Description:
Frank: Volume Two is absolutely required reading for anyone who enjoyed Jim Woodring's Frank comic book. In these wordless, dreamy comics, Woodring weaves a tapestry with magic, spirituality, and pure emotions. In one story, a hooded woman gives Frank a mysterious top that spins and hovers in the air. When he tries to touch it while it is spinning, the top whips him around and knocks him up against a tree. Then Frank shows the top to his pet the Pupshah (an adorable creature that goes "LLLLL"), who also gets thrown against a tree. The two decide to show the marvelous toy to the Orwellian antagonist, Manhog, whose encounter with the top transforms him into a larvaelike state. Frank and Pupshah nurse Manhog back to health. When he is well, Manhog crawls out into the world and learns about the concept of approval. If, from this description, the story sounds odd or incomprehensible, that's only because it is difficult to provide a linguistic translation of a story that is meant to be "read" in images. This Frank tale, though, is a perfect example of the depth of Woodring's talent and vision.
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