Kingwood Himself
October 8th, 2008 by jason
Kingwood Himself, by Reynold Kissling
Delightfully twisted, this comic reminded me a lot of the more surreal cartoons and kid shows I watched growing up. The main character, Emily, is very reminiscent of Little Lulu, going on trips to cities in the clouds and undersea kingdoms. There’s also a touch of Krofft thrown in, as I expect HR Pufnstuf to come around the corner with Jimmy and his Golden Flute in tow.
I love the solidity of the art, the characters looking like you could reach in and pick them up by their round heads. The detail and design in the cul-de-sac, and of the various houses makes me want to try to find my way there; it could be in the wooded grove just a block over it seems like. Guudo’s room is like the fantasies you have of shrinking down and swimming in the fishtank, with the miniature castle and diver for company.
Reynold put this together as a nice looking comic as well. The front and back cover feature full-page color images from what look like Emily’s continuing visits to the cul-de-sac, and the inside-cover features thumbnail drawings of several of the characters. There’s a nice little Easter Egg when you go to his website and view Kingwood Himself online: the cover image extends further then in the hard copy. While you’re there, check out the rest of his comics. I particularly like Commute.
