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Asthma
Asthma is a collection of recent comics by John Hankiewicz. From story to story, even page to page, the book mixes a startling range of graphic and narrative styles to form a dreamlike whole.
“Amateur Comics” creates a wordless lyric of body, chairs, and space. “Martha Gregory” delves into the rhyming psyches of a young woman and an old man. “Jazz” charts a single day through the lens of the unconscious. Also included are the visually abstract “The Kimball House,” the autobiographical “Westmont Is Next,” the elliptically humorous “Dance” (printed in black and red), and several other ineffable pieces.
At once perplexing and moving, disturbing and playful, Asthma explores the formal and emotional reaches of the comics medium.
“Amateur Comics” creates a wordless lyric of body, chairs, and space. “Martha Gregory” delves into the rhyming psyches of a young woman and an old man. “Jazz” charts a single day through the lens of the unconscious. Also included are the visually abstract “The Kimball House,” the autobiographical “Westmont Is Next,” the elliptically humorous “Dance” (printed in black and red), and several other ineffable pieces.
At once perplexing and moving, disturbing and playful, Asthma explores the formal and emotional reaches of the comics medium.
104 pages, Softcover
First published January 1, 2006
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158 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 13, 2016
Poetry Comics: Comics as Poetry
Here’s some images from the work, which I just got in the mail from the author a couple days ago, and I have been thrilled to be reading it all the time, again and again.
https://www.google.com/search?q=john+...
Asthma is not about asthma. It is a collection of ten comics mainly in the form of strips exploring comics as a form and . . . regarding what is for me a relatively new term and way of describing a particular approach to comics: Poetry comics, or, using comics to express a variety of “poetic” or lyrical observations. Or expressing the world consistent with the way poetry works in the world. And sometimes, using words, poetic language, to make deft or lyrical insights about the world in conjunction with images. Not narrative primarily, though it may raise issues about telling stories. Working against your expectations about all of the above.
I have this book I bought in maybe 2014 by Dave Morice, called Poetry Comics, and it is probably just what you think of when you think of the term “poetry comics”: Poems, illustrated, and sometimes humorously. A book for kids who hate poetry, the illustrations employed to enhance enjoyment or understanding of the poems.
But this is not what is meant by poetry comics in the area of experimental or alternative comics by poetry comics, though those that identify with or associated with it are loathe (and rightly so) to define what they mean by it (not wanting to limit it to one thing).
Here’s a review by Rob Clough about poetry comics, if you are at all interested in this topic:
http://highlowcomics.blogspot.ca/2013...
I can’t say anything more insightful or intelligent about John Hankiewicz’s collection, Asthma, than Clough writes—I learned a lot from Clough here—but my brief impression of Hankiewicz’s work here is entirely favorable. I loved it, the range and original of it, the meticulous attention to craft he exhibits, the meta-comics and meta-fictional approach to both the nature of narrative and the nature of comics. Some of it is horror comics (the dance strips in particular), but it is not quite Hans Rickheit’s The Squirrel Machine, which is a longer set of narratives, nor quite the scary surrealism of Al Columbia’s Pim and Francie, nor quite Cole Closser’s Black Rat or Little Tommy Lost (though Hankiewicz and Closser and Columbia all have that early- comics-washed-with-horror feel about it, early comics gone to hell, dream gone to nightmare, but Hankiewicz is also clearly having fun throughout .
One sets of strips are called Dance (my favorites), Amateur Comics, Martha Gregory “stories,” others. Ones called Asthma for no obvious reason. You expect a comic strip to mean in a particular way, but why do they have to? Why not question the meaning of meaning and comics and stories and the relationships between and among all these things?
Hankiewicz is not the only person working in the area of abstract or poetry comics. I think Anders Nilsen is one of them. I’m reading a lot of Andy Burkholder’s work but Qviet is in there. There’s probably actually a lot of people doing what might be described as poetry comics, maybe, and a lot of it is really interesting. Bianca Stone’s Poetry Comics? Blaise Larmee’s 3 Books. The Blot by Tom Neely I need to read next.
Here’s some images from the work, which I just got in the mail from the author a couple days ago, and I have been thrilled to be reading it all the time, again and again.
https://www.google.com/search?q=john+...
Asthma is not about asthma. It is a collection of ten comics mainly in the form of strips exploring comics as a form and . . . regarding what is for me a relatively new term and way of describing a particular approach to comics: Poetry comics, or, using comics to express a variety of “poetic” or lyrical observations. Or expressing the world consistent with the way poetry works in the world. And sometimes, using words, poetic language, to make deft or lyrical insights about the world in conjunction with images. Not narrative primarily, though it may raise issues about telling stories. Working against your expectations about all of the above.
