Bob #3 / :30 / $2.00 / 32L / Outhouse Publishing, 30 Locust Avenue, Westmont, NJ 08108 / http://www.njghost.com /
The layout of Bob is always something to look forward to, and this issue is no exception. With a smart use of white space, each page gives the reader enough in terms of information without seeming in the least bit cluttered or conversely, too Spartan. Coming out before the Presidential election, this issue of Bob has taken on a more political-themed bent than the previous issue, focusing on the mayoral campaign of a true independent, Tommy Avallone, as well as a rating system for a host of electoral parties in the United States. The latter piece was interesting because it did not just focus on the two major parties and two or three large third parties, but went as far to include the American Nazi Party and the Light Party, which “promotes holistic medicine, … organic foods” and has a leader that “claims the party has “millions” of supporters. However, the editor of Bob falls time and time again into the same pitfall, which is making each and every piece in this issue about 20% too long. Most problematic would be the interview with Bert Katz, which tops the scales at over 8 full pages. Interviews can be interesting, but I felt that this was more of an autobiographical piece instead of a minor focus on an artist. Still, this issue of Bob ends strongly, with a discussion about an artist’s “Constitutional Cow” and the political issues that surrounded it. A nice smattering of influences, the issue struggles through the extreme lengths of the artist.
Rating: 7.2/10
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