January 6, 2004
KYLE BAKER: CARTOONIST
Written and Drawn by Kyle Baker
Published by Kyle Baker Publishing
THE JOB
Lately, I’ve been privy to a few interesting debates taking place about the role of the critic/reviewer in the comics/graphic novel field. There are some who believe that there should be varying standards for critics; that perhaps the lesser reviewers should be granted more latitude in their competence level. Maybe we shouldn’t expect genius from certain writers on internet sites, or razor-sharp perspective from WIZARD Magazine. There’s also a certain inference that online writers, whether they practice thoughtful criticism or are fanboy hacks, lack legitimacy, period. Some would go as far as to say that comics criticism is pointless in the greater analysis because comics are such a small cultural field and require no critical thought at high level, simply because there aren’t enough people to care what a critic might have to say.
Nonsense.
Any aspect of creative culture deserves, no, requires criticism and deconstruction. Art in any form, whether celluloid, oil on canvas, or pencil and ink on Bristol board, must be examined, because art is never without purpose. Purpose drives art, whether
it’s the exorcism of personal demons, or the desire to enrich the size of one’s wallet. Purpose and intent underlay any artistic endeavor that the viewer/reader comes into contact with, and critical thought can help that viewer/reader form their thoughts and opinions and clarify the experience of the art. That can mean opening your Friday paper and reading Roger Ebert’s film reviews to help you decide what movie to check out that night, or it can mean reading this column and deciding that a book featured here in this space does or does not hold interest for you. But the role of the critic/reviewer is a damned important one, and it’s necessary.
As far as comics reviewers go, particularly online, there are two different types. One is the critic who reviews in volume, rarely looking deeper at material, concentrating on following many series on a monthly basis and keeping readers informed on a more surface level. These critics are influencing readers in a quick look, the comics equivalent of Rex Reed or David Sheehan in film. If that’s your cup of tea, read Augie deBlieck’s “Pipeline” or The Fourth Rail. That they focus on the populist nature of criticism isn’t an indictment; they’re perfectly serviceable for what they do, and your tastes might sit directly in line with them.
If you’re looking for a stronger look at comics quality, content, and purpose from a reviewer, you’d be best off looking at Alan David Doane, Johanna Draper Carlson, or (to my mind) the best in the business, this site’s own Chris Allen. These writers generally cover a broader spectrum of material and focus heavily on what I feel is the most important duty of the critic: bringing the reader/viewer to a place that they might not normally journey to, to material that the casual art experience might miss. They’re your Pauline Kaels and Roger Eberts, hitting that film festival circuit looking for that quiet, low-budget black and white film that needs a break. They aren’t concerned with reviewing every issue of DAREDEVIL; they’re working to discover what’s important in comics, and more importantly, who’s important in comics. The higher-level critics take it upon themselves to inform the readership of greatness.
Honestly assessing myself, this column has had a tendency to go both ways, and it’ll likely continue to do so. There
is plenty of “mainstream” material that deserves discussion and perhaps not in serious depth outside of whether or not Nic Cage would be perfect to star in a film adaptation of it. But there is also a part of me that feels a strong need to point out when something or someone important to comics does something new, to play the other side.
Which, after a very long-winded discussion, brings us to this week’s featured book.
Kyle Baker has been working in comics for two decades, getting his first real break doing some work on Spider-Man in the mid-80s, and eventually graduating to almost exclusively producing original graphic novels towards the beginning of the 1990s. He also began doing one-panel gags for the NEW YORKER, NEW YORK TIMES, VIBE, ESQUIRE and others, while also producing animation for networks like MTV and BET. Baker’s a multi-talented fellow, obviously. But his finest creative work lies within his stunning graphic novel library: WHY I HATE SATURN, THE COWBOY WALLY SHOW, YOU ARE HERE, I DIE AT MIDNIGHT, KING DAVID, and his sketchbook collection UNDERCOVER GENIE. There have been few creators in the comics field who can lay claim to that kind of quality creative output, and their names usually include folks like Eisner, Hernandez, Ware, Sim, Miller, Pekar, and Crumb. But Baker tends to remain a quiet, almost forgotten giant.
CARTOONIST should go a long way towards ending that silence. Baker opens the book with seventy pages of one- to three-panel gags done in classic NEW YORKER style. Here, Baker shows his subtle wit, whether it’s poking fun at large toy companies who use child labor, or bimbos who can only find single men who want relationships, there’s a marvelous tendency for Baker to not hit obvious notes that have been played repeatedly by other cartoonists. Kyle seems to be stretching harder to separate his work from the pack and demonstrate that he’s thinking differently than others working in the same genres.
The last half of the book is filled with short gags about he, his wife, and kids aptly called “The Bakers.” There’s something strangely subversive about “The Bakers” material; Kyle himself is generally the “victim” of the punchline. After reading half a book of Baker throwing right hook after right hook, it’s almost jarring to see him pull back, engage himself as a husband and father, and demonstrate his own humorous humanity. There’s a beautiful two-page strip that has Baker’s young daughter bring him something she drew and then turn around and attempt to hit him up for cash, showing that she understands how Daddy’s world works much better than Baker could have ever realized. At once, it’s both hilarious and poignant, offering up a terrific laugh and a knowing nod. In two pages, Baker demonstrates a finer grasp of the cartooning medium than most comics writers and artists do in a five issue story arc.
Baker has a full-slate of material due for arrival in 2004, and I can’t help but feel like the time for him to receive the recognition he is due has come. In the past, it has taken him long periods of time to get work out into the public eye, a pace of about a book every two years or so. But 2004 should bring us at least two more Baker originals, as well as a trade paperback edition of TRUTH, the historical look at Captain America published last year by Marvel. So this is something to cherish: a plethora a fresh work from one of the greats in the graphic novel field. I’m looking forward to turning a critical eye to it all.
Should It Be A Movie?
Nothing in CARTOONIST really jumps out as being cinematic, although the “Bakers” material has the strong sense of self to carry over well to being animated, something that Baker also does. With the absolute poor representation of African-American families on television these days, something like “The Bakers” could go a long way towards bringing back intelligent and sophisticated comedy to the small screen.
Baker has been working for quite some time to bring an animated version of THE COWBOY WALLY SHOW to the big screen or home video. This past year at Comic-Con International, he had an amazing-looking trailer for the project running at his booth that really whet my appetite to see a fully-realized film. (I admit: COWBOY WALLY is one of my all-time favorite graphic novels.) However, Baker is self-financing the work, and it could take a long time before we ever see it completed.
That’s it for this week. I hope everyone has a great 2004!
Comments, questions? E-mail from the link below. Review copies can go to: Marc Mason, 1756 S. College Ave, Tempe, AZ, 85281.
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