Six Treasures of the Spiral presents a quarter-century (1995 - 2020) worth of Matt Madden's short comics pieces "formed under pressure". After an introduction by Ed Park, there follows 23 comics in 200 pages, 22 of which had been previously published and one, "The Others" appearing here for the first time (we think; if so, making this a must for all die-hard Madden collectors – but then, you'd have bought this anyway, right?). The "pressure" under which these comics were formed being, for the most part, a variety of constraints – either derived from or inspired by the (largely francophone) Oulipian tradition as translated into the => Oubapian, which serves the world of comics, or, in French, bande dessinée (thus the "ba" for bande dessinée in place of the "li" for littérature). A key feature of this collection is an appendix, "Additional Materials for the Curious" wherein readers will find twenty pages of notes explicating Madden's working methods together with the specific constraints applied to each story, and bits of biographical background that will help readers piece together the basis and formation of his practice – including the fact that Madden had already begun working in the Oulipian tradition before discovering its existence (although likely via the influence of work by others who had) – along with resources for further exploration.
The title story to this collection, "Six Treasures of the Spiral," has been a favorite here at Copacetic since initially encountering it twenty years ago, when it provided the revelation, "oh, you can do that in comics!" so we're glad to see it put in the spotlight here. "Six Treasures" formally adapts the sestina, a somewhat obscure poetic form (that is thoroughly explained in the note for this story that is included in the aforementioned appendix). It is a multi-levelled work wherein the comics making process incorporates problem solving and puzzle building, and in which the reading experience becomes a sort of two-person remotely played parlour game between author and reader. Various aspects of this approach and combinations thereof are to be found in practically all of the pieces here, so it is – fittingly, in more ways than one – an appropriate choice for title story.
And, for those readers unfamiliar with Madden's work, yes, the drawing/artistry/craft embodying all these ideas/practices/disciplines in comics is indeed up to the task as the comics collected here are readable, pleasing and engaging. Also worth noting is the fac(e)t of there being a strong undercurrent of sexual tension/desire – often, but not always, frustrated – running through many of these stories, continually presenting a sort of parallel problem in need of solving.
In these pages, Madden brings a cornucopia of novel ways to think about, approach and create comics that, by being collected together here, create a repository of ideas that will serve to expand the boundaries and thereby increase the capacity of comics for years to come.
Intellectually engaging, interesting, and fun!
