Ganges #2

Ganges #2

by Kevin Huizenga

Everyman Glenn Ganges ruminates on the simple times of the dot-com era when the reality of business was propped up by the unreality of addictive technology and hope. Kevin Huizenga cleverly parallels that unreality with the unreality of addictive networked first-person shooter video games, and the attempts of people around him to genuinely connect with each other.

Huizenga’s elegant neo-clear-line style brings a crispness and humor to these low-key slice-of-life stories, and the gray-blue duotone he has picked gives the art a new depth and complexity.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels

32 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2008

About the author

Kevin Huizenga was born in 1977 in Harvey, IL and spent most of his childhood in South Holland, IL, near Chicago. He attended college in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and moved to St. Louis in 2000 where he lives and works.

He began drawing comics in high school, xeroxing his first issue (with friends) at the neighborhood Jewel Osco in 1993. Since that time he's made approximately 30 more. In 2001 the Comics Journal named him "Minimalism Cartoonist of the Year" and called #14 of his "Supermonster" mini-comic series "one of the best comics of any kind released in 2001."

In 2001 he also started the Catastrophe Shop http://www.usscatastrophe.com, an online shop for self-published mini-comics (now run by Dan Zettwoch http://www.usscatastrophe.com/zettwoch/).

Reviews

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two stories here, one a short abstract wordless piece and then a longer one, realistic, focused on Glenn Ganges, entitled "Pulverize" that looks at the dot.com craze when Glenn worked at one of these high tech places for awhile and plays, with his also doomed cohorts, first person shooter video games constantly as the company goes boom and bust. A kind of commentary on these games and the inability for many of the workers there including Glenn to be able to maintain any kind of normal relationships with anyone. Glenn's relationship with his wife, for instance. His drawing style is intimate, especially with the Ganges material, and the two tone blue washes set the melancholy tone. I loved it, though.

[angelofmine1974 · Rating 2 out of 5]

My review of this comic can be found on my YouTube Vlog at:

https://youtu.be/iao26Wjn8pA

Enjoy!

[StrictlySequential · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Ignatz" series #27: ¦STAPLED¦ + [->|fully|<-] flapped jacket
—>"First Printing: March 2008" ¦ $7.95

Narrative: ***

Visual: ****

[K · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweetly drawn, and sweetly told, this story explores a unique little nook of the world, smart dudes playing online shooting games against each other for massive stetches of time as a form of bonding. I think most people not involved in this perceive it as a pathetic waste of time, and the author has to really work to make the world and his friends' involement in it sympathetic. He succeeds, but just barely.

[Jamil · Rating 3 out of 5]

picked this up at the Fantagraphics store when I was in Seattle recently and it definitely lives up to it's best-comic-of-2008 hype. "Pulverize" was reprinted in the most recent Best American Comics (2009) edited by Charles Burns. but as great a story as that was (& we're talking pretty fucking great), I love the other half of this issue even more, filled with amazing katamari/kachina fight game mandalas. It's freaking absolutely gorgeous work.

[Erik Erickson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't remember why I gave Ganges No. 1 only 3/5 stars (I loved the Curses collection). Regardless, this second book is great. Weaving the narrative within and around fps games, a dot-com startup and marriage (or cohabitation, not positive on the arrangement) effortlessly. It feels like this book was written specifically for me.

Highly recommended.

[Troy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect.