Rob Price
Gutbrain Records
rob + gutbrain.com = email


2017 July 05 • Wednesday

Writer and artist Joe Decie has a new book out, Collecting Sticks.

This is, I think, his first hard cover book and the first to tell one narrative story as opposed to being a collection of comic strips.

The story, loosely told and occasionally departing from strict autobiography for the sake of narrative virtue, is about Decie's experiment with "glamping", which is supposed to be "glamorous camping".

It's not especially glamorous to my eyes, though. Instead of pitching a tent, you rent a cabin. And that's about it.

But the situation is ideal for Decie, who is a quiet and gentle but ironical observer of his environment and himself.

It's a tale almost completely lacking in sound and fury yet might also signify nothing. What is there to signify, though, and what could does signifying do? Decie seems to be the least judgmental and controlling of creators and this deft touch of his is one of the most alluring and enjoyable elements of his work.