Cyril: The Rejected Comic & Lost in Thought

Posted: Tuesday, May 14, 2002
By: Darren Schroeder

Cover of Cyril: The Rejected Comic & Lost in Thought Creator(s): Jason 'Neumie' Neuman
Publishers: Self Published
From: USA
Price: $?? (US)

From late 2001, these are two more entries in the continuing saga of Cyril, a little dead boy coming to terms with the after life. With just 1 panel per page, & 2 pages per issue things move at a measured pace. Cyril drifts through strange realms, making friends and observing weird goings on. In Lost in Thought Cyril reflects on the changes he can feel in himself, from the optimism of a little boy he is starting to become cynical and lose hope that he will ever find his way to a better place.

In The Rejected Comic he hangs out at Adef's Monkey Hut, which he describes as ...a cross between a coffee house and a jungle gym. After a while they go visit an ancient, and deserted temple. His friend doesn't want to go in, by Cyril's curiosity gets the better of him. He might wish it hadn't as he begins to feel that something isn't quite right about the place.

Both stories have a straight forward charm and quirkiness that appeals to me. Much of the comics that deal with death go overboard with the grim depressed wow is me school of characterization and can be quite tedious. The sadness that Neumie presents is a far more fleeting emotion. There is so much for Cyril to discover that can take his mind off his sadness, but every so often it comes to the surface. It is easy to sympathize with his situation. Maybe it is his innocence and the sense of fun that Neumie brings to the proceedings.

Neumie has a fairly direct approach to his penmanship. His is a simple black and white cartoon style that would suit any children's book. The characters are cute, the surroundings minimal. They are fun to look at, though Neumie might want to go back over his final inks and tidy up the occasional spot missed in the black areas. On their own these are a fun read, as part of the Cyril storyline they enlarge the scope of this entertaining series.

In a Word: Lucid.



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