REVIEW: Snake Oil #1

May 27, 2008 on 6:28 pm | In Reviews

I know describing something as Lynchian (of the David sort) is pretty old bag at this point, and almost lazy for that matter, but Snake Oil, by recent CCS grad, Chuck Forsman, is what I might describe as Lynchian. Let me explain myself. Snake Oil, rather than explicitly reminding me of some David Lynch movie, capably weaves in some pretty mysterious, random elements to the narrative in a way that doesn’t drive you away frustrated and fed up. Forsman presents us with one half of a garbage removal team, bummed out over his wife leaving him, getting kidnapped by a vampire looking guy and two bison, who eventually drive out to the desert so one can ride around on the roof of their get away van.
Forsman’s straightforward cartooning paired up with Snake Oil’s bizarre story really appeals to my taste in comics on this side of the spectrum (and would be totally awesome in comics on the other side!). Little touches, like haunted smoking pipes and a odd dreamscape that the kidnapped trash man, Tim, enters give you a sense that Forsman plans to really explore this world he’s setting up in forthcoming installments.




Forsman closes the issues with a seemingly unrelated story, reminiscent of Sammy Harkham’s art style, about a father (who mysteriously turns into a humanoid bird) lose his child to a kidnapper. It has a sad, disjointed, poetic feel that could appeal to fans of the aforementioned Harkham.