Tag Archives: Youth in Decline

Look what arrived in the mail!

Minicomic subscription systems are interesting. I’ve never offered a
subscription myself, and I rarely sign up for them. As a customer, the upfront
cost scares me off and I’m not such a completist that I need to own a
publisher’s complete annual catalog. But, it’s a novel alternative to retail and convention sales. I’d like to learn more about how effective it is.

When Youth in Decline offered a 2014 subscription, it was a no brainer. I consider Youth in Decline a “high fidelity” micro-press (along with Study Group and a handful of others). Their books are well-designed and the content is well-packaged, yet the price point isn’t too high. Whenever I see a new issue of their flagship series, Frontier, I snatch it up. their latest edition is Frontier #3 by Sascha Hommer.

I’d never heard of Sascha Hommer, but I’m impressed. He combines precise linework with texture (dry brush?) and half tones to create a stylized cartooning that’s really appealing. He reminds me of a cleaner José-Luis Olivares (whom I adore). I also like the use of flat colors. In one case it appears he created a background by layering flat color on top of a high contrast photograph, to nice effect.

Frontier #3 offers three short stories (“Drifter,” “Transit,” and “The Black Lord”). They each suggest larger (but unrelated) stories and end without typical climaxes. But I didn’t find the stories incomplete or unsatisfying. I was comfortable with that sense of mystery.

Any way, it’s good stuff. Buy it.