Dark Garbage

by Jon-Michael Frank

A woman body builder, Esther, and a caged butterfly, Mona, do whippets and look for an elusive elixir in a Gen-Y Fantasia. Comfortable in their despair, they set out on a journey for beauty and truth. They encounter an assemblage of characters that are a concoction of poetic melancholia and destructive tenderness.

Genres: Comics

208 pages, Paperback

First published May 15, 2019

Reviews

[Rick Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pretty engrossing read even with the esoteric narrative style. To be honest, even after reading this book twice over, I still feel like there are elements of the story that I have missed. But I find this to be a feature and not a flaw when discussing Jon-Michael Frank's Dark Garbage.

The story centers on a body builder, Esther, and a butterfly, Mona, who go through various quests on their way to acquire some ambiguous elixir. This book is more about the journey, since I can't really say the coda brought much narrative resolution for me. There's a very surreal quality to the storytelling and a pervasive melancholy that kept me enchanted throughout, though I do feel like I missed more than I would have liked when going through this book. Definitely a worthwhile read for someone seeking an entirely unique reading experience.

[jb · Rating 1 out of 5]

some parts made me chuckle
other parts had me like ????

[Ryan Mandelbaum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jon Michael Frank's work in Dark Garbage seems to balance ever so carefully on this fine line between the profound and the unintelligible, like reading the dreams of a sad clown prophet. It is uncompromising and dictates its own pace and rules and never tries to be anything other than itself. While it appears to be many things -an absurdist document on depression and boredom, a freeform escapist fantasy, a cathartic exercise/excision from an anxious mind - to try to pinpoint this work or to put it in a box really seems to take away from what it seems to accomplish as a piece of art. Something ethereal and not quite quantifiable. Art doesn't always have to make perfect sense, as long as it leaves something lingering, and that's exactly what Dark Garbage has done; left a little piece of itself inside of me, to carry back into my own reality.

[Bob Comparda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bodybuilder and their pet butterfly traverse an RPG style world while pondering existence and looking for ways to expand their muscle mass. The artwork is very simple and messy, pretty much a bunch of rough sketches, with very minimal coloring only when needed. The writing style is also simple, extremely melancholy, and full of one-liner gems and refrences. Hilarious, sad, uplifting, light-hearted, and all around a great experience.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t think I’m the right audience for this book. It was like trying to make my way through a fever dream.

The story was disjointed and confusing, and the illustrations are jarring, bordering on disturbing.

However - I think the author / illustrator achieved what they were trying to do. I wouldn’t be surprised if this comic has a cult following that understands it far more than I do.

[Leyla Zebda · Rating 5 out of 5]

An endlessly fascination amalgamation of introspection and silliness. I have so much love for Jon michael’s overt vulnerability. I spoke about books with him once. Such a beautiful soul

[Kate (pooxs_insta) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wtf did I just read? I’m definitely not the target audience for this…

[Amy Day]

decadent one-liners stitched togeather with melted candies and loose prescriptions

7/5 stars

[Chloe White · Rating 2 out of 5]

mid garbage, couldn't make it thru the whole thing. The pages with nonsensical text made my brain hurt & eyes roll. 2 stars for the art & character design onl