Glamourpuss #4

This just keeps getting better.

We are still telling the history of Raymond–more amazing stuff on his inking, more stuff on Dave’s process & beliefs, and more amazing art–this one has reproduction reproduction from a spanish collection (which is even more weird live). A truly mind warping comic if ever there was one–it even includes classic flash backs to early issues (mostly quotes that were used).

All of this ties in directly to the Anxiety of Influence. Sim is making up terms for periods in Alex Raymond’s career (the “Nightingale Style” and the “Test Pattern Nightingale Style”) and then claiming to know the secret of these styles with out telling what it is. He compares Raymond to other artists who struggled with inking by brush–talks about what happened to Raymond when he stopped using brush, talks about the guilt he feels when he does not use brush (with a gun coming out of a box suicide type image–very dark, even for Dave).

I have a feeling that soon Sim is going to “uncover” some aspect of Raymond’s work and really blow the lid of this series–the glamor stuff, which was touched on for the first time this issue, will explode with meaning in two issues, I am guessing.

Really Good Advice during the swimsuit issue was clever, but again not all that insightful or “heady”–I think he is still finding his way with this sarcastic voice, but I have faith that it will come.

Still the only comic coming out today that I am sure is required reading.