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Perkeros
Akseli, ein Musik-Junkie und Perfektionist mit einem ausbaufähigen Selbstwertgefühl, versucht seine Metal-Band Perkeros durch die Untiefen des Musik-Business zum Durchbruch zu führen. Der Rest der Band besteht aus dem wunderlichen, alten Hippie-Bassisten Kervinen, der Keyboarderin Lilja, die Kunst studiert und als Kellnerin arbeitet, und dem Schlagzeuger, einem - nun ja - Bären! Leidenschaftlich arbeiten sie zusammen an ihrem gemeinsamen Ziel, doch zwischen Uni und Arbeit ist es nicht einfach, Akselis hohem Anspruch gerecht zu werden, zumal er beginnt, sich Gedanken über die Macht der Musik zu machen. Als schließlich ein neuer Sänger, Aydin, zu ihnen stößt, ergibt sich für die Band die unglaubliche Chance für einen Gig auf dem Rocktoberfest.
186 pages, ebook
First published September 1, 2013
15 people are currently reading
617 people want to read
About the author
J.P. Ahonen
32 books129 followersJP lives in Tampere, Finland, where he writes and draws comics. He enjoys cooking, making music and getting tattooed but dislikes writing biographies in third person.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 179 reviews
July 30, 2024
J.P. Ahosen ja K.P. Alaren yhteistyön tuloksena syntynyt "Perkeros" (WSOY, 2013) on huippuhieno sarjakuvaromaani tamperelaisesta heavybändistä Perkeroksesta, jonka laulaja-kitaristi Akseli uskoo vielä jonakin päivänä breikkaavan isosti. Se on kuitenkin helpommin sanottu kuin tehty.
Jostakin pitäisi löytää ainakin kunnollinen laulaja, saada järjestettyä keikka Rocktoberfesteille ja yrittää pitää rumpalina toimiva Karhu hereillä (tämä kun sattuu olemaan aito karhu, joka alkaa syksyn tullen kaipailla talviunille). Kaiken muun ohella Akselin pitäisi yrittää pitää myös parisuhteensa kunnossa. Elämänkumppani Jatta toivoisi poikaystävänsä viimein aikuistuvan ja saattelevan opiskelunsa loppuun, ja kaiken lisäksi tilannetta mutkistavat tunteet kosketinsoittaja Liljaa kohtaan.
Vastoinkäymisistä huolimatta Akseli ei halua luovuttaa, vaikka musiikki välillä veisikin miestä eikä mies musiikkia. Ja millainen huumaava voima musiikilla voikaan olla, millaisia salattuja ja vaarallisia voimia sävelet voivatkaan kätkeä... Akseli saa huomata, että musiikilla voi tehdä hirvittäviä, hirvittäviä asioita - muutakin kuin suomiräppiä.
Suosikkikuvittajieni joukkoon kuuluva J.P. Ahonen tarjoilee ruutu toisensa jälkeen melkoista karkkia silmille, ja erityisesti musiikkikohtauksissa on imua. Tampere herää myös kuvituksissa oivallisesti eloon. Lukija pääsee vierailemaan muun muassa Pyynikinharjulla, Vastavirralla, Klubilla ja Swamp Music -levykaupassa, ja muutamia tuttuja kasvoja tulee vastaan ikään kuin pieninä sisäpiirivitseinä.
Sarjakuvassa on mukana roima annos huumoria, ja lukiessani huomasin hihitteleväni monta kertaa ääneen. Etenkin albumin hahmogalleria on hulvaton. Oma suosikkini on Perkeroksen basisti Kervinen, vanha hippi, joka on omien sanojensa mukaan ehtinyt niin soittaa yhden jos toisen legendaarisen esiintyjän kanssa.
Hail Perkeros ja J.P. Ahonen! Lasken tämän itse yhdeksi kaikkien aikojen parhaista kotimaisista sarjakuvaromaaneista. Jossakin vaiheessa albumille lupailtiin jatko-osaakin, mutta sellaista ei ole vielä toistaiseksi kuulunut. Lieneekö tekijällä sitten kiireitä Belzebubsin kanssa, mene ja tiedä...
Jostakin pitäisi löytää ainakin kunnollinen laulaja, saada järjestettyä keikka Rocktoberfesteille ja yrittää pitää rumpalina toimiva Karhu hereillä (tämä kun sattuu olemaan aito karhu, joka alkaa syksyn tullen kaipailla talviunille). Kaiken muun ohella Akselin pitäisi yrittää pitää myös parisuhteensa kunnossa. Elämänkumppani Jatta toivoisi poikaystävänsä viimein aikuistuvan ja saattelevan opiskelunsa loppuun, ja kaiken lisäksi tilannetta mutkistavat tunteet kosketinsoittaja Liljaa kohtaan.
Vastoinkäymisistä huolimatta Akseli ei halua luovuttaa, vaikka musiikki välillä veisikin miestä eikä mies musiikkia. Ja millainen huumaava voima musiikilla voikaan olla, millaisia salattuja ja vaarallisia voimia sävelet voivatkaan kätkeä... Akseli saa huomata, että musiikilla voi tehdä hirvittäviä, hirvittäviä asioita - muutakin kuin suomiräppiä.
