Jim Woodring BLACK & WHITE FRANK

This book is a collection of 480 pages of the "FRANK" series by Jim Woodring, a cult favorite in America. I first encountered Woodring's work when a friend bought it, saying the visuals were cute. But opening it up was a surprise and a delight. There, a bizarre and wonderful story unfolds. Unfamiliar creatures, like a Mickey Mouse-esque character, gather around other strange beings, and an incomprehensible narrative progresses. It's amazing. Reading deeply, I realized that these creatures are unlike anything I've ever seen, and because it's a silent comic, even I, as a Japanese person, can understand it. Because there's no dialogue to explain the plot, we're left to wonder what the creatures are thinking as we're thrust into this wild world, making it easier to connect with them. I think that's a truly wonderful experience.