Dedicated to “some Smiths fans,” Sukiyaki Sunday is a zine in two parts. The first is titled “Quantity,” and is a comic featuring cute, bigeyed lovers. The plot line is centered on a boy who needs to eat hearts to survive. The drawings retain a chunky, endearing quality even in panels that feature dark things being purged from a body and a ribcage being zippered up. The second part of this zine is called Pleasures Remembered and runs through a discussion of two seemingly former lovers talking about what they miss about each other while lying naked on a bed. The illustrations are rendered in stark contrast to the first half of this zine. At times reminiscent of the late and semiobscure artist Aubrey Beardsley, who created dark but beautiful black and white illustrations, “Pleasures Remembered” is artful and delicate where “Quantity” is more cartoonish. Neither storyline ends on any particular happy note, which must be where that Smiths reference comes into play, but both are highlighted by a fascinating juxtaposition of artwork. (Liz Worth)
Comic, Lyida Fu, [email protected], http://www.eciad.ca/~lfu