After Nothing Comes

by Aidan Koch, Bill Kartalopoulos (Editor)

Aidan Koch makes comics about moods and moments, marks and symbols. They are drawn in a diaphanous, haptic style that suggests dreams and memories. In washes of ink, pencil smudges, white paint, and traces of drawings removed, Koch creates resonate tone poems on paper.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Art, Poetry, Graphic Novels Comics, Fiction, Short Stories

112 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2012

About the author

Aidan Koch was born in Seattle, WA and currently lives and works in Brooklyn, NY. She received her BFA in Illustration at the Pacific NW College of Art in Portland, OR, and works in a variety of mediums, often blurring their conventions. Her work has appeared in a variety of group exhibitions, as well as The Paris Review. Past books include the Xeric Award winning The Whale (Gaze Books, 2014), Field Studies (Floating World Comics, 2012) and the anthology Astral Talk (Publication Studio, 2011), which she edited.

Reviews

[Lou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly beautiful. Loved every page of this. The illustrations were so beautiful and I loved how Aidan Koch tells stories in a very unique way. :)

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

The only bad thing about this book is that it is not complete collection of Koch's works. Interview with the editor is very informative.
The book contains:
Warmer
Vastness No.One
Dark
The Dancer at Midnight
After Nothing Comes
Reflections

[Gabriel Infierno · Rating 5 out of 5]

I put 5 stars because it doesn't have 6, this is like graphic poetry, it's wonderful and really smooth, I can´t wait to read the other's works of this author.

[so · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting art!! Loved the use of negative space. Very intrigued by how mountains/nebulous scenery (??) were drawn

[Gabriel Infierno · Rating 5 out of 5]

I put 5 stars because it doesn't have 6, this is like graphic poetry, it's wonderful and really smooth, I can´t wait to read the other's works of this author.

[Wendyjune · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of Aidan Koch's zines. It felt like I was reading a breath or a breeze, it was difficult to distinguish which. Her zines are a place where nature and humans blur. Like a close up of a warm ocean licking at toes. Smudgy drawings where parts are rubbed out, the human form becomes landscape and the landscape becomes figures. There is little solid ground to be found in this ebb and flow. Text stands alone, is rubbed and erased at times. Smudged as the human act of writing is as valuable as the words themselves.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 5-4(ish). This is probably another great example of the simultaneity of highly technical drawing and messy/mistakey/ um like I want to say instant drawing. Stuff that seems from a sketch book but is still good and conveys emotion and feeling. I didn't think everything was fantastic and I felt the interview at the end was both interesting and pretentious.
Considering I immediately put another of her books on my to-read list, perhaps I'm being too critical here.

[Rick Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

A neat little collection of Aidan Koch's zines, all connected by their warm, poetic style. Koch's artwork is simple yet elegant, and carries a nice sense of poignancy to them. The coziness that Koch's work can muster is inspiring, and something I'd love to be able to recreate in some form one day.

[Sofia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful and sensitive, the work in this collection often takes on the quality of memory, emotional and indistinct. I love how much I feel Koch's evolving sensibilities throughout the work and I also love the commitment to how the stories were originally released, with the covers, dimensions and binding visible.

[Zakiya Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

A unique zine collection, sampling her work. My complaint is that it wasn't the complete works, and rather a selection.

[Andie Nash · Rating 5 out of 5]

Odd but beautiful, simple but profound. I really enjoy Aidan's work.

[Glen Farrelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Originally published as zines

[David Bush · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, it's unique.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lyrical and poetic rather than narrative, the short pieces in this collection were evocative and moody by a bit to vague for my taste. Includes a couple of wordless sequences.

[Teya Z · Rating 5 out of 5]

Masterful. Images and words that speak to the fragility of moments. Everything I wanted in a graphic novel. Jealous I couldn’t be genius enough to have done this

[King]

I really love Koch's work

[Nolan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful collection of experimental, handmade zines. Very inspiring

[Kiana · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorites 5evr ❤️‍🩹

[Vi · Rating 5 out of 5]

this makes my soul happy.

[Jolien · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5

[A E · Rating 2 out of 5]

Experimental, impressionistic, and fragmental for sure. Felt slight to read and even more so to think about. Feels like you really have to get into the nitty gritty of comics and form. This does play with those expectations and styles. I just personally didn't get much from it.

[Moon Captain · Rating 5 out of 5]

i feel soothed

[Kim Plowright · Rating 3 out of 5]

So beautiful.