For the past several years, Kevin Czap of Czap Books and L. Nichols of Grindstone Comics have collaborated together to publish a series of small mini-comics called Ley Lines. The idea of Ley Lines is, according to the co-publishers:
The long-running series was absent in 2021, but is back in 2022 thanks in part to a grant from Annie Koyama's Eisner-recognized Koyama Press Provides program. This year, there are 3 books and all are being released at the same time, rather than the quarterly pace of previous years.Ley Lines is an Ignatz-nominated series that explores the intersection of comics and the various fields of art & culture that inspire us. Each issue features a different artist's take on a different subject matter taken from the larger context of art making, past and present.
I admit I am unfamiliar with the creators this time around, but I love the concept of Ley Lines and there have been some phenomenal entries in the past, as creators worked to mix their musings and their art style with everyone ranging from Beethoven to Virginia Roof to Surrealism to Project Runway. It's an eclectic grouping of subjects and an even wider variety of art styles, leading to some amazing work over the years.
Here's a rundown of the 2022 offerings, with a few sample pages from the website:
Ley Lines 26: The First Few Bars by Keren Katz
Keren Katz' singular artistic voice brought to bear on the complications of having a body, its usefulness, and how art can salve the soul. Inspired by the concept of "allongé" in ballet
Have you ever had a hard time connecting to someone you love? Sometimes food can build that bridge, friends, family etc. Food can be the reason why you and your cousins get along or why you and your mom share such a strong bond.
Ley Lines 28: LOVE, or THE AXE by Jordan Jeffries
Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ presents Willem Dafoe as a salt-of-the-Earth Messiah, equal parts human and divine. That film provides a touchstone for Jordan Jeffries' journey through morality and religion, the story of which is told here with introspective artistry.
As you can see, the creators and their approaches are just as unique in this group as they've been in the past. Each brings their own style and perspective and even the paper stock is different, which has always been a nice touch in my opinion.
I'm not as tied to the micro-comics scene as I used to be but I'll always love comics like this and always want to ensure people know these great little books are out there. They're an awesome way to discover new favorites and Kevin and L's eye for creative talent are extremely strong. If you're newer to the idea of mini-comics or just looking for more, the Ley Lines series is a great place to start--or pick up where you left off before the pandemic slowed your convention roll.
