Working Jones #1

Posted: Wednesday, September 19, 2001
By: Darren Schroeder

Cover of Working Jones #1 Creator(s): Damian Wilcox
Publishers: Dorkboy Comics
From: Canada
Price: $2:50 (Canadian?)

Tales of office neurosis and the effects of the daily grim are a popular genre. Who can forget films such as Nine To Five and Office Space, or TV shows like The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin? The premiss is the same for all; work sucks your life force from you out your ears and you can't doing anything about it 'cause you need the money to live. Working Jones approaches the same subject and manages to do it a fresh and entertaining way.

Damian has an attractive drawing style that involves a bold use of black in the backgrounds and thick line work He varies the way he constructs the facial features of the different characters so they are easily identifiable, and with the main character of Jones gives him an amusing surly look though out the majority of the storyline but when required presents other emotions through the facial expressions. The artwork really is a pleasure to behold as Damian has the ideas and the skill to achieve some impressive results. I.E.,. there is one panel showing some burning toast and Jones' surly face reflect in the chrome toaster. It's effectively drawn because it tells a story in just one panel and also is wonderfully expressive, with the flames from the toast appearing to come out of the top of Jones head.

Working Jones is a computer jockey who wakes up with a bad case of cynicism and wisecracks his way though the day. The dialogue here is full of amusing one liners and great deadpan observations on life such as If they're going to make a morning show why don't they act like it's morning?...No one's that happy at 7am.

As his day progresses computers catch alight and Jones generally slacks around. Sometimes material like this can seem a bit too cleaver for its own good but Damian counters this by adding a touching serious turn of events in the later part of the story which radically alters the tone of the book. Damian also includes a couple of shorts strips which display the range of art styles he has at his disposal. I especially enjoyed Things to do when you are young and foolish. which has a nasty ring of truth to it.

The work included in this book is top notch; attractive to look at and a pleasure to read. You won't find much better to read in the office when the boss is out at a meeting.

In a Word: Adept.



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