R.L. Wallace - Goofbook issue 4
(Gonk Publishing 2012)
If you’ve heard any of R.L. Wallace’s
cassette tapes, you’ll have a good idea of what his zines are like: gritty and
minimalist, but ultimately charming. I’ve received a few publications from
Wallace over the past year, but my favorite by far is Goofbook, a low-key look
into Wallace’s day-to-day life told through scribbly pen-and-ink drawings and
short, typewritten captions. Wallace draws himself as some sort of cross
between a bear and a hamster, and Goofbook chronicles the confrontations
between his optimistic, often naive, avatar and the apathetic attitude of the
nameless characters he encounters. In contrast to Wallace’s simple features,
the other people portrayed in the drawings are frightening creatures that
resemble aliens. Though these strange characters are sketched in greater detail,
the three lines that make up the protagonists’ face convey much more
expression, not unlike Charlie Brown’s face. Wallace’s writing is easily
relatable and he slips plenty of good music references into the artwork. Fans
of King Cat Comics will dig Goofbook. It also kinda reminds me of Hyperbole and
a Half. Send $2, a tape or something of that nature to:
R.L. Wallace
2700 White Ave. #3
Chico, CA, 95973
(Don’t forget to ask for Goofbook!)
