Josh Frankel Launches Readers Into Any Number Of “Eccentric Orbits”

Hearkening back to the underground science fiction epics of everyone from George Metzger to Matt Howarth, to the more contemporary efforts of ambitious cartoonists like Joshua Cotter, Josh Frankel’s new self-published comics ‘zine (and that’s the right word — this is a magazine-sized publication that clocks in at 40 pages) Eccentric Orbits is nevertheless something new, different, and frankly pretty unique : a human-sized and often quite light-hearted and, dare I say it, fun take on tried and true genre tropes that draws you in immediately with the superb quality of its illustration and keeps your interest by dint of its strong characterization. Not that the art doesn’t stay great from start to finish, too, mind you, because it most assuredly does.

Frankel’s teenage protagonists, part of the crew of the ingeniously-named space station Indiscretion, are both entirely typical of kids their age and fully-fleshed-out individuals, and whether they’re being lethargic, causing trouble for its own sake, or putting together a band practice session, they’re like people you used to know — hell, one or more of them may be very much like the person you used to be — only transposed into an entirely different environment, and their reactions to it are pretty much what you’d expect them to be and kinda surprising in equal measure. The set-up, then, is fairly simple, but the execution is just plain top-notch and by the time you get to the end, you’ll wish there were at least 40 more pages to go.

And, hey, maybe one of these days there will be — and hopefully that day arrives sooner rather than later — but until then, we’ve got some magnificent cartooning to enjoy here. Frankel’s line is tight but organic, his figure drawings and faces emotive and just exaggerated and/or simplified enough to privilege reaction and impact over droll “realism,” and his sense of design is impeccable whether he’s drawing something complex or relatively simple. The addition of well-placed washes to accentuate the cosmic look and feel adds a further layer of polish and old-school effect when his scenes call for a touch of the fantastic, and if you’re getting the impression that this guy is ready for the indie comics “prime time,” well — you’re exactly right. It sounds cliched, of course, to say that a work announces the arrival and/or emergence of a major cartooning talent, but nevertheless — in this case it’s absolutely true and accurate.

Still, it’s not mere technical prowess that sets this comic apart, although that’s surely on offer in generous supply. No, just as important — if not moreso — is how immediately and undeniably honest Frankel’s ‘zine is, and that applies to both its story and art. It might be set in space, but these are very much the kind of young people you can relate to, empathize with, and just plain like. The rest of the folks around them might think they’re a pain in the ass, sure, but that’s a big part of their charm — and if there’s one thing that oozes from every panel on every page here, it’s charm.

Please don’t get me wrong, though : I know damn well that charm is an amorphous and frequently-impossible-to-define concept, but you certainly do know it when you see it, and you’ll see it here in everything from the pitch-perfect dialogue to the “cartoony” plot progression to the care and attention to detail paid not only to the appearances of each and every character from major to minor, but to their environment and backgrounds, as well. There are no visible short-cuts taken, no corners cut, anywhere in this book. Frankel writes and draws the fuck out of every panel, and if you’ve been on the lookout for an immersive comics experience in terms of both story and art, guess what? You’ve found it right here, with lots to read and probably even more to look at.

All of which is my roundabout way of saying that you shouldn’t just be prepared to dig this comic, or to enjoy this comic, or even to be impressed by this comic. No, you should go into Eccentric Orbits prepared to fall in love with this comic. And I have a pretty strong hunch that by the time you’re finished with it, you’ll have done just that.

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Eccentric Orbits is available for the bargain price of $5.00 from Josh Frankel’s Storenvy site at http://jfnexus.storenvy.com/collections/68671-all-products/products/30358513-eccentric-orbits-1

Review wrist check – I broke out the Monta “Atlas” GMT again today, riding one of Monta’s own vulcanized rubber straps, which is probably the most comfortable thing ever invented. In fact, this watch tends to disappear on the wrist altogether, and I mean that in a good way : you forget you’re wearing it, but it’s always there when you feel like checking the time. A true luxury timepiece that gives you about 90% of the “ownership experience” of a Rolex or a Blancpain or something for a fraction of the price.