“Freak Out Squares,” a trippy comic that mixes rock ‘n’ roll with sci-fi, is a fun ride and one more comic that you will find this weekend at Glasgow Comic Con. Artist Garry Mac and writer Harry French are great together on this comic. You can read my review of Mac’s “Gonzo Cosmic” here.
This comic’s focus on celebrity lust, media mayhem, and consumer culture, brings to mind “The Wicked + The Divine,” just out by Image Comics. You can read my review here. In that comic, under a different dynamic, we also delve into issues of the elite and how they subdue the masses.
Johnny Orion is literally a rock god from head to toe and any loyal fan would do whatever he asks. One such fan, Harrison Stargazer, seems utterly thrilled to pieces to have the opportunity to interview Orion so that he can provide the right spin after a bizarre accident that looked like he had completely exploded on stage. How do you spin something like that? Well, enough strange things happen to glamorous wonders. What’s one more? Some deftly worded reassurances, and the party can resume, right?
Johnny Orion went to the 6th Monk Omni-Dimensional Temple for Self-Reflection and Recovery. But Johnny Orion is not real. He can’t go to rehab like all the other train wrecks. That’s because he really did explode on stage. He’s a cyborg. And Harrison Stargazer is hip to that. He is so hip to it that he’s not there to shake hands and make nice with Orion. He’s there to confront the powers that be that foist Johnny Orions upon the world in order to placate and control. Pretty tall order for Stargazer but he’s somehow up to the task.
This is some sharp satire that leaves you with a sigh, and a laugh, of recognition. It’s a beautifully layed out comic. Harry Saxon on colors and Colin Bell on letters and production round out the deal. And we’ve just begun with this dazzling debut issue. I look forward to see how this story unfolds.
“Freak Out Squares #1” is available now. Visit our friends at Unthank Comics right here.
