Comic Review. Evan Dorkin’s CIRCLING THE DRAIN

Ok. I admit it. I kinda forgot to update this for a loooooong time. Mostly because I didn’t have stable internet connections forever. Now I do. So here it goes. I hope you enjoy.
Circling the Drain by Evan Dorkin

Circling the Drain is a collection of the Dork comics. This is the second paper back and contains Dork 7-12. Dorkin, if you don’t know, is sorta of a cult classic type of guy. Really, anyone who doesn’t write the mainstream comics are nowadays. But his humor style’s is dark. Quite dark. His better known works include Murder Family (about a murdering family, duh.), Milk and Cheese (a murderous duo of dairy, I reviewed them last time), and he did the American Shin-Chan. Dork is dark too. He writes about funny deaths and murders and also about his own life. About this book in particular… it contained Dork #7, the infamous comic in which it shows the author have his nervous break down. He has one… and writes it! It is an interesting thing to read no doubt and if you ever draw, you can see a lot of yourself in his character.

This collection also contains more of the Devil Puppet’s Invisible College of Secret Knowledge, a strange little cult where a devil puppet (worn by the author) tells tales of peoples lives that no one knows about. It’s not bad and forces the Devil Puppet into a main character. The Devil Puppet appears later in the book when Dorkin is drawing and is pestered by his inner artist, inner frat boy, and the inner capitalist. A great part in my opinion. Something that anybody who draws experiences in one way or another.

What is missing from this is the Eltingville Club, which is collected in another book. The Eltiville Club is a comic about geeks and nerds. It is about Boba Fett loving and D&D playing. He even wrote a pilot episode that was aired on Adult Swim years ago. It’s still floating around the net. I suggest you check it out.

As for the art:

He has a wide range. A range that you can see quite clearly if you’ve seen enough of his works. He goes from detailed characters to little more than stick figures in a panel. He uses his art styles to get the point across and emphasis emotion. It works wonderfully. Dark and bloody (and in black and white. No sissy grey here) his art stays inside your head whether you want it to or not.

Overall I like it.I am a fan of Dorkin’s work and I identify with the guy. He’s a fellow comic drawer and has anxieties and all the other things that many of us feel. It does get creepy and gross often, so if you have a week stomach or something, I suggest you find something else to do… (Like fall off a cliff, or knit… Whichever). For the rest of you, Circling the Drain is a great thing to get your hands on if you can. Most places don’t carry a lot of Dorkin’s work so you will probably have to order it, either at the book/comic book store or online at http://www.slgcomic.com. Why you are ordering stuff check out the rest of the Slave Labor comics. The feature all of Dorkin’s works and even Johnny the Homicidal Maniac (comic from the Zim guy). That’s all for now… Well, almost. I, Lottel, declare that Circling the Drain is a Stand Up Comic. (get it? Get it? PUNS GALORE!)