Birthday

mini kuš! #35

by Theo Ellsworth

Our hero is insanely nervous. He's about to undergo an intense psychic initiation known as the Inner-Space Birth Ritual. You'd be nervous, too! Theo Ellsworth has faithfully documented our hero's bizarre experience in the pages of Birthday.

Format: A6, 28 pages, saddle stitch binding, full-color, English

28 pages, Saddle-stitched

First published September 1, 2015

About the author

Theo Ellsworth is a self-taught artist and storyteller who grew up in the mountains of Montana. He developed his art while wandering the United States in a motor powered vehicle. He is uncommonly fond of clouds, monsters, trees, and impossible objects. He is prone to fits of whimsy, and his mind is filled with preposterous notions, yet he still manages to come across as semi-normal. He now lives in Portland, Oregon with a witch doctor and a slightly evil cat, and spends as much time as possible making comics, art zines, and imaginary phenomenon. He also helps run the Pony Club gallery, which he co-founded. He has replaced his motor powered vehicle with a two-wheeled, human-powered contraption.

Reviews

[Rick Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the absolute best pieces by Theo Ellsworth ever. Birthday is a hallucinogenic trip for a man undergoing a psychedelic journey which Ellsworth refers to as the "Inner-Space Birth Ritual". His nervousness is palpable as he signs what appears to be a contract or waiver before being plugged into a machine that will launch him into a fury of color, intricate linework and dizzying patterns. Indeed, the narrative of Birthday is fairly simple even if it is a bit obscured by the lack of dialogue, but the magic happens because of Ellsworth's ornate artwork. Not a single fragment of the page is left untouched by Ellsworth's meticulous lines which form unnatural shapes and patterns that will render the reader just as disoriented as the protagonist. The colors are simply magical and add layers of complexity to an already complex set of lines. A short comic for sure, but you'll want to soak in every page. Ellsworth is a one of a kind cartoonist, and Birthday will leave you rattled upon completion.