Written By Dave Sim
Art by Dave Sim
Dave Sim’s name is synonymous with underground publishing and controversy. From his sometimes misogynist views to his seeming hatred of mainstream comics( in a crossover of Sim’s Cerebus and Spawn all superheroes are in hell), Dave Sim knows how to make people feel uncomfortable. With Glamourpuss, Sim knows how to create pure pretension masked by juvenile social commentary and comics history.
The Book
Glamourpuss #2 continues Dave Sim’s rant against the fashion and beauty industry. There is no narrative form since the book is written in a magazine style. While this approach sounds fresh, Sim never really explains why his views are important. While Cerebus at least added to comic scholarship and debate, Glamourpuss is the whining of an art student that did not have time or patience to finish their assignments.
Readers get a Dave Sim led history of Comic art with his particular slant on the ideas. He seems to show himself as the innovator of comic studies. Guess what buddy, Will Eisner does it better. Jim Steranko does it better. Dave Sim is lacking in this department. In fact he uses his letters page to slap Scott McCloud, a man who has done much more for comics than Sim ever will.
I am so hard on Sim because he is doing things that he once campaigned against. Instead of using newsprint, the book is glossy and expensive. Marvel and DC, his enemies, have used newsprint off and on. This reviewer would think a champion of small press would not employ the techniques of the “Big” publishers and 1990s gimics. Even Sim’s joke about the state of Zombie comics is obvious and trite. We get it Dave, you think mainstream is bad. Stop being so childish and actually try to solve the problems you see in comics.
Glamourpuss is dry and full of pretension. Instead of giving Dave Sim your money, invest in Will Eisner’s books on comic creation and Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics. Help Glamourpuss be the highlight of the quarter bins.
2/10
The Artwork
A lot of the artwork in this book is reprints of other artists. Their artwork is fine, and to be honest Dave Sim’s pencils are not that bad. However, I’m unsure what he is trying to do with his portrayal of models. By highlighting beauty, Sim seems to be going against his intentions.
4/10
Overall ( Not an Average) 2.5/10
The Review
The Story 2/10
The Artwork 4/10
Overall (Not an Average) 2.5/10
Dave Sim 0/10