In the introduction to Exaltation or Bust, publisher I. Khider writes, “I hope this work inspires you to take a journey of your own.” And it undoubtedly will. Toronto-based artist and musician Lorenz Peter sketches out tales from his own personal experiences in these wonderfully detailed comics. The first part of this zine is called Tales from the Thumb, and tells of Lorenz’s experiences of hitchhiking in Canada. Each comic is short, exposing vignettes of the oddities hidden in the folds of Canadian roads. Anyone who has hitchhiked before will immediately recognize the typically eccentric, sometimes desperate, and often strange people who generously take hitchhikers along on their own peculiar journeys. Anyone who hasn’t hitchhiked before will likely be flirting with the idea after leafing through these pages, which not only tell us about the author’s experiences, but reveal his imagination as well. The second part of Exaltation is called Spooks, Kooks, & the Holy Moly, and tells of stories that again centre around travel, as well as a walk home in the early morning hours and a night of unadulterated abandonment. Peter again weaves a compelling style of storytelling with his vividly expressive illustrations that capture fragments of life as it happens. Let the journey begin. (Liz Worth)
Lorenz Peter, comic zine, 14 pages, Fathom Productions, 94-260 Adelaide Street East, Toronto, ON, M5A 1N1, www.fathomproductions.com