A very enjoyable and engaging anthology takes a clever idea and executes it with style. Attendees at The Asylum Steampunk Festival feature in a collection of stories.
Lady Clarajane and Captain Charles Rivington in The Rescue That Can Never Be Mentioned. Dave West (Story), Russell Mark Olsen (Art). Lady Clarajane leaves the airship to chase a lead about the professor and finds herself in trouble. A neat story with excellent plot mechanics packed into five pages that never feels crowded or rushed. Russell Mark Olsen’s art shines, a single page panel with four smaller panels inserted is full of detail, movement and clarity. The cast are just on the right side of cartoon and the facial expressions and body language are both elequont.
Rufus Trimble in Dressing for a Live Concert. Dave West (Writer & Art) , a nicely paced and delivered joke, the art and words balanced to get the maximum impact.
Those Courageous Climberts in The Ascent. Gary Crutchley (Writer , Art), Matt Soffe (Colours). My favourite story in the anthology. The sort of absurdity that friends who are at an outing will find themselves involved it. The conversation is a joy and the conclusion is pitch perfect. Matt Soffe’ colours give depth and weight to the gossamer story.
Winnie Burton in Steeping. Dave West (Writer), Mikos Al Teri (Art). Dave West has created a frame for the glorious art by Mikos Al Teri. It is barely a fragment, it serves its purpose perfectly, creating the space for the art to draw out every thing that might be there. The sharp spiky art is distinctive and deeply engaging, the colours and lines draw in the reader and and build a palpable atsmophere.
Dame Dunkit, Lady Petticoat Tails & Edward Teddy in A Teddy’s Tale. Coplin Mathieson (Writer), Amma Francesca Schiaaloi (Art), Matt Soffe (Colours). Going to a major steampunk event is a big deal, there is a lot of preperation involved and getting it right takes work. No one likes being upstaged, least of all by someone you brought to the show. Action is taken. Amma Francesca Schiaaloi’s art is expressive and engaging, all the cast are full of life. Matt Soffee colours are vital to enhance the details and tones of the story and do so beautifully.
Enter the Asylum is a fan letter to steam punk fans and a very enjoyable comic in its own right. A delicate balance has been achieved due to the confident talent of the creators. Great fun.
