The ancient Greeks believed that human beings are composed of mind,
body and soul. The human mind
is the link between body and soul, and mind and body perish, but a
person's soul endures forever.
Christians believe that a war wages between the mind and body, and
soul. I agree with both Christian and Greek.
I (Mind) believe comics legend Wally Wood was among the most
versatile and talented of all comic book and strip artists.
I (Body) especially love the way he draws women. I (Soul) wish he
hadn't drawn The [misspelled] Compleat Cannon.
Wood created, wrote and drew Cannon, an adventure comic strip, for
2½ years (1970 to 1973) for a newspaper distributed only to military
bases. Cannon was meant to cash in on the enormous popularity of James
Bond, the spy genre, and the basest emotions of males.
Cannon is male animal fantasy: promiscuous, beautiful women, hard
drinking and even harder men, fast cars, big guns, and an unshakable
belief in the fist. It is hard to find a page without a naked woman, an
explosion, or bare, bruised knuckles.
Cannon gets three reviews.
Mind recommends this compilation as a worthy example of Wood's deft
control of every technical aspect of comic strips. Although uneven in
quality, Cannon at its worst is better than many other titles at their
best.
Body recommends Cannon for the lust produced by the beautiful,
naked women in seductive poses on almost every page.
Spirit recommends that readers buy something else by Wood. The
macho philosophy rampant in this title is a lie that is destructive to men
and women, and should not be celebrated in any form.
The Compleat Cannon/131 pgs. & $19.95 from Fantagraphics/available at www.fantagraphics.com and comics shops.
Review by Michael Vance
MINIVIEW: Dark
Matter
[Dark Star Comics] Possibly the best written independent title now
published, this cyber cut-and-paste science fiction and superhero series
is a must read for serious fans of the art form.
Review by Michael Vance
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