Suosikkikuvittajieni joukkoon kuuluva J.P. Ahonen tarjoilee ruutu toisensa jälkeen melkoista karkkia silmille, ja erityisesti musiikkikohtauksissa on imua. Tampere herää myös kuvituksissa oivallisesti eloon. Lukija pääsee vierailemaan muun muassa Pyynikinharjulla, Vastavirralla, Klubilla ja Swamp Music -levykaupassa, ja muutamia tuttuja kasvoja tulee vastaan ikään kuin pieninä sisäpiirivitseinä.
Sarjakuvassa on mukana roima annos huumoria, ja lukiessani huomasin hihitteleväni monta kertaa ääneen. Etenkin albumin hahmogalleria on hulvaton. Oma suosikkini on Perkeroksen basisti Kervinen, vanha hippi, joka on omien sanojensa mukaan ehtinyt niin soittaa yhden jos toisen legendaarisen esiintyjän kanssa.
Hail Perkeros ja J.P. Ahonen! Lasken tämän itse yhdeksi kaikkien aikojen parhaista kotimaisista sarjakuvaromaaneista. Jossakin vaiheessa albumille lupailtiin jatko-osaakin, mutta sellaista ei ole vielä toistaiseksi kuulunut. Lieneekö tekijällä sitten kiireitä Belzebubsin kanssa, mene ja tiedä...
February 19, 2019
Graphic novel, per me mediocre, storia banale, telefonata dopo neanche 2-3 pagine. Si dovrebbe parlare di musica, in questo caso di metal, ma è così marginale l'argomento. Si parla di paturnie e trastullamenti tra membri di una band sgangherata, composta da personaggi stereotipati, noiosi, antipatici... insomma, una delusione totale! L'unico elemento che si salva è il tratto dei disegni, non male, ma i colori così accesi, e caldi, mi paiono fuori non azzeccati!
Un po' di sano metal finlandese, quello vero, è questo:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJuj0...
Un po' di sano metal finlandese, quello vero, è questo:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJuj0...
February 25, 2015
I'm not sure if something got lost in the translation but the story felt a little flat to me and also oddly paced. The supernatural elements weren't introduced until very late in the story so it felt like there were almost two different stories.
The art was good but some of the characters had similar facial features making it hard to differentiate. But the full page panel when the band is playing, really spectacular.
Would recommend to music fans and fans of Derek Kirk Kim. (Amanda)
The art was good but some of the characters had similar facial features making it hard to differentiate. But the full page panel when the band is playing, really spectacular.
Would recommend to music fans and fans of Derek Kirk Kim. (Amanda)
September 12, 2013
Perkeros is J.P. Ahonen’s first graphic novel. After working for a decade on the excellent comic strip Northern Overexposure and the more recent Grapevine, he finally took the plunge and along with K.P. Alare, wrote and illustrated a full-length graphic novel.
Perkeros tells the story of an avant-garde heavy metal band in Tampere, focusing on its young guitarist Akseli. The other members of the band are the keyboardist Lilja, the bassist Kervinen and the drummer Bear. No, really, he’s a bear. They’re later in the story joined by the singer Aydin, discovered in a pizza joint on what I think is Itsenäisyydenkatu.
I think it’s Itsenäisyydenkatu, because there’s Klubi right next to it. The milieu of the book, Tampere, comes through strongly, almost enough to be a character by itself, and the art of the cityscape is, well, see for yourself.
I apologize for my photography. And I can accept removing the unsightly concrete whatever in the first picture, for the sake of art.
Clever move to set the story in October, by the way. No leaves on the trees to obscure the views.
Anyway, even the goddamn coat check line at Klubi is accurate.
It’s somewhat amusing to see such accurate depiction of one’s own neighbourhood. I live literally three blocks away from that place. It’s been the last stop of the night so often that I cannot even list how many memories I don’t have of that place. I feel a personal connection with this work. There’s also the shared experience of a pub night at Telakka interrupted by some band I don’t want to hear starting their gig.
Then, of course, there are the characters. Much like in Northern Overexposure, they are clever, funny, and above all, real. Their personalities, insecurities and relationships are capably presented in the art and writing. The interpersonal drama does not devolve into a soap opera, but somehow remains compelling, intermixed as it is with the elements of humour and adventure. Aydin, the young Turk who warms up the audience with a deft and self-deprecating rundown of all the classic “foreigner-run kebab joint” jokes and then does a 180° turn, drops into the role of the heavy metal singer and pulls the rug out from under them, is a favourite of mine.
Though it is not immediately obvious, Perkeros is actually a work of urban fantasy, where music is a key to something primal and dangerous that lies beyond human understanding. The marketing and hype kept this aspect of the story deliberately vague, and I won’t go any deeper into it except to note that it’s there and it’s executed pretty well, and that urban fantasy is a favourite genre of mine.
There’s not much negative I can say about Perkeros. Perhaps it might have benefited from a few pages more to elaborate the connections between certain characters, and for a work so strongly based on music, the lack of a playlist at the back of the book is inexcusable. (Though you can piece together something from the band posters, shirts and albums dribbled around the book. The degree to which they coincide with my taste in music actually made me not miss the playlist all that much… oh well, nobody is perfect.) These, though, are minor faults.
The sheer amount of detail poured into the book is staggering. From the lovingly rendered cityscapes of Tampere to the band posters to the gig review in such small print it almost cannot be read, there’s new stuff to discover for several rereads.
Perkeros tells the story of an avant-garde heavy metal band in Tampere, focusing on its young guitarist Akseli. The other members of the band are the keyboardist Lilja, the bassist Kervinen and the drummer Bear. No, really, he’s a bear. They’re later in the story joined by the singer Aydin, discovered in a pizza joint on what I think is Itsenäisyydenkatu.
