A rock and roll singer/American poet, James Douglas Morrison, has faked his death and retired to “a low rent palm tree scene at the end of a string of volcanoes in the south pacific.” It’s amazing what happens to him. He tries to write, finds that his muse has abandoned him, meets the natives, befriends them by showing them his harmonica, gets married to the chief’s daughter, starts fooling around with all the suitable village women, starts fronting a new band called “Char-Yar”, becomes a local star, turns to drink, and ends up being almost chased off a cliff because he insults the entire tribe while on stage. What a story! Is it enough to base a movie on? Sure, if you don’t expect much from the movies. For a 25-page black and white independently produced comic, it’s just fine, and Lloyd’s drawing style is both sharper, and more visually rich than I’ve ever seen it. I can’t necessarily judge how good Superstar is – comics aren’t really my bag – but I read it five times on the day I bought it and still peruse it whenever I’m on the can. (Donato Mancini)
comic, 25 pages, $2, James Lloyd, 302-336 E 7th Ave, Vancouver, B.C., V5T 1M8