YOUR INDY WEEKLY: SUBURBAN FOLKLORE

[MattBrady]

by Ryan McLelland

Suburban Folklore TPB
Ourobor Books – 2006 - $10.00
Story and Art by: Steven Walters
Website: http://www.ourobor.com

Rating: 3 stars (out of 4)

Steven Walters’ Suburban Folklore is an emo-ish emotional drive that vaults you into the minds, hearts, and souls of its suburban characters. There’s nothing that make the five main characters special, there is no standout, there is no too funny for everyone smartass who everyone grows to love. It’s not a sitcom and the book feels just like real life because we all know most of the time we usually stand around thinking about things while not actually saying them. That’s what impressed me the most when I read Suburban Folklore the first time around and now I’m very glad to see a trade paperback collecting the entire great series.

There’s no true story in Suburban Folklore but rather a bunch of vignettes that interweave with characters like Samantha, Rob, Ashley, and Nate. I’m drawn hard to Samantha, a beautiful woman with thick rimmed glasses and a lip piercing. She moves through the book looking for something more out of life, hoping she doesn’t make the wrong mistakes with the wrong guy, and just looking for someone to love her. Not even love her but say “I love you.”

It’s tough when you are young to say that to someone and actually think that they mean it back. An earlier story in the book had shown just an occasion when Sam and Nate were together and the touchy little words ‘I love you’ came along but when they weren’t heard back Sam was truly hurt. Now at twenty-one years old Samantha is thinking about packing up her things and moving to California, even though she has a great guy right here that she really shouldn’t give up on. It may not be the perfect life or even the happiest one, but on a night when she gives her virginity to him there is such an impacted moment in the book when you realize that this guy wasn’t saying something to just get in her pants. He actually meant it.

Steven Walters writing is truly brilliant. I’m convinced this man needs to start writing novels straight away and have his opus be the next Oprah Book of the Month. So deeply do you get into these characters from the second you pick up Suburban Folklore that every little thing matters deeply to the reader. Comics like these are the reason independent comic books are here today. Walters great black and white artwork meshes well with his story and sort-of reminds me of watching Clerks in a way. Matter of fact someone just needs to go out and make a black and white movie of Suburban Folklore. It happened for Daniel Clowes and something tells me that Steven Walters is moving in the right direction with Suburban Folklore to become a legend in his own time.

Click here for more on Walters.

Have an indy comic you’d like reviewed? Contact Ryan at rdmclelland@hotmail.com.

[LenNWallace]

Please, buy this book. Steven worked very hard on it, and it's one of the best things I've read in the last year. His artistic growth through the progress of the story is a sight to behold in and of itself.

[lisiecki2]

wow
im conflicted
the fact that this book looks really kick ass and i wanted to buy it
is at odds with the fact that i hate being told to buy things

so i guess im not buying it


shame though

[LenNWallace]

Originally Posted by lisiecki2

wow
im conflicted
the fact that this book looks really kick ass and i wanted to buy it
is at odds with the fact that i hate being told to buy things

so i guess im not buying it


shame though

I'm expressing an opinion and trying to help my friend get more word of mouth for something he worked very hard on for almost five years, but do whatever you want. It's your money. Just don't be an ass.

[lisiecki2]

I'm expressing an opinion and trying to help my friend get more word of mouth for something he worked very hard on for almost five years, but do whatever you want. It's your money. Just don't be an ass.

ya, and i thought it looked really cool
untill his rude friend decided to stop by and help him out
your right
it is my money, money i was going to spend on a neat looking book, until you stoped by to help

[LenNWallace]

Can't win 'em all, I guess.

Have a good one.

[lisiecki2]

Can't win 'em all, I guess.

oh thats ok
im sure that every single sale isnt important to a small press comic