This morbidly surreal comic book is a whimsically beautiful walk through Andrew Goldfarb’s disturbing world. We follow Ogner Stump and his amorphous alien-like friend through a series of unpleasant events, including such hassles as clogged pipes, gastrointestinal discomfort, orthodontics and voodoo curses. While there aren’t exactly one thousand of them in this book alone, we do get to witness quite a sampling of grim misfortunes befalling our pitiful protagonist. The most rewarding aspect of this comic lies in Goldfarb’s unmistakable visual style, which is both surreal and gothic, boasting black and white illustrations rich in complexity and detail. A bigger book of sorrows also exists, but for the uninitiated, this Xeroxed collection offers a wonderful glimpse into Ogner’s world. (Michael Tau)
comic, Andrew Goldfarb, $3, www.ognerstump.com, [email protected], 1593 McAllister St. #206, San Francisco, CA, 94115