Mayakovsky
This is the first part of a biography of the Soviet poet which covers the years leading up to the 1917 revolution. On the inside cover is an endorsement by Stalin. This period in history was unique because art actually mattered in society, you could literally die from creating it. Mayakovsky finds himself leading the bohemian life in Moscow discussing (capital A) Art, being arrested, then serving time in solitary. I found the character of Mayakovsky intense as a youth but then he became a romantic cliché of the tortured artist, but in this case he really was tortured. He came to the conclusion it was better to create Socialist Art than none at all. I found the biography well written, its unchronological methods mature, but I could have done without Mayakovsky’s actual poetry. The artwork is impressive, combining brush and charcoal in a style reminiscent of David Mazzucchelli. I wanted the panels to be bigger, to take up the page. Hind’s interest in epic subjects for his comics should be admired. I look forward to future installments. (AB)
comic, 40 pgs, $2, Michael Hind, Caterpillar Press, 9-385 Edouard-Charles, Montréal, QC, H2V 2N1