I have this book I bought in maybe 2014 by Dave Morice, called Poetry Comics, and it is probably just what you think of when you think of the term “poetry comics”: Poems, illustrated, and sometimes humorously. A book for kids who hate poetry, the illustrations employed to enhance enjoyment or understanding of the poems.
But this is not what is meant by poetry comics in the area of experimental or alternative comics by poetry comics, though those that identify with or associated with it are loathe (and rightly so) to define what they mean by it (not wanting to limit it to one thing).
Here’s a review by Rob Clough about poetry comics, if you are at all interested in this topic:
http://highlowcomics.blogspot.ca/2013...
I can’t say anything more insightful or intelligent about John Hankiewicz’s collection, Asthma, than Clough writes—I learned a lot from Clough here—but my brief impression of Hankiewicz’s work here is entirely favorable. I loved it, the range and original of it, the meticulous attention to craft he exhibits, the meta-comics and meta-fictional approach to both the nature of narrative and the nature of comics. Some of it is horror comics (the dance strips in particular), but it is not quite Hans Rickheit’s The Squirrel Machine, which is a longer set of narratives, nor quite the scary surrealism of Al Columbia’s Pim and Francie, nor quite Cole Closser’s Black Rat or Little Tommy Lost (though Hankiewicz and Closser and Columbia all have that early- comics-washed-with-horror feel about it, early comics gone to hell, dream gone to nightmare, but Hankiewicz is also clearly having fun throughout .
One sets of strips are called Dance (my favorites), Amateur Comics, Martha Gregory “stories,” others. Ones called Asthma for no obvious reason. You expect a comic strip to mean in a particular way, but why do they have to? Why not question the meaning of meaning and comics and stories and the relationships between and among all these things?
Hankiewicz is not the only person working in the area of abstract or poetry comics. I think Anders Nilsen is one of them. I’m reading a lot of Andy Burkholder’s work but Qviet is in there. There’s probably actually a lot of people doing what might be described as poetry comics, maybe, and a lot of it is really interesting. Bianca Stone’s Poetry Comics? Blaise Larmee’s 3 Books. The Blot by Tom Neely I need to read next.
April 12, 2019
Osea como hace para ser tan genial todo el tiempo?, alguien le puede pagar para que haga 123234325445 libros?, tkm Hankiewicz
May 31, 2013
This is an important book, really. It's true poetry, and it changed how I see comics. It's difficult for me to put my finger on why it's so good too, which makes it so frustrating when I see it coming out in my own work. It really sneaks up on you - it takes repeat, disjointed readings to even somewhat absorb every section.
April 21, 2017
In this one of the greatest comics (graphic novel) ever, John Hankiewicz invented the whole new form of comics.
November 22, 2009
Some of the best writing in comics, and my brain always gets (pleasurably) lost in his textures. One of the few cartoonists who always seems to know exactly what he's doing and exactly what he wants to do. There needs to be a large Tepid collection as soon as possible.
December 27, 2019
I loved this book, I have asthma too and I know what it feels like. Praise for this book! 👏👏👏👏
August 1, 2022
The pictures are cool but I do not get it.
November 17, 2024
I appreciate the craft here but find John Hankiewicz's comics to be very tedious to read. On paper this should be up my alley, especially because some of his panels look strikingly similar to my own photography. Might be myopic of me (because of this resemblance) but I gravitate more towards those landscapes and quiet spaces accompanied by diaristic prose like McCollum Park/Mellenium Park and Westmont Is Next.
However the more stoic and surreal poetry feel so detached and while dance in comics is an interesting experiment it comes across like he is making the argument for its use in an academic context, especially when accompanied by many extended references to colleges in both books, either as student or professor (or both).
The effect for me is mostly intellectualized emotions instead of raw feeling. A personal thing, but I'm not sure if that's what I read comics for. These panels all seem to want to elevate the mundane, not be a part of it. I can respect that but feel there's only a few grounding moments throughout; a necessary contrast.
I'm glad I read this after being confused by his follow-up Education though. It gives a lot of clarity to what he's attempting to do with the medium, which is interesting, for sure, but sometimes it feels like homework.
However the more stoic and surreal poetry feel so detached and while dance in comics is an interesting experiment it comes across like he is making the argument for its use in an academic context, especially when accompanied by many extended references to colleges in both books, either as student or professor (or both).
The effect for me is mostly intellectualized emotions instead of raw feeling. A personal thing, but I'm not sure if that's what I read comics for. These panels all seem to want to elevate the mundane, not be a part of it. I can respect that but feel there's only a few grounding moments throughout; a necessary contrast.
I'm glad I read this after being confused by his follow-up Education though. It gives a lot of clarity to what he's attempting to do with the medium, which is interesting, for sure, but sometimes it feels like homework.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews