Theth

Theth #1

by Josh Bayer

This is the story of the winter of 1980. In the shadow of the days following John Lennon's murder, a strange preteen, dressed inexplicably in a spacesuit, wanders the wastelands of suburban Ohio struggling with the nameless forces that surround him and the seemingly well meaning but ultimately sinister adults he encounters every day. He numbly navigates the universe around him and within him, obsessed with comicbook heroes like Mr. Incompleto, ROM, and Zero Sum, who seem to occupy a void only he is aware of. His name is Seth but everyone calls him THETH.

80 pages, Paperback

First published July 30, 2014

About the author

Josh Bayer is a comic book artist and drawing teacher.

Reviews

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Theth is a book about Seth, pronounced with a lisp, which everyone calls him, especially bullies. Seth, maybe in middle school, in suburban Ohio, wears a space suit all the time, even in school. He’s yelled at by his parents, he’s yelled at in the comics store where he reads comics all the time for free, he’s yelled at for reading comics in school, but the thing is, the only thing that makes him happy is reading comics and nobody cares about this fact. He is like all comic book nerds obsessed with comic book heroes, and his are called Mr. Incompleto, ROM, and Zero Sum. They live in the world Seth also occupies, that imaginative space, that wasteland, that void: He’s an alienated teen. Zero understanding from anyone. Alienation.

I read this book with YA and Graphic Novels classes from time to time because it represents a punk/metal aspect of growing ups yay rarely gets addressed in literature/art. I reread it with the class in April 2024.

I think this is very impressive. The writing is terrific, if grim. Call it grimly great. The artist I thought it reminded me of is Gary Panter; looks like it is first draft drawing, drawn fast as Planter or maybe Jeffery Brown might draw it, who cares, but the effect is appropriate it draws you in, welcomes you if you are a disaffected kid. Sketchy feel. And it's sad. And thus impressive! Maybe I want to call this punk comics in style and content. 80 page 2016 Retrofit production; I am one of the only people reviewing this comic, but you can find it online as a pdf, check it out. I see he has a second volume, too.

[Titus · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came to this comic for the art. Josh Bayer has an insane style: really loose and expressive, the page always dense with ink lines, panels often spilling into one another. It’s reminiscent of Gary Panter, but it never feels slapdash or amateurish in the way Panter’s art sometimes does. I’ve been following Bayer’s Instagram for a while, so I already knew and loved his style, and to be honest I picked up this comic without even caring about how the story would be. In as much as I thought about content at all, my expectations were low, my impression being that Bayer does superhero pastiches on the one hand and semi-autobiographical slice-of-life stuff on the other. The former doesn’t especially interest me, and although the latter is closer to my usual wheelhouse, I’m always wary of such comics being trite and uninspiring.

Theth is basically about an introverted kid, aged around 10-13, who has a hard time at home and at school, but tries to take refuge in comics. The premise sounds like it could be a run-of-the-mill whiny autobio, but this could scarcely be further from the truth. In fact, this comic is as bold, unconventional and accomplished narratively as it is visually. Like the art, the story is uncompromising, weird and intense. Events unfold without context or explanation, at times bordering on the surreal, imparting a heightened, vivid quality that mirrors the protagonist’s despondent mental state. The effect is a comic that’s totally engrossing and disarmingly moving.

I came to this comic for the art, which is exciting and experimental in all the best ways, but I love this comic for its powerful story. Its plot and characters are somewhat bizarre, but this is ultimately one of the most affecting depictions of alienated youth that I’ve encountered in any medium.

[Derek Royal · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://comicsalternative.com/episode-...

[John]

Josh Bayer is part of the school of comics that I liked to call "Home Brewed" the kind of books you feel like you might have had the capacity to do, if you had just exerted yourself a little more in your notebook at school.

He's in good ranks with others like Ed Piskor, Tom Scioli, Benjamin Marra, Michel Fiffe, Jim Rugg. They're the guys who generally never get mainstream books, but get utilized in Jam sessions with the like of say Joe Casey, All-Time Comix or Marvel Strange Tales.

Theth is probably the most referential and meta of the lot.

[Emily Carrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that I pick up every so often and re-read as it never fails to suck me in. There are so many conflicting emotions interwoven with raw intensity in the black and white inkwork. One of my all time favorite graphic novels. The anguish of a introverted teen who just wants to read comics, an uncaring world against the backdrop of John Lennon's murder. If you like the genre of graphic novels I'd call this book essential reading.

[Rob McMonigal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Josh's work is very powerful, drawn in a style that makes you think of raw-er creators but there's a ton of depth to his lines. I love his work.