Alone in Space, Reviewed

How about a massive collection of short comics from someone who must be considered one of the greatest cartoonists in indie comics of the modern age? There can be no denying her immense talent and this is another shining example: Tillie Walden with Alone In Space.

Avery Hill literally changed the way CBNUK operates. It is their comics that made the mindset shift from trying to report on all things comic related to focus instead on the delightfully wonderful world of the U.K indie scene. Indie comics are so much fun. There’s thought-provoking, there’s heart string pulling, there's mind-altering, life-changing, vocabulary changing, challenging, captivating, squirt milk out your nose laughing and just switch off entertaining. You’ll find art to make your jaw drop, art to use as a doorstop, art from the underground and fine art from other lands, art to haunt your dreams at night, and art that makes your heart take flight, there's art to make your mind a muddle and even art to make a downstairs puddle. Avery Hill publishes consistently the best and most endearing of these qualities. We’ve seen exceptional examples here like Charlot Kristensen, Zoe Thorogood, Molly Naylor, Lizzy Stewart and of course Tillie Waldon. Here then is a look at her latest Avery Hill creation.

So, let’s start with the art. Tillie's art is an art to whisk you off your feet. The unique style comes with a gentle manga anime edge of fairytale quality. Eisner Award nominee Warren Bernard has written the introduction of this collection and goes into some detail regarding Tillie's influences and far more eloquently than I can, describes these in relation to her style. It’s in describing Tillie's emotional attachments to the influences and how her talented brain uses that inspiration that really hit home, as Tillie creates art of the most powerful experience. True art transports and the most effective experience of this in indie comics exudes from Tillie's work.

One of the most incredible things about this collection is seeing that from such a young age Tillie was achieving this ability. An eye and ability to whisper emotion. To feed the brain with an empathic experience. You can be wandering great chasms of halls in End Of Summer before having your heart torn by the inhabitant's experiences, fall in and out of love in I Love This Part, feel what it’s like to lose yourself in a new city, feel hurt and angry at the world, vulnerable, personally attached, powerful, protected, isolated, confused in love, educated, empowered or just be witness to something beautiful. That’s the other underlying experience of Tillie's art. A constant wondrous beauty in a mix of realism, fantasy, sci-fi and psychedelia or surrealism. As such it’s far too difficult to pick an isolated piece of art but huge parts of End Of Summer are destructive to good moods in executed brilliance. Whether you expect it or not, it's undeniable that she will illicit and stir in you something whether gut, heart or mind. Tillie Waldon makes comics to be wondered by.

The stories on offer here compile a collection of drowning in emotion subject matter to strengthen, lead and inform that that the art mainlines to you. There are twenty examples, not including the gallery, seventeen stories, a journal entry and a Ghibli showcasing commission.

Each story on offer delivers on the emotional weight which imparts a willingness to surrender to the experience. With the exception of the Ghibli commission and the gallery, which just offer beautiful visual snapshots, the stories contain another special quality on top of all the aforementioned emotions. Something beautifully confessional. This isn’t just storytelling and art to be interpreted. Tillie also offers a place to sit beyond the curtain but offers small interludes to not just absorb the whole package but to add understanding context whether through insight on technique or mindset. It makes what is often an inherently personnel work feel invitational which adds to these comics an intrepid exclamation point. It's almost conversational in a here's what, how and why informative manner. A collection like this is steeped in affirmation for the emotional power of comics. There’s an important commentary on under-represented inclusivity to add significant power to these stories to create an all-together package of brilliance.

For fans of Tillie Walden, storytelling, love, heartbreak, insecurity, embracing beds, immense emotional feels, big cats and Studio Ghibli art. I think the only place is Alone In Space. You can find your copy at Avery Hills online store, where you can pick up exclusive bookplate additions. You’ll also find it at your favourite comic book retailers.

Review: 5+/5