Kick Drum Comix

Kick Drum Comix #1

By. Jim Mahfood is a comic book artist/illustrator/muralist/drunken freestyler residing in LA.

Who has been responsible in the past for such things as the creator-owned Grrl Scouts, Stupid Comics, Felt, One Page Filler Man, he illustrated Kevin Smith's 'Clerks' comics and drew several Spider-Man books for Marvel. Most recently, Jim did all the art for the new Colt 45 malt liquor ad campaign and rocked all the murals and art in the coffee shop of the Sarah Silverman Program.

Phew! Now do I have your attention? Good, then here we go…

Kick Drum Comix is to be one of two; this first issue gives us two stories, The Death of the Pop Master, and Coltrane's Reed, both of which are completely different in nature, so lets start with Pop Master which is about the rise and fall of a musical talent who is superseded by a new, stronger, younger, more vibrant and deadly generation who kicks ass harder, and faster than the now ancient but legendary Pop Master himself, oh and did I mention that it his is daughter? No, well it is, read it and weep.

The art is bold, bright and jagged, it is high octane, amphetamine alcohol and hallucinogenic fuelled, and contains a series of shapes which make complete sense.

Beautiful.

The second story is much more subtle, and to all intent much more likely to capture the imagination of the ordinary person on the street, and in true Twilight Zone sensibility, we see an ordinary and sometimes bullied young skate boarding young man stumble upon a Saxophone reed, not just any reed, but Coltrane's reed, “no one could play the Sax Like him, it was like magic” you can see where this is going cant you, however it is still a very endearing story, which is beautifully illustrated.

This book at $5.99 is a snip and is definitely worth the admission fee, its printed on high quality paper, with a glossy cover, it is also larger in format than the average comic book, this works for this publication and gives you a sense that you have picked up something special, which in fact you have.

This is the first all-new original comic book work in over two years by Jim Mahfood, for those of you who know his work, was it worth the wait? Hell yes!

To those of you who are unfamiliar with this guys work…

1: put money in pocket,

2: go to comic shop,

3: and just buy it.

Oh and while you are there ask for a Mixed Tape or Two.

This publication gets a very respectable 9.5 / 10.

Thats another extremely well mannered review by you favourite Well Mannered Boy.