Side b: The Music Lover's Comic Anthology

Edited by Rachel Dukes

This sequel to Side A, which I read a couple of weeks ago, gives more of the same great short comics pieces, influenced by music, and addresses the few shortcomings I found with the first volume.

Like its predecessor, this volume is filled with stories and strips that examine the effects that music has had on their creator.  Many of these pieces speak to the loneliness of adolescence and the way in which identification with a particular musical genre or subgenre can provide someone with a network of friends or a sense of belonging and understanding.  These stories are often touching and very honest.

Also, there are stories which detail the Proustian aspects of music, in the way in which particular songs or albums become touchstones in our lives, or act as mnemonic devices, allowing us to return to treasured memories or eras of our lives.

Most of the creators in this book are unknown to me, or are members of the underground scene that I don't usually spend much time reading about.  There are some bigger names in this book as well.  Brandon Graham provides the introduction, and some of the pieces feature creators like Ryan Kelly, Jim Mahfood (how can you have a book like this without him?), and Rob Guillory (who probably wasn't a big name when he drew his bit).

This is a pretty cool project.  Check it out.