I firmly believe that a huge part of a comic’s magic comes from the object that is the comic itself. It’s easy to think that once pages are inked and colored and the lettering is all in place that the comic is finished. And while, yes, the comic is done, it hasn’t been completed. There are still a great number of decisions to be made, and they all relate to the actual object that people will hold in their hands. Paper stock, binding, and printing all play a role in how someone will experience the comic you’ve worked so hard on. Now, plenty of people go with the herd on these decisions, settling on glossy, stapled, and cheaply, respectively. But there are a few who choose to give the printing and presentation of their comics as much weight as its actual content. Two such artists are Graeme McNee and Ryan Cecil Smith.
Style and Fashion Zine #2
Written and illustrated by Graeme McNee and Ryan Cecil SmithAnnouncing the second issue! Style and Fashion Zine #2 is 28 risographed pages w/ new color combos and new paper stocks, and new sections, featuring interviews, profiles, and COMICS! This issue will ship from Osaka, Japan in a tall and slim 13.5cm x 27cm package. Special needle-and-thread binding. Protective cover sheets. GOLD INK. Weird custom cuts on the cover! Why do we do this? Cuz we love books.
McNee and Smith’s self-published “Style and Fashion Zine” #2 is an astounding read. As the title suggests, this zine exists to celebrate fashion, with a focus on the trends seen in and around Osaka. The two cartoonists approach this subject in really charming ways; there are plenty of comics and sequential narratives on those pages, but there are also sketchbook excerpts, interviews, and personal commentary on their feelings towards different trends and styles. Like the best fashion illustration, the cartooning itself feels clean and minimal, but serves the clothing and people who populate this issue well. There are just enough lines on the page to show you the cut and shape of, say, a jacket, without over-rendering the thing and bogging it down in unnecessary details.
There are two stories in this issue of “Style and Fashion Zine.” The first, “Morning Commute” by Smith, is about a couple as they start their day together. Readers follow the pair as they travel though an environment that is rich with sharply dressed commuters and enthralling cityscapes. There’s no big thing that happens, no conflict or obstacle, just a nice morning spent observing the world around these two characters. The second story, “The Birthday Present” by McNee, follows a young lady as she recruits a friend to help her find the perfect present for her father. This simple plot device gives McNee a great excuse to draw as many retail environments and small accessories as he can fit into a story.
Every inch of this issue has been considered and labored over, leaving the reader with a physical object that feels significant. Before you’re even able to slip it out of its perfectly fitted cellophane sleeve, you know that what’s inside is important to the artists who produced it. Once the issue is free of its wrappings the first thing you’ll notice that there are a few covers on this thing. The first is an opaque white stock with a texture like tracing paper, just maybe a little heavier. At first I thought that this was there to obscure the cover, but I think it may actually be meant to protect the book while you’re handling it. When I was in school we were taught to do something like this if you were presenting prints to someone. I think this makes sense, if the object is important then you’d want to protect it, right?
While you’re examining the opaque outer cover, you’ll come across one of the more surprising elements of the zine: it’s sewn binding. Running the entire length of the zine’s folded spine is amber stitching. Like so much of what makes the clothing that’s spotlighted in the zine so special, this little touch could be easily overlooked but will be greatly appreciated by those who notice it. This seemingly simple element of the issue’s construction not only enhances the over all package, it also serves to subtly echo the seams and details of the clothing that is so important to the core of this work. It’s a clever bit of showmanship to incorporate a sewing machine into the construction of a fashion zine.
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Once you eventually make it past the translucent cover and the sewn spine, you’ll find that “Style and Fashion Zine” is a whirlwind of color and texture. There’s a partial cover that, once pulled back, reveals the title page of the aforementioned “Morning Commute,” complete with gold ink and vibrant colors. The entire issue is printed on a risograph machine and utilizes an array of different paper stocks (I think I counted five, maybe six types of paper.) Some pages are very toothy, while others are slick and smooth. There are even two stocks that have different textures on each side!
I’m going to go out on a limb and say that Smith really enjoys supplemental material. His “S.F.” series has had a few supplemental issues, and “Style and Fashion Zine” seems to be no different. Nestled between the last page and back cover, readers will find the “Zine Field Supplement,” a one page insert that has an artist spotlight and comics recommendations. In an issue made up of treats and surprises, this final tidbit was the icing on the cake.
“Style and Fashion Zine” #2 is a lovingly hand-made piece of art from start to finish. As I said in the title, this may be the nicest comic that I own. While it is sold out on Smith’s online store, there are a few copies still available from Omoi Zakka Shop in my hometown of Philadelphia. It’s where I got mine, and it looks like they’ll ship all over the world. If you’re as into the art object that is a comic book as I am, this is something that you definitely want to have in your collection.
So what comes next for Smith and McNee? How do you top such a wonderful achievement? By changing format, it seems! I reached out to Smith over the weekend about the newly released “Style and Fashion Zine #3 and here’s what he had to say…
“Style and Fashion Zine” #3 is an odd issue in a special format. Instead of binding the content into a book, we designed three folios that are read as you fold them out into a full poster size. Both sides ‘work’ as a poster and the front is designed to be read in a certain way, but the reader can enjoy them however he or she likes. This is our first issue with a new contributor, Mariya Suzuki, an illustrator in Tokyo.
It’d be easy to try and replicate what’s already been successful, but not for these cartoonists. I cannot wait to see what they’ve come up with for this third issue. I know Smith’s been experimenting with comics you unfold, so it’ll be something to see how that translates into this project. “Style and Fashion Zine” #3 is now available from Smith’s online store. If this sounds like your cup of tea I’d recommend you don’t dilly-dally, it looks as if the first two issues sold out pretty quickly. And don’t feel like this is something made exclusively for those with a deep love of fashion. The presentation of this issue and the art it houses are so good that this is something that transcends its subject matter.
