"Frank in the River" by Jim Woodring

Jim Woodring surprisingly used bright luminously hued, often primary colors to illustrate this comic story with such a mature subject matter. The innocently juvenile appearance of the cover panel gives a reader who may be unfamiliar with the author’s work, the impression that they are about to experience a “G-rated” comic story appropriate for a younger reader . This could not be further from the truth. While the artist did incorporate a simplistic child like style and dramatically brilliant colors to illustrate the story of Frank in the River, the illustrations and plot are most definitely meant for a more mature audience. While I found the plot to be convoluted and difficult to follow at best, I believe that the artist’s illustrative choices were brilliant. The child like illustration of the naked “Hog Man” who seems to (not so clandestinely) symbolize Frank’s employer, when contrasted by his ever present bare buttocks and bulging scrotum is enough to give any child who mistakenly happened upon this comic story full blown nightmares. The ironically dark subject matter of Frank killing, burying and subsequently being given the same bloody monster body parts to eat by his Hog Man employer being illustrated with the use of brightly colored simplistic drawings normally reserved for children’s books is just one more example of the artist’s intent to suspend your beliefs, get you out of your comfort zone, shake up your sense of security and examine the motives and aspirations of Frank’s (your) employer.  While I am not sure that every reader will consciously understand the artist’s message of discontent, my impression is that Jim Woodring, using only his artistic talent and illustrative choices was able to shock you, get your attention and impart his sense of distain for “the establishment” and “the status quo” without the use of a single word.