work (apart from the colourfully painted cover) is a crosshatch heavy world of rain soaked festival hijinks and monochromatic freakouts. There's a charming lack of polish to some of it but he can surprise you with a sudden 2000 AD style action sequence (with Dredd-alike fascist cops) or a deeply beautiful landscape. His large festival renderings of "Glastonphant" are particularly beautiful and still feel accurate even in the modern glamping era. That link to not only my local area, but the pop culture of my parent's younger days render this a really special artefact.
Something that didn't quite hit in my earlier readings of this is that Russell is a lot older than his contemporaries - his shaggy dog ballad about a "lost festival" set in the summer of love puts his meandering and existentially troubled form squarely in the mid-to-late thirties. Where I am. I never dreamed I'd be an anxious cartoonist of Russell's own age as I covertly stole glances at my dad's copy of this in my youth. But here we are man. Oh well.
December 16, 2014
I bought my copy of big Bang comics no1 sometime in the late 80's or very early 90's. i think i paid £1.00 new at some festival. I enjoyed it then as I did today. I was suprised to see it has now changed to Russell part 1.
Pete Loveday's creations were a refreshing look at the the counter-culture and still made me smile. These comics are full fof fun, sex, mind altering substances, free festies and politics and rock and roll. I am surprised they not better known and deserve a place amongst the greats of alternative art.
Good fun- read it and enjoy.
Pete Loveday's creations were a refreshing look at the the counter-culture and still made me smile. These comics are full fof fun, sex, mind altering substances, free festies and politics and rock and roll. I am surprised they not better known and deserve a place amongst the greats of alternative art.
Good fun- read it and enjoy.
March 26, 2020
I first came across this at a festival somewhere, it's a perfect representation of what the oiks and degenerates lived likebefore television cameras and mobile phones invaded everywhere, I'm fairly sure I was at one of the festivals...
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews