Here's a great new anthology published by 9th Art Press that features a whoppin' three dozen tales each focusing on a unique subculture.  It should come as no surprise that our civilization's growing trend towards ever-increasing specialization is accompanied by a parallel trend of ever-increasing social compartmentalization.  Aided and abetted – and in some cases entirely enabled – by all things internet, most notably, of course, the fertile soil of social media, subcultures are sprouting and thriving as never before.  This is not an unalloyed good, as some subcultures are possessed of varying degrees of toxicity, such as child porn devotees and violent extremists of all stripes up to and including "terrorists."  Yet, generally speaking, the phenomenon of subcultures is creating a new and vibrant ecosystem of human potential that will, in the long run, surely form the component bases for a spawning ground for the evolving of new and progressively adaptive ways of being that will assist humans in their braving of the new world they are in the midst of creating.  The SubCultures delved into in this anthology range from the relatively erudite circles of Esperanto speakers and ham radio operators to the freaky worlds of BIg foot enthusiasts and goth fetishists, but most revolve around varying permutations of pop culture, the last and certainly not least of which is that of the small press comics subculture itself, of which this volume is a prime example.  This is an absorbing and intriguing anthology, and there is plenty to ponder while traversing the subcultural terrain mapped out in this volume's 200+ pages by 37 comics creators including Sam Alden, Box Brown, Andrew Greenstone, Dan Mazur, Hazel Newlevant, Liz Prince, Stevie Wilson and many other talented cartoonists. Recommended!

Here's the full contributor list:  Sam Alden E.J. Barnes Cara Bean Bonesteel Melinda Tracy Boyce Box Brown Matthew Crehan Ben Doane Alizee De Pin Rachel Dukes Glynnis Fawkes Jillian Fleck Holly Foltz Maggie Glass Andrew Greenstone Nick Johansen Jay Kennedy Rob Kirby Jesse Lonergan MariNaomi Dan Mazur Anna Mudd Hazel Newlevant Sigit Nugroho Ion O'Clast Dave Ortega Maria Photinakis Liz Prince Ansis Purins Rob Queen Alex Robinson Michael Scully Daryl Seitchik Whit Taylor Nick Thorkelson Mister V Noah Van Sciver Aaron Whitaker Kriota Willberg Stevie Wilson Li-Or Zaltzman Courtney Zell

The roles of mother, daughter, spouse, student of ancient Greece, world traveller, archeological illustrator and more intermingle here, in the 270 pages of Persephone's Garden, Glynnis Fawkes's most substantial – and successful – work to date.  Taken together, they provide a well rounded portrait of a life well lived.  The comics that fill these pages encompass a wide variety of forms: anecdote, travelogue, diary, short story, sketch, illustration, illustrated list, experimental, project notes and more.  Each of these forms employ a distinct stylistic approach to their respective subject.  Sharp thin pen lines here, rounded full brush strokes there.  Most pieces employ a limited color palette of one, two or three colors plus black or sepia line, but full color makes an occasional appearance, as well.   Irony and satire mix it up with earnest and heartfelt observations, and by doing so demonstrate that there is no one right way to approach living, but that every day – every moment – demands attention, must be measured and navigated, and presents its own unique opportunity for creative response.  Glynnis Fawkes has, here in the pages of Persphone's Garden, made the most of these opportunities to create a series of engaging comics that, taken together, make for a thesis statement endorsing an immersive, fully engaged approach to contemporary life.  Here, the saying, "the proof is in the pudding," has been replaced by, "the proof is in the comics."