Title: Asthma
Author: John Hankiewicz
Context: The graphic novel is not about the ailment Asthma, but a collection of ten comics in the form of strips that explore comics. The book can be explained as a new term and a way of describing or expressing lyrical or poetic observations with by using a specific approach to comics.
Synopsis: Asthma is a collection of recent comics by the author, John Hankiewicz. The range of narrative and graphic styles in the book, right from page to page and from story to story are mixed to form a dreamlike whole. A wordless lyric of space, chairs and body is created by ‘Amateur Comics’.
Many years ago, the alternative-comics scene was rocked by the early and tragic death of editor and cartoonist, Dylan Williams’ Sparkplug Books which gave an early outlet to some of the finest cartoonists in North America.
Asthma is a haunting advanced and innovative exploration of spaces, objects and bodies they occupy that utilized rhythm and repetition as skillfully as any other musician ever could, in the fully formed work of the gone-too-soon publisher.
The author works in the area of poetry or abstract comics. John Hankiewicz as a printmaker and cartoonist has contributed to a number of comics anthologies including Mome, Ink Brick and Bomb Time for Bonzo. Being a gifted draftsperson, the artwork of the author in its own right is indeed impressive enough. With the author’s sense of layout and pacing in the graphic the reader is ensured a transformative experience for while reading the collection. With each story and every turn of the page, the reader’s conception about comics, is sure to change.
Other works by the author:
Education – A 132 pages, graphic novel about how fear and fantasy infect the life of a young teacher. Target audience for the book is mature readers. Education, Ashtma and Tepid are his solo comics.
