City Crime Comics

City Crime Comics #1

by Teddy Goldenberg

City Crime Comics is Teddy Goldenberg’s funny and nightmarish experiment in 1950’s Golden Age noir and romance. 21 surreal stories take place in a strange city where people randomly disappear and reappear, become lost or confused, or turn into signs or statues. Wake up laughing when the pages are closed, you won’t want this dream to end.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels

80 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2022

Reviews

[Ryan Mandelbaum]

This is either stupid or brilliant. But also, why not both? I am not sure what I just read, but I am like... 99% certain I loved it. An unexpectedly hilarious and downright bizarre reading experience that has left me with a very confused grin and an odd sense of satisfaction despite not actually understanding much of what I read. Strangely cohesive in its utter disjointedness.

[Enron84]

One of the best things I've read this year. Crime noir, by way of Lynchian surrealism. Fucking perfect thematic, anthology style storytelling.

[Przemysław Skoczyński]

Są komiksy, o których wiesz, że nigdy do końca ich nie ogarniesz. Są historie, po których czujesz się zakłopotany i musisz do nich wracać, bo ewidentnie coś nie daje ci spokoju. Krótkie opowiadania Teddy'ego Goldenberga to ten typ opowieści. Dziwne, sugerujące czytelną konwencję, lecz zaskakujące rozwojem fabuły. Czasem brakuje pointy, czasem jest dziwaczna, a całość praktycznie zawsze wymyka się normom. Jakby ktoś w odpowiednim momencie poprzestawiał klocki. Coś bardzo niepokojącego czai się w tej sennej logice w połączeniu z retro grafiką i życzę powodzenia, jeśli ktoś spróbuje to zdefiniować.

[Kagey Bee]

Creepy, absurd, funny vignettes that feel like dreams. The art lends itself well to the dreamlike tone, looking timeless and bold and vaguely “off” in a delightful way.

[Alexander]

Perfect bite sized city crime comics. Very charming style with very appealing colouring. Goldenberg always ends his stories at the perfect time leaving the reader with some sort of feeling or emotion. I'm writing this review a few weeks after finishing and I remember really loving the story about going into the mountains. It would be interesting to see Goldenberg approach a longer narrative, especially if he can maintain this bite sized storytelling

[Rick Ray]

With the trappings of Golden Age crime comics akin to Chester Gould's Dick Tracy, Teddy Goldenberg's City Crime Comics takes the classic affections and spins idiosyncrasies and absurdism throughout the various strips in this collection. The stories are utterly bizarre and at times indescribable. Though grounded in the straightforward formalisms of Golden Age comics, the aesthetic is a deliberate feint into something more surreal. The discomfort felt from the premature endings of many of the strips is of deliberate design, and demonstrates craftsmanship of high order.

[Jordan]

Hilarious, terrifying and unknowable, this Lynchian (and I REALLY mean it) collection of comic strips feel like half-remembered fever dreams, but begin to coalesce in an extended and connected nightmare as you continue reading it. I have read this book three times so far and I'm sure I will read it again in the future. The art looks like Golden Age comics that have been soaking and warping in a rain puddle in the middle of a city street.

[Reeves]

Lynchian almost seems too easy and convenient a descriptor for this comic, but it definitely fits. Absolutely fantastic. If you love the absurd, this would be a great litmus test to figure out if you would like someone or not.

[Grg]

Why does everyone in these comics hate public parks? Public parks are awesome!

[James]

This rules

[Joshua Williams]

Can't say I understood much of this, but I got a few good laughs

[Simón Mojica]

Re buen cómic. Es extraño porque formalmente es acartonado, con unas viñetas muy estrictas, pero a la vez sus historias son impredecibles y se resisten a ser interpretadas. Da risa eso.

[Shell]

Brilliantly strange