I think it’s Itsenäisyydenkatu, because there’s Klubi right next to it. The milieu of the book, Tampere, comes through strongly, almost enough to be a character by itself, and the art of the cityscape is, well, see for yourself.
I apologize for my photography. And I can accept removing the unsightly concrete whatever in the first picture, for the sake of art.
Clever move to set the story in October, by the way. No leaves on the trees to obscure the views.
Anyway, even the goddamn coat check line at Klubi is accurate.
It’s somewhat amusing to see such accurate depiction of one’s own neighbourhood. I live literally three blocks away from that place. It’s been the last stop of the night so often that I cannot even list how many memories I don’t have of that place. I feel a personal connection with this work. There’s also the shared experience of a pub night at Telakka interrupted by some band I don’t want to hear starting their gig.
Then, of course, there are the characters. Much like in Northern Overexposure, they are clever, funny, and above all, real. Their personalities, insecurities and relationships are capably presented in the art and writing. The interpersonal drama does not devolve into a soap opera, but somehow remains compelling, intermixed as it is with the elements of humour and adventure. Aydin, the young Turk who warms up the audience with a deft and self-deprecating rundown of all the classic “foreigner-run kebab joint” jokes and then does a 180° turn, drops into the role of the heavy metal singer and pulls the rug out from under them, is a favourite of mine.
Though it is not immediately obvious, Perkeros is actually a work of urban fantasy, where music is a key to something primal and dangerous that lies beyond human understanding. The marketing and hype kept this aspect of the story deliberately vague, and I won’t go any deeper into it except to note that it’s there and it’s executed pretty well, and that urban fantasy is a favourite genre of mine.
There’s not much negative I can say about Perkeros. Perhaps it might have benefited from a few pages more to elaborate the connections between certain characters, and for a work so strongly based on music, the lack of a playlist at the back of the book is inexcusable. (Though you can piece together something from the band posters, shirts and albums dribbled around the book. The degree to which they coincide with my taste in music actually made me not miss the playlist all that much… oh well, nobody is perfect.) These, though, are minor faults.
The sheer amount of detail poured into the book is staggering. From the lovingly rendered cityscapes of Tampere to the band posters to the gig review in such small print it almost cannot be read, there’s new stuff to discover for several rereads.
August 6, 2015
I tend to have this (not necessarily good) habit of devouring Ahonen's books in one go, or at least as close to one go that is possible at that moment. Which means I miss out on quite a lot of little details and maybe some bigger ones, too.
And yet I really like his work. The very first few pages made me chuckle aloud, because come on, who of us old metalheads has not seen black metal bands just like the ones depicted in this? Seriously? And I liked the Kalevala vibes in some parts of it, too.
I am still slightly unsure what I thought about the actual plot, though. It was not bad, but it was not necessarily as interesting as I was hoping it would be. Then again, a comic that can be read in one sitting cannot really be overly complex. It took me a two days to devour Watchmen, after all.
Maybe my expectations were unrealistically high. But that is just because I love this guy and the things he does. If you like pretty, oh so pretty comics and metal, this is your book. Go get it. People with such talent deserve our monies.
And yet I really like his work. The very first few pages made me chuckle aloud, because come on, who of us old metalheads has not seen black metal bands just like the ones depicted in this? Seriously? And I liked the Kalevala vibes in some parts of it, too.
I am still slightly unsure what I thought about the actual plot, though. It was not bad, but it was not necessarily as interesting as I was hoping it would be. Then again, a comic that can be read in one sitting cannot really be overly complex. It took me a two days to devour Watchmen, after all.
Maybe my expectations were unrealistically high. But that is just because I love this guy and the things he does. If you like pretty, oh so pretty comics and metal, this is your book. Go get it. People with such talent deserve our monies.
June 18, 2015
Very hard to rate. So, it isn't the first time I've seen this type of fantastical edge in a book or in my particular case, TV series (that I won't mention save you become spoiled), but it doesn't make it any less cool. The problem is that it didn't nearly make up enough of the novel, I would have liked to see way way more, instead valuable space is dedicated to Aksel's "real life struggles". If the focus would have been on the supernatural quality of the novel from the start, it would have been so great, it could have easily developed into a comic book series. Some characters got more backstory than others, and it felt uneven; in any case, none received a solid backstory, and there was no reason for that, they all have potential. The whole thing has potential. Oh, and yes, the art is nice, it's very good.
August 30, 2015
An incredibly impressive debut graphic novel from Finland, with music, love and relationships and some added fantasy/horror elements, in a mix that strangely works really, really well.
Story/content:
This is the story of a band in Finland trying hard to break out, following mostly the main guitarist and his endeavours to "keep it real" and at the same time keep up with the relationship with his girlfriend. At least that's what it starts out like, and then it slowly gets more surreal, as in the drummer looking like and acting like a big bear among all the human characters, or the baseplayer seemingly sincerely reminiscing about playing with some of the biggest bands in history, And then it gets even more strange, moving into the realm of fantasy and horror, but there I draw the line. You'll just have to read it for yourself.
Art:
The art is fantastic and even though this supposedly is Ahonen's debut graphic novel, he has been drawing comics and making illustrations for a long time, which shows in the professional design and fluid line work. The style is semi-realistic, with faces drawn in the modern Asian/American mashup style that has become really popular, but with a definite personal touches.The colours are beautiful, vibrant, often emotionally charged and adds several layers to the reading experience. This is comics art that is just a pleasure to look at.
