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Bringing Weltschmerz to life
Lind launches cartoon anthology
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by Nathan Stark
March 30 — April 5, 2006 |
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I have a little file folder at home. It's called the mystery file. Into
this file I put clippings of the comics I come across in daily
newspapers that I can't understand. It's astonishing, how through
a poverty of thought or artistic merit (or both) a comic can
become an enigma––what was the artist thinking, what are they
trying to say? It's equally sad that the comic artist's craft is
represented in the daily press by so many lacklustre talents. As
readers of ECHO Weekly we are fortunate to have an island in the
stream of drivel that would wash all the thought out of comic
strips, a sanctuary where wit and artistry combine to form the
panels of cartoonist Gareth Lind's Weltschmerz.
Over the last decade Lind has turned a fun-house mirror on
political and cultural issues ranging from Mike Harris’ Common
Sense revolution to the war on terror, global warming to the
encroachment of technology on social interaction, distilling
contemporary ideas and events and representing them with his
own unique satiric wit. Through his chronicle of the lives of
protagonists Horst and Celia and a passel of friends and political
figures he has tracked the shifting currents of political and social
thought, measuring their tendency to absurdity with absurd
humour. Now, for the first time, a collection of Lind's comics has
been collected in a book to be launched in Guelph's Bookshelf
Greenroom on April 6th.
Weltschmerz, which has appeared regularly in Toronto's Eye
Weekly and other weeklies since the mid–nineties, is the
longest–running Canadian political cartoon in strip format. With
hundreds of strips to choose from, the idea of selecting a few for
a collection seemed daunting, says Lind, “If I'd tried to survey the
last ten years . . . I would have had to lose the continuity which is,
I think, part of the strip's appeal.” For this inaugural collection he
decided it would be better to present a segment of the ongoing
Weltschmerz narrative by keeping the collection to 2005's strips.
“Limiting the book to 2005,” he says, “makes it still relevant. And
a year has the right number of strips to make a decent read––48
once you discount holidays and a couple of strips that, in
hindsight, didn't make the cut.”
While regular readers of Weltschmerz may be disappointed
not to see some of their favourite strips from years past in this
collection, none will feel the lack of a demonstration of Lind's
absurdist satirical wit. The political events of 2005 here and south
of the border provided a wealth of fodder for Lind––from the flap
over Sponge Bob Squarepants' sexual deviancy to the Terry
Schiavo episode, the same sex marriage debate here Canada and
the case of Maher Arar's rendition to Syria. While political events
are examined, the figures who make the stories are satirized
hilariously as well, from the proto-fascist Stephen Harper (not yet
Prime Minister) fighting to save Canadian society from the
scourge of same–socks marriage with the Catholic superhero
Vatman, to the frantically earnest Paul Martin (still, nervously,
Prime Minister) denying there is any corruption in Ottawa. And of
course the book delvers a heaping dollop of Dubya up to his
nefarious tricks as usual. As a help to forgetful readers Lind has
accompanied some of the strips with brief annotations that
establish the historical context in which they were conceived, a
useful addition that will make the book relevant and
understandable in later years.
While it would be nice if more readers could enjoy Lind’s
particular brand of humour, it seems the mainstream press has
little appetite for taking the risks or challenging their readers as
the alt–weeklies do. "I'm lucky," says Lind. "In weeklies, I have
almost unlimited creative freedom. The only thing that keeps me
in check is my own critical eye. The editors, while having
‘lawyered’ the odd cartoon, have never censored anything." For
Lind, Weltschmerz is a sort of creative pressure valve. In one
sequence in the new book, Spongebob Squarepants is tortured by
U.S. agents who accuse him of having a secret agenda to force
homosexuality on America's children. They say he's a member of
a same–sex sleeper cell. “There wasn't a peep of negative
feedback on that strip,” says Lind with disbelief. “Of course,
satirizing the bizarre and disturbing state of American politics
doesn't generate much flak in Canada.” All the same Lind is well
aware of his privileged perch. He remembers the story of
Washington Post cartoonist Tom Toles who received a letter of
protest from five generals because he dared draw a soldier
without legs and arms. “I believe it's important to challenge
authority,” says Lind. “Especially when it takes itself too seriously.
If I can make people laugh at the same time, all the better.”
The quality of printing and excellent design of Attack of the
Same-Sex Sleeper Cells will also guarantee the collection's lasting
satisfaction. Each panel in the collection is reproduced in ample
scale in full colour. Sleeper-Cells was printed using the latest
digital printing technology that allows the panels to be increased
in size without sacrificing crisp resolution. “I was excited at the
possibility of giving the strips justice in their reproduction," says
Lind, “They are printed in colour in Eye Weekly, but the quality is
lacking on newsprint, and they are printed too small. Now you can
see the detail I put in them every week.” The increased quality of
printing will be evident to anyone who picks up a copy of the
book. On the cover a panel from a strip printed on newsprint is
stretched from edge to edge. The image immediately draws the
viewer's attention and establishes associations with comic strip
and popular artists like Roy Liechtenstein. In this expanded image
the rosette pattern of coloured dots are the foundation of
newspaper printing and have come to signify the comic strip are
more than evident. When the reader opens to the first page they
can't help but notice how smooth and crisp the images are in
comparison. As the high level of print quality increases the
pleasure of reading, so to will the paper used satisfy the
ecologically minded. "I agonized a little over the paper," Lind
confesses, "With new printing technologies you can print on
[uncoated papers] almost as well as coated. I was a little nervous
about it, since most books have glossy covers for durability and
splash. But I'm happy with the look.” The advantage of printing on
uncoated stock for Lind was that it enabled him “to print on 100%
post–consumer, chlorine–free recycled paper. (If I hadn't, Horst
would never let me sleep.)”
Mating excellence in design and print quality and Lind’s
thoughtful and incisive social commentary, the inaugural
collection from the Weltschmerz series sets a high standard for
later collections. Next Thursday’s launch of Attack of the Same-
Sex Sleeper Cells at the Bookshelf Green Room in Guelph will be
an occasion to celebrate Lind’s talents and the contribution he
has made to our local culture over the years and to anticipate the
joy and humour Weltscherz will bring us in the future.
Attack of the same-Sex Sleeper cells
By Gareth Lind
Book Launch Party
Thursday, April 6
Bookshelf, Guelph
www.lindtoons.org
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