Tiny Bubbles
February 16th, 2003by James Kochalka
ISBN: 0966535312
This is one of Kochalka’s earlier graphic novels; it was published in 1998, and pre-dates the arrival of his cat Spandy.
Magic Boy and Amy are at the center of this story, which contains many elements to those familiar with Kochalka’s work: robots, questions about the meaning of life and art, the earth appearing in the night sky where you would expect to see the moon, plenty of quirky humor, and magical thinking. There are also the great true-to-life moments that Kochalka does so well, in Magic Boy’s hypochondria and desire for new-haircut sex.
The lines are even thicker than in his more recent work. It is interesting to compare the appearance of Magic Boy and Amy here with how they appear in his current work in his diary strip; you can see how his work has evolved.
Recommended for Kochalka fans who don’t already have it; a good place to start if you are new to his work or to graphic novels in general.
