Punks Git Cut

Even though one of the opening statements in this enormous zine compilation is “This is the future the future of crap,” this is not a collection of work that should be dismissed so lightly. Drawn and assembled by the artist of the original character designs for the Fox animated sitcom Bob’s Burgers, Howell’s work is at times filthy, other times thoughtful, but always overflowing with creativity. He predicts that, in the future, everyone will wear rollerblades and trench coats, but fingerless gloves will be optional, and he notes that “$9 an hour is the most money I’ve made.” Howell seems firm throughout his work on never restricting himself or his ideas, devoting a whole issue of one zine to maggots and acquiring “maggot energy” after kicking a rat covered in maggots, and dealing with people who need ‘maggot therapy’ after encountering maggots. Other pages provide the necessary ingredients for building an escape vehicle, or just galleries of oddball drawings. The detail and subjects of his illustration range as widely as his words, such as casual sketches of weird-looking dudes, intricate drawings done on the title pages of aged paperbacks, and detailed drawings of abandoned houses. This book is weird and great. (Aug.)