Tagged with recommended

And Then They Were Nuns is different from other lesbian separatist utopia novels because the utopia is a monastery, and the lesbians are nuns--except for the one who serves as the priest. I'm sorry; it's hard not to tease such a set-up. And Then They Were Nuns actually is more or less like other lesbian separatist utopia novels, not that that's a bad thing.

Last year the 50something unemployed school librarian took off on a European grand tour, starting with three months in Brest, studying French. This is my favorite issue so far of E-Zine. Elaine's narrative has more of a thru-line than in the past (my hang-up, not hers!), which contrast nicely with her collage-y visual style. There are photos and little handwritten notes and handstamped stamps throughout. I love the purple pen nib on the back, especially.

Apparently life in North Korea is pretty grim. Most people don't even have electricity for more than a few hours a day, as you can see from this image that opens Nothing to Envy.

You'd think that would lead to a lot of teenage pregnancy, but according to the North Korean defectors Demick interviewed in South Korea, there's not a lot of premarital sex in the dark nation. Two of her subjects dated from their teens through early twenties without doing more than kissing, and it took them nine years to get to that point. It's just as well that the culture is so straight-laced, since the country can't feed the citizens it has. According to Demick, "Even in the best of times North Korea can produce only about 60 percent of the food needed for its population, and it currently cannot afford to import the rest." And these are not the best of times for North Korea.

The graphic novel told story of a corporate thug turned hero of the working man after he gets fired from his job shilling feel good ultimatums is full of clever political puns and...cleverisms. Seriously, you'll marvel at the authors' wit on nearly every page. They provide data (in the form of clever satirical ads) to back up their anti-capitalist point-of-view. The art seems (to my ignorant text-biased self) to be right in tune with comic book superherolands. My chief complaint, if you can view it as one, is the denseness of the clever. I can see this working better as a daily comic strip where stopping to marvel at the wit doesn't pile up all at once to give you a repetitive smirk injury.