This is a story with music at it's core, and something that Ahonen does brilliantly is depicting music visually. Several scenes are stunning displays of how to do what is essentially impossible, i.e. to make you feel music through drawings. Here, again, the colouring is key, often foregoing realism for a more emotive way of showing what is happening.
Critique
As you can tell (I couldn't keep my feeling in check fully in the above texts, which are supposed to be a bit more objective...) I really liked this. The quirky combination of different genres makes the story interesting and I could feel myself getting emotionally involved in the life of the main character and his strife for the perfect band, no matter what. The thing that lowers this from a top rating in my book is the somewhat strange twist in the end, which was just too overplayed and elaborate (if you need to add four full pages of the bad guy explaining what is going on, then you've written yourself into a dead end...). For my money, the story didn't need such an action packed climax, I was already hooked by the far more subtle story leading up to it.
Anyway, there is a follow up graphic novel in the making to this international hit, so well see where the story is heading soon enough. I'm hoping for more music and less fantasy...
Story/content:
This is the story of a band in Finland trying hard to break out, following mostly the main guitarist and his endeavours to "keep it real" and at the same time keep up with the relationship with his girlfriend. At least that's what it starts out like, and then it slowly gets more surreal, as in the drummer looking like and acting like a big bear among all the human characters, or the baseplayer seemingly sincerely reminiscing about playing with some of the biggest bands in history, And then it gets even more strange, moving into the realm of fantasy and horror, but there I draw the line. You'll just have to read it for yourself.
Art:
The art is fantastic and even though this supposedly is Ahonen's debut graphic novel, he has been drawing comics and making illustrations for a long time, which shows in the professional design and fluid line work. The style is semi-realistic, with faces drawn in the modern Asian/American mashup style that has become really popular, but with a definite personal touches.The colours are beautiful, vibrant, often emotionally charged and adds several layers to the reading experience. This is comics art that is just a pleasure to look at.
This is a story with music at it's core, and something that Ahonen does brilliantly is depicting music visually. Several scenes are stunning displays of how to do what is essentially impossible, i.e. to make you feel music through drawings. Here, again, the colouring is key, often foregoing realism for a more emotive way of showing what is happening.
Critique
As you can tell (I couldn't keep my feeling in check fully in the above texts, which are supposed to be a bit more objective...) I really liked this. The quirky combination of different genres makes the story interesting and I could feel myself getting emotionally involved in the life of the main character and his strife for the perfect band, no matter what. The thing that lowers this from a top rating in my book is the somewhat strange twist in the end, which was just too overplayed and elaborate (if you need to add four full pages of the bad guy explaining what is going on, then you've written yourself into a dead end...). For my money, the story didn't need such an action packed climax, I was already hooked by the far more subtle story leading up to it.
Anyway, there is a follow up graphic novel in the making to this international hit, so well see where the story is heading soon enough. I'm hoping for more music and less fantasy...
January 24, 2022
Read in Finnish and not the English translation!
A rock band fantasy with a terrific artwork, Perkeros, or as it's known in English, Sing No Evil, is a fantastic, but flawed graphic novel. At first it seems wonderfully long and in-depth, the artwork is simply breathtaking and the ways it explores both the ordinary, anxieties of youth and the expectations we put ourselves and others to, and the fantasy, but as it passes the mid-point of the novel, it speeds so fast that by the end of it, it seems to lose something that was so fundamental about the beginning of it. Perhaps if it was twice as long, it could say everything it sets out to tell, but now it does not work as well as it could - it's main flaw being, as rightfully pointed out by many, being that the fantasy elements that come alive in the last parts of the novel are not that well foreshadowed.
And that makes it such a bummer, because there is a lot that sets up the world and the possibilities within it, but it is too vague for the reader to be sure if it's true or not. And even the other reading of it, that it's supposed to be like that, means that when it takes the front stage, the other parts of it are forgotten.
But even in the end, Perkeros / Sing No Evil is a fantastic graphic novel. The artwork is unique and beautiful, both the ordinary and the fantastic displays of music, and at least in the original Finnish version, the dialogue is hilarious and charming. So when the major gripes that I have with it boil down to "I want more of it", it's still worth a read and much more.
A rock band fantasy with a terrific artwork, Perkeros, or as it's known in English, Sing No Evil, is a fantastic, but flawed graphic novel. At first it seems wonderfully long and in-depth, the artwork is simply breathtaking and the ways it explores both the ordinary, anxieties of youth and the expectations we put ourselves and others to, and the fantasy, but as it passes the mid-point of the novel, it speeds so fast that by the end of it, it seems to lose something that was so fundamental about the beginning of it. Perhaps if it was twice as long, it could say everything it sets out to tell, but now it does not work as well as it could - it's main flaw being, as rightfully pointed out by many, being that the fantasy elements that come alive in the last parts of the novel are not that well foreshadowed.
And that makes it such a bummer, because there is a lot that sets up the world and the possibilities within it, but it is too vague for the reader to be sure if it's true or not. And even the other reading of it, that it's supposed to be like that, means that when it takes the front stage, the other parts of it are forgotten.
But even in the end, Perkeros / Sing No Evil is a fantastic graphic novel. The artwork is unique and beautiful, both the ordinary and the fantastic displays of music, and at least in the original Finnish version, the dialogue is hilarious and charming. So when the major gripes that I have with it boil down to "I want more of it", it's still worth a read and much more.
