Conditions on the Ground

by Kevin Hooyman (Illustrator)

Conditions on the Ground weaves a graphic stream of consciousness with metaphysical atmospheres and a mystical cast of characters. Kevin Hooyman’s fantastically detailed comics elevate everyday situations into psychedelic self-reflection and humorous revelations. This gorgeous 360 page hardcover collects all 10 issues of Kevin’s self-published breakthrough series.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels

360 pages, Hardcover

First published August 4, 2015

Reviews

[Jan Philipzig · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Conditions on the Ground: Strangely Fascinating

Unfortunately, my library could not be convinced to order this collection of Kevin Hooyman’s entire, previously self-published (I think) comic-book series Conditions on the Ground. Did the title sound too dopey to them? I will never know, but both David and Mike rave about this book, so I had to bite the bullet and actually buy it – despite the fact that I had never even heard of Hooyman before reading their reviews. What can I say, isn’t it nice to have friends who write such reliable reviews? Thank you, David and Mike!

But the rest of you are probably wondering: that’s all well and good, Jan, but you are getting a bit carried away here, aren’t you? Remember, this is a book review, what about the actual book - is Conditions on the Ground dopey or not? Well, the answer is: yes, Conditions on the Ground is a dopey book, absolutely. And in the best possible sense of the word: the stories’ relaxed, meditative, existential, metaphysical, somewhat humorous tone is sure to put a wide, lasting grin on your face - not by distracting you from the absurdities of life, but by taking a long, hard look at them. Despite all those clouds of pot smoke, Conditions on the Ground is the opposite of escapism: it explores our rather limited options in an increasingly insane world.

Highly recommended to fans of the trippier, fearless kind of alternative comic!!

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really, really liked this collection of the ten issues of Hooyman's individual comics by the same name. They really made me smile a lot. I read this book in part because of Mike's great and enthusiastic review that especially notices Hooyman's use of speech bubble construction. How often do you see a review (or comic, for that matter) highlighting speech bubbles as a cool and funny thing? But he's right: They seem to emanate out of speakers' mouths, never speaking to us, but only to each other. They look like pot smoke being blown out, at times. Why pot smoke and not tobacco? You'd have to read the conversations to be convinced of that, trust me.

These are not philosophers' meditations, they are the idle concerns of regular people, in slice of life moments: Conditions "on the ground" vs. the ivory tower.

Here's some examples of his online comics:

http://hooyman.storenvy.com

Here's another review which embeds more of his actual work in it:

http://floatingworldcomics.com/shop/c...

These are sort of existentialist comics that I also might tend to call stoner comics except the main characters would seem to be old hippies who no longer smoke constantly. Substance abuse is really not central to it. Their meditations on existence tend to be funny, sort of drifting, not deep, on the meaning of various things.

I am reminded of the work of Anders Nilsen, whose Big Questions is amazing and often funny and also existential:

http://www.andersbrekhusnilsen.com

And, oddly enough, of the actual stoner comics of Simon Hanselmann, in Megahex:

http://girlmountain.tumblr.com

Both Hanselmann and Hooyman feature humans and animals/fantastical creatures interacting as humans do, with little purpose except mainly just to hang out and talk. Hanselmann's witches and animals are drunk and stoned all the time, but they are young, so the audience may also thus be younger than Hooyman's older, mellower characters, who seem like their party days are past. These are Hanselmann's stoners three or four decades later! Read them together!! See if I am wrong!!

The art work is great, too. Very detailed and possibly tending to the psychedelic. A lot of fun. 4.5 is closer to my rating.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the way Hooyman's speech balloons come from all the way inside his characters' mouths, like clouds of pot smoke, or like they're speaking from their innermost hearts. I love the way they never speak to the reader, only to each other, or themselves. I love his world of cryptids and hippies, wendigos and Winnebagos, where everyone is a seeker, but no one is a striver. I love Kevin Hooyman's work, and this extraordinary book.

[J.T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was totally unaware of Hooyman before reading this collection, so I went in with no expectations. He creates a strange little world that fluctuates between ordinary scenes of people driving, talking on cell phones, hanging out on porches, etc. to giant hairy beasts traipsing through forest-like environs or rowing boats in not-quite recognizable swampish lands. Sometimes the real and unreal are combined. The only steadfast rule is dialogue. Sometimes the people/creatures are talking to themselves, or more often, to another (although the secondary person/creature rarely contributes much of the dialogue).

