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New Thing is a new anthology series, from the publisher New Suit. With each volume in the series having a different theme, starting with Identity. The book presents 7 short stories, all but one written/illustrated by one person. Of the creators the only one I really know is Tomer Hanuka, from his work on Bipolar and Meathaus.

The first piece is The Loneliest Supermodel, by Nick Bertozzi, which works on several levels. Coming with an introduction that explains about another comic creator who would send stuff to Bertozzi and how this was "his last piece". From there the story is about a film by a famous director that was never finished, how it was going to be finished by a younger director. With this the young director is being interviewed, clearly his style doesn't suit the original, so what is going on? So the story works through the interview, interspersed with clips from the original film and the new material. Quite interestingly done, with a clean/strong cartoony art style.

Tomer follows with his familiar style of intensely thin lines and detailed work, so that he comes across as a very precise artist. The story tells of Johnny Weismuller who played Tarzan as an old man in an old folks home. Frail he needs plenty of attention from the staff, but at the same time he is detached, with everything triggering a memory from his past. A past which has defined the actor, but perhaps not been as good as some might think. The Neighbour is by the French Pauline Martin and revolves heavily around dreams. With this there is the layering of dream within dream and the questions that leaves for reality. This fives the whole a rather bizarre feel.

In turn Kalja Tukianen is Finnish and offers a piece called The Girl And Granny. The piece seems to have a certain altered sense of perception that almost suggests something childish about the outlook. The art is very rounded and ink heavy, resulting in a somewhat smudgy cuteness. I Know Why The Beard Smokes is the most manic and aggressive of the pieces, by Peruvian-American Victor Cayro. The story is of a man and his relationship to a woman who has left him, the reasons and twists, which make that situation up.

Sweater For Siamese Twins is my favourite piece, which perhaps says the most about me. With the emotive story of Siamese twins and the extremely clean/appealing art of Yukio Shimizu. The basic story is clear from the title, each winter the mother knits a special jumper for the twins. But there comes a time when they have to be separated and with that the annual sweater sums up their bond and how their separation affects the two. The last piece strikes me as not quite fitting in with the rest of the works. Written by editor of the collection Jim Higgins and illustrated by Langdon Foss, instead of just one person. In terms of narrative it is a spy story, with the idea that a spy must always be working within levels of identity. In terms of art this is the most "produced", the other pieces giving a fairly straight forward feel and an expression of who the artist is. This strikes as being more deliberate in form as well as the use of grey shades to almost give an impression that the piece has been coloured. Which isn't to say it is a bad piece, it isn't, it works well on narrative and artistic levels, but while the other pieces seem to be more personal and on a more micro scale the final piece is more of a construct.

RVWR: PTR
November 2001