September 17, 2016
This story had so much potential. The idea was there but the execution was so so. I loved the last part of the book but there was no world building or anything to set up what happened. There kinda was but not enough to make the ending, which is awesome, not seem like it's out of no where. The pacing was horrible, whole bunch of nothing then a lot of really good story. Also I'm so sick of the nagging-doesn't-get-it girlfriend. She was completely unnecessary to the story. The best thing was the colors and the panel layout. Both changed to reflect the mood and action going on and I really enjoyed that the whole book only uses yellows, reds, and greens.
January 5, 2017
Perkeros har utan tvekan mycket under ytan. Jag blev helt överraskad över alla tvister och vändningar - inte för att jag klagar! Ungefär första halvan hade jag lite svårt att bestämma vad jag tyckte om den, men efter att jag fick några förklaringar blev det lättare att förstå vad som hände och komma in i berättelsen. Senare halvan var utan tvekan den bästa biten! Jag fastnade också för anknytningarna till demoner och deras kopplingar till musiken.
January 3, 2023
Interesting, but a bit too weird for me.
February 25, 2014
Melko täydellinen paketti, mitä tästä muuta voisi sanoa. Huikeaa työtä! Eheä tarina, josta löytyy huumoria, jännitystä, draamaa ja kutkuttavia intertekstuaalisuuksia. (Kuten se Aydinin skootterin rekkari, joka sai hihittelemään.) Piirustusjälki hivelee silmää niin, että ruutuja jää tutkimaan ja tuijottelemaan.
Tamperelaisena arvostin erityisesti kotikaupunkini realistisesti kuvattuja maisemia ja paikkoja.
Onhan tälle tulossa jatkoa, onhan?
Pääsee kotikirjastossa osastolle "Tästä en luovu koskaan".
Tamperelaisena arvostin erityisesti kotikaupunkini realistisesti kuvattuja maisemia ja paikkoja.
Onhan tälle tulossa jatkoa, onhan?
Pääsee kotikirjastossa osastolle "Tästä en luovu koskaan".
February 16, 2015
I'm not sure if something got lost in the translation but the story felt a little flat to me and also oddly paced. The supernatural elements weren't introduced until very late in the story so it felt like there were almost two different stories.
The art was good but some of the characters had similar facial features making it hard to differentiate. But the full page panel when the band is playing, really spectacular.
Would recommend to music fans and fans of Derek Kirk Kim
The art was good but some of the characters had similar facial features making it hard to differentiate. But the full page panel when the band is playing, really spectacular.
Would recommend to music fans and fans of Derek Kirk Kim
June 14, 2015
An unevenly paced graphic novel with good art. Annoying main character (at least this is done on purpose, I think) and stock unsupportive, complaining girlfriend cliche. The balance between supernatural and natural elements is a bit off. Great spreads focusing on the band playing! The story tied together better on second readthrough. 2.5 stars
January 21, 2015
Näyttävä albumi, ja hauska! Nauroin ääneen mm. kebab-aiheisille välispiikeille vai mitä ne nyt oli... sivuilta saattoi aistia aitoa innostusta musiikkiin.
February 15, 2022
Rakastan kyllä aivan täpöllä JP Ahosen piirrostyyliä. Miten eläviä, sympaattisia hahmoja ja hienoja miljöitä. Mainio, humoristinen ja kauhuelementeillään yllättävä sarjis Tampereen metalliskenestä.
April 5, 2018
Kylläpäs Perkeros osoittautui erinomaiseksi sarjakuva-albumiksi! Avantgardista metallia soittava bändiraakile Perkoros yrittää breikata, mutta natisee liitoksistaan laulajakitaristin himppaisen hataran henkisen tilan vuoksi. Änkyttävän bändiliiderin parisuhde vetelee viimeisiään, eikä kukaan oikein tunnu uskovan hänen laulutaitoonsa. Jopa niin, että bändiin ehdotetaan toista laulajaa. Keikkaa pitäisi saada, mutta sitä ennen tulisi olla logojen ja nettisivujen valmiita.
Ahosen jälki on visuaalisuudessaan selkeää ja upeaa. Juuri sellaista, joka uppoaa minuun. Bändin hahmot ovat hyvin kirjoitettuja. Ankyttävä Akseli on omassa metallihurmoksessaan ja muutoin eksyksissä olevana hienosti tehty päähahmo. Basisti Kervinen on onnistunut, kaiken kokenut Marco Hietala-look-a-like konkari ja taideopiskelija Lilja sopivan sympaattinen ja söpö. Rummuille antaa kyytiä karhu. Niin, siis oikea karhu, ei Karhu. Ja uudeksi laulajaksi löytyy murtaen suomen puhuva pizzapoika, Ayden. Kerrassaan onnistunut hahmogalleria.
Myönnän, olen kirjan suhteen kohderyhmän ytimessä. Raskaampaan musiikkiin ja bänditouhuihin liittyvät vitsit ovat tuttuja. Olen myös asunut Tampereella, joten Perkoroksen aidosti kuvitetut tapahtumapaikat ovat tuttuja ja herättivät muistoja. On nostettava vielä esiin soittokohtaukset, koska ne Ahonen onnistuu piirtämään siten, että musiikin voi "kuulla". Se on minusta hienosti sarjakuvalta se.
