(2013, Prophase) Plastic Crimewave has improved his portraiture, design, and drawing markedly over the years of doing his Secret History comics, but because his narrative(ish) comics were frequently psychedelic non-linear underground comix tributes he has proven himself more as an illustrator than a comics maker. But this high concept (as in, you had to be high for a long time to fully execute this concept) project proves his merits as a member of the Kirby-tribe. Recreating a 1970s Power Record (the lavish comic book and read-along 45-single sets put out by the usually chintzy children's record label Peter Pan) this houses a psyche freakout EP by Plastic Criwewave, Speed Guru (of Acid Mother's Temple) and co-conspirators from the AMT/Mainliner/Moonrises camps. The full length comic (complete with 70s-style ads for actual labels and record stores) features a tribute to Ditko's Dr. Strange (with Neal Adams' Batman thrown in) in which cartoonist PCW, afflicted with damaged hands and desperate for a cure beyond science's capabilities, travels to a treacherous mountaintop to meet an ancient guru (played by Japanese psyche-godfather Asahito Nanjo) who trains him in mystic rock arts, earning him the ire of fellow trainee Speed Guru. What follows is are competing inter-dimensional rock band tours leading to an ultimate conflict...or is it the ultimate conflict? Unlike Power's original records, there are no beeps or literal readings of the text (with a couple of dramatic exceptions) but some Senseis might offer that in a true psychedelic cacophony all words and beeps can be heard if you listen with your third ear.
Wednesday, April 8, 2020
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