Map of My Heart
Written & Illustrated by John Porcellino
Published by Drawn & Quarterly
It seems, on some level, antithetical to call a self-created and self-distributed indie comic influential, but John Porcellino’s King-Cat Comix is probably the most famous and regarded self-published comic in the U.S.A. So successful is the comic that Drawn & Quarterly has published two collections of King-Cat – King Cat Classix and the newest volume, Map of My Heart.
Map of My Heart will not be to everyone’s tastes. I guess that goes without saying, but it’s worth noting here. Porcellino’s artwork is, to be incredibly kind, crude. Flat line work, with little detail or perspective, a poor grasp of backgrounds and places, and only a rudimentary understanding of anatomy are among the obvious characteristics of Porcellino’s illustrations. Yet there’s a certain appeal to the minimalist, untalented DIY quality in Porcellino’s artwork.
In truth, I find Porcellino’s work hard to review. Many will dismiss it out of hand because of its crudeness. Many will embrace it specifically because of that lack of professional illustrative prowess. The stories, such as they are, range from nakedly confessional pieces, to visual diaries of lengthy nature walks, from illustrated poems to prose articles about recent events in Porcellino’s life or about plants or animals.
Porcellino’s devotion to nature is inspiring and engaging. Following his outdoor excursions, even when seen through his limited graphic skills, offers a meditative beauty. However, his poetry is less inspired. Due to its intensely personal nature, I suspect that many readers will find Map of My Heart saccharine and trite. Just as many others will think it the most personal and affecting work they’ve ever read. Personally, I find it straddles both territories in equal measure.
If my will were all, I’d ask readers to at least sample Map of My Heart, the recent compilation of John Porcellino’s King-Cat Comix, if only because there’s really nothing else like it. It’s a purely personal message. You may not like it, but Porcellino is creating something unique, a confession of his own life, and it’s an experience readers should attempt to navigate. Resembling a confessional blog, or perhaps a diary even, King-Cat is a deeply spiritual (though not religious) journey, through nature and love, with all the heartbreak, joy and absurdity inherent in such. It’s the most personal experience anywhere in comics today.
January 17th, 2011 at 11:52 am
Thanks for taking time for sharing this article, it was excellent and very informative. as a first time visitor to your blog I am very impressed. I found a lot of informative stuff in your article. Keep it up. Thank you.
January 17th, 2011 at 6:24 pm
congrats on having a successfull amazing lookin blog.. I wish I could write like you man.. seriously
January 17th, 2011 at 8:02 pm
Hey great site and I enjoyed it!