The hypnotic logo of Oily Comics. |
For those who don't know, Oily Comics is an ongoing small publisher started by Forsman that offers 5 mini-comics every month on a subscription basis. For either $20 (three months) or $40 (six months), readers will get a wide variety of short quarter-size mini-comics from the stable of Oily creators.
The comics change up a bit from month to month, usually with one or two series repeating each month and others cycling in and out or working as a standalone. To see what you might get, here's a link to my Oily reviews.
The thing to keep in mind here is that these are mini-comics in the raw. They aren't polished, colored, or looking to make a quick jump into the indie mainstream. They are black and white, rough, and sometimes a bit crude. The art varies from near stick figures to intricate abstraction. Those looking for more refined work or aren't willing to allow themselves to experiment with the uncomfortable or unfamiliar may leave disappointed.
On the other hand, if you are a person who likes seeing what people are doing that's not going to be the next big hit from Drawn and Quarterly (but might just make Fantagraphics' experimental edge, like Forsman's The End of the Fucking World), this is an ideal way to do it. If you can't make it to comics shows or zinefests where comics like this thrive but want to see how it's done on the ground floor of comics-making, I can think of no better way to do it than by getting a subscription.
Enter into the world of Oily Comics with an open mind, and you won't regret it. With conventions getting bigger and/or further away from where you might live, subscription models at an affordable rate (this works out to roughly $1.33 per comic!) may be the future of sharing mini-comics. I re-upped my subscription, and if you like the idea of an experimental anthology in single-issue form (and you should), get a subscription of your own before the 31st.