Ahosen jälki on visuaalisuudessaan selkeää ja upeaa. Juuri sellaista, joka uppoaa minuun. Bändin hahmot ovat hyvin kirjoitettuja. Ankyttävä Akseli on omassa metallihurmoksessaan ja muutoin eksyksissä olevana hienosti tehty päähahmo. Basisti Kervinen on onnistunut, kaiken kokenut Marco Hietala-look-a-like konkari ja taideopiskelija Lilja sopivan sympaattinen ja söpö. Rummuille antaa kyytiä karhu. Niin, siis oikea karhu, ei Karhu. Ja uudeksi laulajaksi löytyy murtaen suomen puhuva pizzapoika, Ayden. Kerrassaan onnistunut hahmogalleria.
Myönnän, olen kirjan suhteen kohderyhmän ytimessä. Raskaampaan musiikkiin ja bänditouhuihin liittyvät vitsit ovat tuttuja. Olen myös asunut Tampereella, joten Perkoroksen aidosti kuvitetut tapahtumapaikat ovat tuttuja ja herättivät muistoja. On nostettava vielä esiin soittokohtaukset, koska ne Ahonen onnistuu piirtämään siten, että musiikin voi "kuulla". Se on minusta hienosti sarjakuvalta se.
January 19, 2020
Viděli jste finský film Heavy trip? Vypráví o amatérské metalové kapele kdesi z Finska, která sní o tom, že si zahraje na velkém metalovém festivalu a stane se slavnou. Je to komedie a ten film se vůbec nebere vážně. Kniha Sing no Evil je právě o takové finské amatérské metalové kapele a bere se vážně ještě méně. Jejích nejbližším velkým cílem je zahrát si na festivalu v místním klubu. Jmenují se Perkeros. Na klávesy hraje studentka umění, na basu starý hipík, který má snad už 400 let, a na bicí hraje skutečný medvěd, který ve velkém chlastá pivo a v zimě má potřebu zimního spánku. No a leaderem a zpěvákem kapely je nadaný kytarista a skladatel Askel, který má brutální trému před každým vystoupením, koktá a jeho zpěv zní jako krákání vrány s rakovinou hrtanu. Naštěstí se jim podaří přibrat úžasného zpěváka, který se živí rozvážením pizzy a kebabu. Ale vyhráno ještě zdaleka nemají. Nevyhýbají se jim rozpory jak v kapele, tak i doma. A v okolních lesích řádí jakási monstra.
Je to komiks, který vás pobaví, rozesměje a doslova z něj kape láska k metalu a hudbě obecně. Je i úžasně nakreslený. Postavy sice vypadají jako z mangy, ale to ničemu nevadí. Když komiks ukazuje zkoušky kapely a nebo koncerty, tak z těch stránek tu hudbu téměř slyšíte. Pokud máte rádi metal, tak při čtení útržků textů, které se jsou kolem muzikantů nakreslené, vám k nim v hlavě naskakují kytarové riffy a rychlé metalové melodie. Za mě velká spokojenost!
Je to komiks, který vás pobaví, rozesměje a doslova z něj kape láska k metalu a hudbě obecně. Je i úžasně nakreslený. Postavy sice vypadají jako z mangy, ale to ničemu nevadí. Když komiks ukazuje zkoušky kapely a nebo koncerty, tak z těch stránek tu hudbu téměř slyšíte. Pokud máte rádi metal, tak při čtení útržků textů, které se jsou kolem muzikantů nakreslené, vám k nim v hlavě naskakují kytarové riffy a rychlé metalové melodie. Za mě velká spokojenost!
March 16, 2017
So, first off, the art in this was gorgeous. I love the emphasis on curves in the linework, and the layering involved in the coloring -- it was probably arduous, but the pages were luscious as a result.
I was sceptical that this was going to be yet another iteration of White Boy Problems, and--it was. The two female characters are both highlighted in relation to the white boy protagonist, Askel, and both are framed within a romantic interest context--though it's not a get-the-girl book, which was appreciated. In the first thirty pages I didn't see a person of color, and okay, it's set in Finland in the metal scene, but the drummer is a sentient bipedal brown bear, so it seemed like the imagination of the creators could stretch at least a little bit. Ten pages later, the lead singer was introduced, who was a person of color and, while sketching out the European immigrant stereotype of "kebab shop employee," Aydin was a fully developed person with a wonderful voice (both as a character and within the universe of the plot).
The supernatural elements were neat, though it felt a little rushed, probably because we spent half the book walking with Askel through his sad-sack life. It would certainly have been tighter overall if the focus on Askel (and his minor emotional development) had been dropped entirely in favor of the band learning about the supernatural influence in other bands and doing something about it.
Sad White Boy graphic novels don't generate much in me any more except exasperation; it's the same story told hundreds of times with minimal variation. I will say Askel got a thorough and much-needed dressing down for his bullshit, but honestly the dozens of self and pro-published autobio graphic novels from Sad White Boys have covered that ground pretty completely, so why incorporate it here? Especially when the B plot of the supernatural bands was compelling--it clearly should have been the A plot.
Works like this frustrate me, because they're on the cusp of being really great, but fail to innovate or engage in substantive editing. It's like, three stars because I liked all of the characters except for the protagonist, the art was wonderful, and the supernatural B plot was interesting; but because we spent half the book in Sad White Boy land, I'm equally inclined to give it one or two.
