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Halcyon
Halcyon is a graceful and psychedelic vision of a graphic novel that spans time, terrestrial planes, SF, and new age mysticism to detail the spiritual journeys of its two nonbinary protagonists.
The sleeping figure on the cover hints at the dream logic that drives this visual feast of a graphic novel. It can't all be explained, and it isn't meant to be explained. Ron Regé, Jr. is one of the singular cartoonists of his generation, an unusual but skilled stylist and storyteller with an acutely passionate moral and idealistic core that stands out amongst his peers. Halcyon is a spiritual cousin to Regé's 2012 graphic novel The Cartoon Utopia , which has garnered a following in new age and hermeneutic studies circles and in which higher beings try to communicate with us through art, music, and storytelling ― a theme revisited here via the book's central characters. Halcyon is the work of a cartoonist at the height of his powers, a superlative use of the form in the service of relating the author's compassionate ― and visually stunning ― worldview. Full-color illustrations throughout
The sleeping figure on the cover hints at the dream logic that drives this visual feast of a graphic novel. It can't all be explained, and it isn't meant to be explained. Ron Regé, Jr. is one of the singular cartoonists of his generation, an unusual but skilled stylist and storyteller with an acutely passionate moral and idealistic core that stands out amongst his peers. Halcyon is a spiritual cousin to Regé's 2012 graphic novel The Cartoon Utopia , which has garnered a following in new age and hermeneutic studies circles and in which higher beings try to communicate with us through art, music, and storytelling ― a theme revisited here via the book's central characters. Halcyon is the work of a cartoonist at the height of his powers, a superlative use of the form in the service of relating the author's compassionate ― and visually stunning ― worldview. Full-color illustrations throughout
112 pages, Hardcover
First published February 1, 2022
66 people want to read
About the author
Ron Regé Jr.
31 books23 followersRon Regé Jr. began drawing and self publishing comics in the early 1990’s in Cambridge MA. His first book Skibber Bee~Bye was published by Highwater Books in 2000. His most recent book Against Pain collects short works from 1986-2006 and was published by Drawn & Quarterly in 2008. His comics and drawings have appeared in hundreds of zines and comics anthologies. Illustration clients have included Nike, Sony, Tylenol, HP, McSweeney’s, Vice, The New York Times, and Canada’s National Post. Ron currently lives in Los Angeles.
His current project The Cartoon Utopia began in early 2008 as a series of 60 small drawings, but has expanded to include larger drawings, and longer comics pieces, including those presented here. Drawings from The Cartoon Utopia have been presented as solo gallery shows in Los Angeles, Montreal, Richmond VA, and Austin TX. They will eventually be collected as a book.
His current project The Cartoon Utopia began in early 2008 as a series of 60 small drawings, but has expanded to include larger drawings, and longer comics pieces, including those presented here. Drawings from The Cartoon Utopia have been presented as solo gallery shows in Los Angeles, Montreal, Richmond VA, and Austin TX. They will eventually be collected as a book.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
May 30, 2022
What is religion but a way of making sense of the world? Rege I suspect is not traditionally religious, but he traffics in what he calls "halyctyon hermeneutics, drawing on various mystical and other alternative perspectives on the world, idealistic and essentially hopeful, enacted here through comics/cartooning. The cartoon Utopia came out in 2012 and there we are with an extension of that work ten years later.
Strange and strangely beautiful, the cover seems to point to one aspect of the work, in that someone is dreaming. Meticulous, and colorful, I also find it sort of exhausting if I ry to figure out what is actually going on. I think acid informs the work, and magics. Folks in new age and hermeneutic studies circles seem to be interested in it; the presumption is that higher beings try to communicate with us through art, music, and storytelling, and maybe especially through comics/cartooning. You think everything you are reading seems safe and sane and predictable? Check this out.
Strange and strangely beautiful, the cover seems to point to one aspect of the work, in that someone is dreaming. Meticulous, and colorful, I also find it sort of exhausting if I ry to figure out what is actually going on. I think acid informs the work, and magics. Folks in new age and hermeneutic studies circles seem to be interested in it; the presumption is that higher beings try to communicate with us through art, music, and storytelling, and maybe especially through comics/cartooning. You think everything you are reading seems safe and sane and predictable? Check this out.
April 4, 2023
You just need to read it to understand lol
September 26, 2025
Wild art! Very gamey and busy, technical, specific. Odd storyline with some great quotes thrown in. Bravo!
February 27, 2022
I was more into the illustration than the story, which was a bit more fantastic than I prefer. V detailed and illustrious, yet sparse and delicate illustration.
January 22, 2025
26×31 ¦ $24.99
Visual: *****
I ALWAYS love looking at his art and this is some of his best that I've seen through the majority of his works. Despite having poor art-mechanics knowledge, I try to understand why the puzzlish designery that he splays across the page as the background often looks so amazing!
Narrative: **
I understood none of it despite effort since it took me FAR longer to finish than if I had just read the words, examined the art then moved to the next page. When a quick read to some becomes a long endeavor for me -that doesn't serve to add to the experience- I resent the creator and may stop acquiring them. Regé is a bit different though since he's a repeat offender, chronically trying to dazzle at the expense of comprehension, who I stick with because of the conceptual effort he puts in and his female main characters.
Visual: *****
I ALWAYS love looking at his art and this is some of his best that I've seen through the majority of his works. Despite having poor art-mechanics knowledge, I try to understand why the puzzlish designery that he splays across the page as the background often looks so amazing!
Narrative: **
I understood none of it despite effort since it took me FAR longer to finish than if I had just read the words, examined the art then moved to the next page. When a quick read to some becomes a long endeavor for me -that doesn't serve to add to the experience- I resent the creator and may stop acquiring them. Regé is a bit different though since he's a repeat offender, chronically trying to dazzle at the expense of comprehension, who I stick with because of the conceptual effort he puts in and his female main characters.
January 4, 2023
Enjoyable for the soothing artwork with warm colors, but the story itself left me a little cool towards the book. There is a connection being drawn between technology and spirituality which is interesting enough and works well with the artistic style, but a lot of the writing felt a little too confused in its intent. I don't mind working hard to comprehend a sequential story, but something about Halycon felt too sinuous for me.
November 19, 2021
Strange and mystic. It feels like a cave drawing from the future telling the story of a god I've never heard of. Didn't understand it but it looks gorgeous.
April 7, 2022
what a long strange trip that was. the irony was the rfid chip sticker on the back cover page!
February 24, 2023
The art is intricate and interesting to look at, but as far as any sense of narrative, it is nonsensical and boring
June 12, 2023
Love the art style for this comic book and all the sound effects. <3
July 2, 2023
Reminded me a very surreal episode from Adventure Time, those ones with Prismo. It may be an interesting animation, I don’t think the graphic novel format was able to communicate the idea though.
April 14, 2024
I liked the middle part where they live in a video game based dystopia where everyone keeps violating their user agreement.
July 3, 2024
It’s very pretty but I understood very little of what it was trying to say
July 5, 2022
Very ephemeral and spiritual with a hint of technofear. A little hard to understand, but think about it. Beautifully imagined with incredible detail.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews