by Larry MarderI have three or four of the original Beanworld series, having discovered them some time in the mid-90s, and immediately falling under the spell of their charm, optimism, and intelligence. They were the perfect antidote to the comics of the day, and I had always wished that there would be a proper collection of these books some day.
This new collection from Dark Horse is better than I could have wished for. It contains the first nine issues of the series, handsomely bound and in a very durable format.
It is very difficult to explain Beanworld to someone who hasn't read it. Basically, it's a series about the beans and their eco-system. They live on an island, and to gather food (Chow), they must dive through the four realities to the land of the Hoi-Polloi Ring Herd - inveterate gamblers with one arm, who hoard the Chow, until the Beans are able to reak their rings and steal it from them, leaving behind a Sprout-Butt, which, when given love, turns into more Chow. Then the Beans soak in the Chowdown Pool, until they are fully fed. Sometimes other stuff happens too.
Marder portrays the Beans not as masters of their eco-system, but as key components of its healthy functioning. Everything that exists in their world serves some form of purpose, and their society becomes increasingly complex, as they make new discoveries (art, music, Gunk'l'Dunk) or as other species invade their territory (resulting in Mystery Pods). The environmental message is never far from the surface of these stories, but Marder never preaches, preferring to let the tale unfold on its own.
The art is as primitive as Bean culture, but what at first looks like child-like drawings is actually a rather sophisticated approach to telling the story. Marder's work here is absolute genius. It deserves all the recognition that these new printings can bring it.
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