Sometimes I wonder when artists sleep (yeah, I know, they don’t). Case in point: Robert Kirby. Besides working on his anthology Three, which will get a larger, book-length issue next time, Kirby self-publishes zines from time to time. The latest one is Snack Pak #1, a 24-page b&w comic full of short and sweet autobiographical stories. In fact, it’s essentially an excerpt from Kirby’s drawn diary from last summer to the beginning of the year.
Kirby discusses his daily life, exposing parts of it in a cosy, almost intimate (but never voyeuristic) manner. We get to walk and bicycle through his hometown with him, discover the travails of exhibitors at small press expos, share a dinner with him and his boyfriend, feel the all-encompassing warmth of a hot coffee on a cold morning… Small things, but important ones. The feeling of intimacy is conveyed by the inner-voice narration that both describes and comments on the panels art, in an understated but highly efficient way. Kirby’s style, with its blend of cartoony effects — such as swirls and elongated arms and legs — and knack for depicting faces of real people, is always very appealing to me. Much like the coffee enjoyed in a winter street, it feels warm and brings a big smile to my face.
You can find this comic, which has really cool production values with its thick cover, as well as other Robert Kirby comics, on his Store page. Do tell him I sent you.
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