I have this trio of creators I like to refer to as the "trinity" of independent comics; Jeff Smith with Bone, Dave Sim with Cerebus, and Terry Moore with Strangers in Paradise. No, they aren't the very first "indy" guys, and yes, I'm well aware of R. Crumb and the Alt Comix movement, but these three are on a pedestal in my mind because of where and when they exist within my personal fandom.
And I have Wizard magazine to thank for that.
Yeah, Wizard was full of juvenile humor and would often shill for the bigger publishers like Marvel and DC, but if it weren't for that old rag I wouldn't even know independent comics existed. With the exception of Linsner's Dawn, I can't think of a grouping of indy comics that got more press and more recommendation than the three I mentiond above.
I was a few years and several hundred crappy comics away from ever actually reading Strangers in Paradise when I first read about it in Wizard, but I remember the figures of Francine and Katchoo capturing my pre-pubescent imagination. I was attracted to the series for all the wrong reasons, and as a young, sweaty chronic masturbator, I embodied everything the character Katchoo hated in the dumber sex.
It would take another few years for me to really appreciate SiP for what it was: a takedown of the way women are portrayed in comics. Of course, it was still crafted by a male creator, but that's a whole other ball of wax and people are Tumblr are probably arguing about something like that right as I type this . . .
Terry Moore's art renders the human body in all of its doughy, natural glory. Francine is an emotional basket case, dealing with her psychotic roommate and her ex Freddie Femur, all while trying (and failing) to retain some dignity day-to-day. Katchoo is the Bugs Bunny of this outfit, bending reality to her whims and leaving Kactoo-shaped holes in the world. Thoughtful David slouches and panics and stands in awe of Katcho's art. Everyone is this lump, crazy, beautiful mass of humanity. Body language is both shouted and whispered at the reader.
The first trade paperback collection I'm revisiting right now contains the first three issue miniseries, as well as some interesting back matter. There's a short SiP strip from Negative Burn, a sketchbook, and some other miscellaneous strips from earlier in Moore's cartooning career. Moore also has a background as a musician, and every SiP story is filled poetry, song lyrics, and other missives, some of which are stuffed into the background, while others are shoved into your face.
Strangers in Paradise shaped my worldview in weird ways. I have this series to thank for the concept of "strong female characters", as I surely wasn't getting any of that in the mainstream comics I was reading and I don't think I had a full conversation with a woman who wasn't my mother until . . . well, some things are too embarrassing to admit, even on a blog. But yeah, comics were my window into worlds I could not visit, and one of those was femininity.
I also imagined my adult life would be something like SiP. Me and my cool "out there" friends, making art and grinding it out in the creative fields of our choosing. (Never mind how they pay the bills . . .) Falling in and out of love, burning bridges, holding grudges, confidently making love to alternative rock.
NONE OF THAT SHIT HAPPENED!
Adult life is really just a blur of doing things you hate, funneling money from an employer to a series of bill collectors, and praying that sound you heard on the freeway wasn't your car.
Ugh . . .
I guess I should talk about the comic itself, a least a little bit. The plot centers around Francine's tumultuous breakup with her dude, Freddie, and the hurt feelings that ensue. This escalates when her roommate Katchoo decides to exact revenge of Freddie. And there's a guy named David who really likes Katchoo's artwork. And the cops get involved.
The series dips into many different genres and storytelling styles as it progresses, and just when you think one arc is getting stale, Moore finds a way to flip the whole premise on its head and get you reinvested. There's an arc with the mob, an arc with a treasure hunt of sorts, etc . . . It's one of those "desert island" books. It's all you need because it has a little bit of everything.
If you hit the end of the road with SiP, don't panic. Terry Moore has produced other great comics such as Echo and Rachel Rising, and after his panel at the most recent San Diego Comic-Con, it doesn't look like he'll be slowing down anytime soon.
And who can forget SiP Kids?
Well, if you made it this far into my rambling, why not hop over and check out Gotham Animated, where I talk about a certain cartoon series episode-by-episode, but you'll never guess which one. Thanks for reading!
Twitter: @ChrisBComics
E-Mail: backissuechris@gmail.com
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