Rum Lad - Issue #12
by Steve Larder
A5,
28 pages, black and white on grey paper.
£3 (plus postage)
Rum Lad #12 is a funny & heartbreaking tribute to Steve's grandparents. His Gran died in 2013, followed by his Grandad in 2017. As Steve says in the introduction:
"Grief can do all sorts of cruel things to your brain...the jarring lapse where you forget they're gone"
He goes on to point out that the hurt of grief is caused by love and affection. Steve has captured his love for his grandparents in this collection of short stories, and comic strip vignettes, that reflect the absurdity of everyday life and the unexpected moments that we store as tender memories: his Gran wearing a Tesco carrier bag as a substitute hood, and hanging sweary punk t-shirts on the washing line; his Grandad's relationship with Paxo, and a catalogue of his tattoos.
Rum Lad #12 is also an
unflinching chronicle of his grandparents' decline - the failing bodies, and reversing of roles, that we all have to face as we age.
Rum Lad has a trademark style of art - a combination of breathtakingly detailed line drawings that sit alongside more comic book style illustration. The writing in this issue reminds me most of Simon Moreton's Minor Leagues, not just the themes of memory and loss, they are both told with a similar warmth and humour.
It's a no-brainer. Not only is it just £3, it's one of the best things you'll read this year.
Buy via Etsy: etsy.com/uk/listing/644672935/rum-lad-zine-12-comic-perzine
And visit Steve's site for more of his incredible illustrations: SteveLarder.co.uk
And visit Steve's site for more of his incredible illustrations: SteveLarder.co.uk
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