I was sceptical that this was going to be yet another iteration of White Boy Problems, and--it was. The two female characters are both highlighted in relation to the white boy protagonist, Askel, and both are framed within a romantic interest context--though it's not a get-the-girl book, which was appreciated. In the first thirty pages I didn't see a person of color, and okay, it's set in Finland in the metal scene, but the drummer is a sentient bipedal brown bear, so it seemed like the imagination of the creators could stretch at least a little bit. Ten pages later, the lead singer was introduced, who was a person of color and, while sketching out the European immigrant stereotype of "kebab shop employee," Aydin was a fully developed person with a wonderful voice (both as a character and within the universe of the plot).
The supernatural elements were neat, though it felt a little rushed, probably because we spent half the book walking with Askel through his sad-sack life. It would certainly have been tighter overall if the focus on Askel (and his minor emotional development) had been dropped entirely in favor of the band learning about the supernatural influence in other bands and doing something about it.
Sad White Boy graphic novels don't generate much in me any more except exasperation; it's the same story told hundreds of times with minimal variation. I will say Askel got a thorough and much-needed dressing down for his bullshit, but honestly the dozens of self and pro-published autobio graphic novels from Sad White Boys have covered that ground pretty completely, so why incorporate it here? Especially when the B plot of the supernatural bands was compelling--it clearly should have been the A plot.
Works like this frustrate me, because they're on the cusp of being really great, but fail to innovate or engage in substantive editing. It's like, three stars because I liked all of the characters except for the protagonist, the art was wonderful, and the supernatural B plot was interesting; but because we spent half the book in Sad White Boy land, I'm equally inclined to give it one or two.
May 9, 2020
I picked this up because I am an old black metal head who is really into comics. This should have been a perfect match.
Sadly,,this is a comic that really wants to... ....but really doesn’t know what it wants or why. There’s talent here, but absolutely no direction.
The comic is very earnest and I wanted to like it, but it just never got off the ground.
The supposed protagonist comes across as a boy even likeable total waster - at the end of the book at least he stops wasting his girlfriends life - other than that he learns nothing. The other characters are quite endearing - however the journey they embark on is sadly quite nonsensical, but not enough so that it’s absurdist.
This book really needed a great editor. It has sooooooo much irrelevant filler that should have ended on the drawing board. Sometimes it feels like two books mashed into one - a bib yay could have been when it made a go of being a horror comic.
This could have been its win, but it falls very flat, and should have either been completely omitted or have been the narratives absolute win. Strange.
The art work worked quite well. But lots of artists draw well and I’m sure the local cityscape is well done but it’s not enough to make anyone not local want to read anything else by the author.
A very confused and forgettable 2 stars.
Sadly,,this is a comic that really wants to... ....but really doesn’t know what it wants or why. There’s talent here, but absolutely no direction.
The comic is very earnest and I wanted to like it, but it just never got off the ground.
The supposed protagonist comes across as a boy even likeable total waster - at the end of the book at least he stops wasting his girlfriends life - other than that he learns nothing. The other characters are quite endearing - however the journey they embark on is sadly quite nonsensical, but not enough so that it’s absurdist.
This book really needed a great editor. It has sooooooo much irrelevant filler that should have ended on the drawing board. Sometimes it feels like two books mashed into one - a bib yay could have been when it made a go of being a horror comic.
This could have been its win, but it falls very flat, and should have either been completely omitted or have been the narratives absolute win. Strange.
The art work worked quite well. But lots of artists draw well and I’m sure the local cityscape is well done but it’s not enough to make anyone not local want to read anything else by the author.
A very confused and forgettable 2 stars.
July 21, 2020
for a book i randomly chose in a second half bookstore about two years ago, not knowing anything about it, this graphic novel surely went places i did not expect it to! the tale of a struggling band going through it is not exactly new, but nonetheless, by the end if it i’d grown to care for the characters, and frankly wished for a couple extra pages to see them get to be happy and hopeful.
finnish reviews point to the accuracy and love given to rendering the background, the streets of tampere coming alive on the page, and i tend to agree that it’s a definite highlight. what’s more, the attention to detail makes it so that you could spend hours just looking at what’s written in posters, in small font in the corners of a page, the news, people’s shirts, you name it. this, complete with the full-page illustrations of live music, make for a rather beautiful reading experience.
the urban fantasy elements threw me for a loop, as i was very much not expecting them and horror(ish) vibes are not usually my cup of tea, but i definitely like how they were handled here.
overall, i think i might be thinking about this one for a bit, and maybe even rereading it from time to time, to more fully appreciate it. i’d definitely be interested to read whatever these two put out next, if/when that happens.
finnish reviews point to the accuracy and love given to rendering the background, the streets of tampere coming alive on the page, and i tend to agree that it’s a definite highlight. what’s more, the attention to detail makes it so that you could spend hours just looking at what’s written in posters, in small font in the corners of a page, the news, people’s shirts, you name it. this, complete with the full-page illustrations of live music, make for a rather beautiful reading experience.
the urban fantasy elements threw me for a loop, as i was very much not expecting them and horror(ish) vibes are not usually my cup of tea, but i definitely like how they were handled here.
overall, i think i might be thinking about this one for a bit, and maybe even rereading it from time to time, to more fully appreciate it. i’d definitely be interested to read whatever these two put out next, if/when that happens.