The (mostly) monologues seem to be stream-of-conscious musings, sometimes deep, sometimes not. There is a sense of humor embedded throughout, and the drawings themselves often made me laugh. Judging from the dates on the front cover of each (what I assume is) issue included, Hooyman completed a new issue every month. Pretty impressive given the amount of detail in each drawing!

[Nadia Kay]

dopey musings with friends

[Laur En · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was starting to think I had developed a supernatural skill of finding books that help me feel a little less lost (first Naive? Super and then this book). But then I figured I might be so lost that any book that offers any suggestion of anything might steer me in a different direction. And to be facing a different direction is alright with me. Better than staying still.

This book might be for you if you like the Midnight Gospel or if you tried to and really wanted to like the Midnight Gospel, but just couldn't because if you stop listening for one second, you'll be really lost. And you only started watching Midnight Gospel because you wanted help NOT feeling lost. But here you are, presumably even more lost than when you started.

The book is very existential.

Page 207 - The Conscious Observer

"Hey man let me ask you something.
Do you sort of feel like you are carrying a low level anxiety about the existence of shark attacks?
I mean, just the fact that it really happens. It's horrible.
It's horrible enough that you kind of have to worry about it.
At least a little bit.
Almost all the time."

I mean really, how relatable. Maybe not with shark attacks but maybe some other fear that is statistically unlikely to happen to you.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

The collected Conditions on the Ground zines add up to 350 pages of slice-of-life anxiety and doubt among a group of characters (not all of whom interact with other) told through vignettes and anecdotes. “Can of Shit,” though, was, for me, the piece that stood out, as one of the characters opens a can of dog food that smells, um, suspiciously bad: “It would not surprise me at all if what has happened is that someone actually took a shit in this can before they canned it up. Like at the factory some worker took a shit in one of the cans as a joke or to show off. And I just opened that fucking can.” Each passing second brings a new round of olfactory shock at just how bad the stench really is—as if the odor is worsening or the character’s ability to appreciate its horrific properties only increases—and each passing second brings the character closer to vomiting and passing out before he can reach the door to toss the can outside. This sequence and the actions that follow deserve being set to film.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE this book. The illustrations are so beautiful and wonderful and the comics are so philosophical and scary relatable. I loved the pages where he’s cataloguing items, like different cat breeds and different floral arrangements. Also some of these comics, especially “bag man” made me actually laugh out loud oh my GOD.

[Nolan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I spent some more time with this than expected, soaking up its twee, slacker charms for a few months since it compiles ten issues of the comic. At times it gets truly existential, other times a pointless tangent (non-derogatory). It often felt like the foliage and pot smoke were flowing out of the pages, a deceptive cover for all the anxiety underneath.

[Mathilde · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5!

[Monique]

Almost like reading an animated Portugal the Man album.

[Cody · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slice of life reflective or philosophical musings & conversations juxtaposed onto mundane and/or surreal circumstances, depicted in b&w line drawings and it all works.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charmingly strange existential cartoon vignettes featuring a mixture of people, bigfoot-type things, and animals, describe a journey of contemplation of the self and the human predicament.

Hooyman's drawing isn't perfect. It's better than that. It's scratchy and invitingly sweet. I can't describe it to the full extent because the small stories are more feelings than plots. If you're up for something a little bizarre but wonderful, this could be for you.

[Kim]

interesting funny philosophical musings.

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this collection of issues from Hooyman. Very mythical, trippy and fantastical. A series of illustrations in which man questions himself and the idea of being alive.

[Barnaby Haszard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stoner paradise. NOT stoner heaven (don't get the two confused). Everything a stoner needs is present, but they cannot live here forever.

[Vi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely involved and in depth. Bizarre. The right teen will enjoy this, world is that wacky.

[Sarah Frankie · Rating 5 out of 5]

looooooved every page of this. playful yet emotional, existential and focused.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK.

bad art. good insights.

stoner humor with a few hilarious bits mixed in.

10% of this book was totally amazeballs. the other 90% was…..not good.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

strange cool