With the end of my Brave&the Bold/Marvel 2-in-1 series, I'm faced once again with how to approach the comics portion of this here blog. Dig into another Showcase Presents? Hm, not much color there, even if the stories are blogger gold. Open up one of those long white boxes lining my bedroom walls? Yeah, for the time being, how about if I dig out the truly memorable things from my collection. To be eligible, I must remember you no matter how long it's been since I read the story. Box #1 reveals...
"I Strive for Realism" in Concrete: Eclectica #2 (Dark Horse, May 1993)
I've been a Concrete fan since the early 90s, but the one image crafted Paul Chadwick that haunts me to this day isn't even in continuity. It's from a short (imaginary) story in which Concrete meets his maker, a postmodern bit I've liked since Animal Man #26. The centerpiece of Concrete and Paul's conversation is a fantasy in which Concrete's body occupies every space it's ever been in.
It's a nice way to quickly retell Concrete's adventures to date, but also a meditation on time and space. The final punch shows humanity's trail:
So why has this idea so haunted me? I don't know. Maybe because I've never come across anything like it. Or if I have, not visually represented. Maybe it's the audacity to experiment with concepts like this without it being a function of plot. Concrete had this thoughtful realism to it, but Chadwick was really good at these flights of fancy as well (some of his 100 Horrors also linger in my mind).
So there you have it, the first in a series of Memorable Moments(TM) though my boxes and shelves. Anyone else enough of a Concrete fan to have gotten the wholly unessential Eclectica?
"I Strive for Realism" in Concrete: Eclectica #2 (Dark Horse, May 1993)I've been a Concrete fan since the early 90s, but the one image crafted Paul Chadwick that haunts me to this day isn't even in continuity. It's from a short (imaginary) story in which Concrete meets his maker, a postmodern bit I've liked since Animal Man #26. The centerpiece of Concrete and Paul's conversation is a fantasy in which Concrete's body occupies every space it's ever been in.
It's a nice way to quickly retell Concrete's adventures to date, but also a meditation on time and space. The final punch shows humanity's trail:
So why has this idea so haunted me? I don't know. Maybe because I've never come across anything like it. Or if I have, not visually represented. Maybe it's the audacity to experiment with concepts like this without it being a function of plot. Concrete had this thoughtful realism to it, but Chadwick was really good at these flights of fancy as well (some of his 100 Horrors also linger in my mind).So there you have it, the first in a series of Memorable Moments(TM) though my boxes and shelves. Anyone else enough of a Concrete fan to have gotten the wholly unessential Eclectica?
Comments
i'm always taken by how gentle and thoughtful Chadwick's stories are, pretty rare in any medium but ESPECIALLY in comics!