April 21, 2022
I bought this book for the cover. It made me think Rock Stars fight evil monsters. While that is technically true, that only happens in that last 30 pages. Most of the book is spent on Aksel coming to terms with not being the best lead singer for his band, and that the rock and roll lifestyle he so wants, is harder to attain while keeping your musical identity then he ever thought possible. Aksel lives with his girlfriend who is in college, where he is supposed to be. But she is growing and realizing that there are read world things she wants/needs to do, while Aksel seems stuck in a wannabe mode. This book spent way too much time exploring Axel and his goals for the band. It is quite drawn out and boring, even though the setting is anything but. They have a bear for a drummer! A real bear (anthropomorphic). Plus “grandpa” who is always talking about the bands he used to perform with is a hoot. The music listed in various places in this book is awesome, I just wish the story was. When you finally get to the band destroys monsters part, it fells rushed and like was put in there to sell books. There is a reason this book does not have a sequel. Overall, this book was okay, but I wanted way more.
December 1, 2018
Комикс вызвал смешанные чувства. Начало было очень крутое - молодая прогрссив-метал группа пытается найти своего слушателя. Они репетируют, играют на сейшенах, стараются звучать лучше. Очень четко чувствуется, что авторы комикса хорошо разбираются в метале, т.е. сами слушают то, о чем пишут и рисуют. И это клево! Я очень обрадовался, когда читал про проблемы начинающих музыкантов, так как все это мне тоже близко.
Середина комикса вдруг повернула в сторону мелодрамы. Гитарист живет с девушкой, которая понимает его увлечения, но хочет, чтобы ее парень уделял ей внимание больше, чем группе. Плюс гитарист понимает, что он не самый крутой музыкант в мире, его терзают сомнения, переживания. Короче, какие-то сопли.
А в конце, как ушат с холодной водой, на нас выливается хоррор. Как-то совсем неожиданно.
Нарисовано все очень круто. но мне не совсем понятно, что именно хотели донести до нас авторы. Дружба, любовь, музыка.
Повысил один балл за рисовку.
Середина комикса вдруг повернула в сторону мелодрамы. Гитарист живет с девушкой, которая понимает его увлечения, но хочет, чтобы ее парень уделял ей внимание больше, чем группе. Плюс гитарист понимает, что он не самый крутой музыкант в мире, его терзают сомнения, переживания. Короче, какие-то сопли.
А в конце, как ушат с холодной водой, на нас выливается хоррор. Как-то совсем неожиданно.
Нарисовано все очень круто. но мне не совсем понятно, что именно хотели донести до нас авторы. Дружба, любовь, музыка.
Повысил один балл за рисовку.
November 26, 2019
A pretty interesting "modern fantasy" so-to-speak story, involving the struggles not only of the common artists with its daily life having trouble to balance his passion and the rest of his life, but weaving behind it a story where music is outright magic, misterious characters, and stories going way back into antiquities.
And then there is a bear that plays the drums.
A good read that definitively I would reccomend to every aspiring music artist: who knows if that's how they'd find a new muse themselves.
And then there is a bear that plays the drums.
A good read that definitively I would reccomend to every aspiring music artist: who knows if that's how they'd find a new muse themselves.
June 29, 2021
3.5 stars. I don't know what I was expecting, but probably not what I got in the end. On the surface this is a story about a metal band trying to get their breakthrough. Under that though... supernatural elements and a lot of talk about music being more than just chords and words. I feel the story was somewhat oddly paced, as the big twist comes very close to the end and is almost too big a surprise to make any sense. If this wasn't a standalone story the pacing would make more sense (setting up the stage for more to come) but now it feels rushed. The drawing style I did love though! A lot! It's natural enough to look realistic, but there is something that pleases my aesthetic tastes so much. Maybe the use of colour, maybe playing with the layout... Overall it was such a pleasant thing to be looking at.
April 1, 2023
4,5. Taidokkaasti piirrettyä bänditouhuilua, joka saa äkkiä suuremmat mittasuhteet. Juonen suunta on melko odottamaton, mutta ei tule mitenkään puskista (joskin loppuhäivytystä olisin kaivannut vähän pidemmäksi). Tarinan vahvuus on hahmoissa, joista varsinkin Kervinen ja Karhu olivat omia suosikkejani. Tästä voi hyvin nauttia, vaikka metallimusiikki ei kiinnostaisikaan.
November 8, 2025
Aivan loistava! Intohimoa musiikkiin, musiikin tekemistä ja soittamista, bänditoiminta, ystävyyttä, parisuhdeongelmia, nokkelaa sanailua. Nauroin ääneen. Kaikki hahmot ovat omalla tavallaan ihania ja huvittavia. Mahtavat kuvitukset. Rakastin tätä!
June 20, 2020
Vihdoin.
Tätä kehuneet kaikki ja sarjakuvien suosituslistoissa vuodesta toiseen. Mutta ilman sarjakuvalupaustani tuskin olisin vieläkään lukenut.
Ei pettänyt. Mahtava.
Tätä kehuneet kaikki ja sarjakuvien suosituslistoissa vuodesta toiseen. Mutta ilman sarjakuvalupaustani tuskin olisin vieläkään lukenut.
Ei pettänyt. Mahtava.
July 13, 2020
Giving 4 stars for Ahonen's artwork. Story left me wanting much more. Could have used an epilogue. If it had different art would most likely be a 3 star.
September 23, 2024
Beautifully illustrated. The story takes a weird turn in the last chapter but there were a few hints to it along the way which I think ultimately pays off in the reveal.
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