Hexing with Gaylord Phoenix

Hex, hex, hex. Lust, lust, lust. Edie Fake’s newest book published by we-do-what-we-want publisher Secret Acres is something I didn’t even know I wanted in comics. Was I prepared? No. Did I need my luggage packed? No, I just leave this earth and traveled with the Phoenix, washing my body and clothes out if I remembered while swimming through a haze of love, harm and hurt.

After lusting for and loving on a human, the Phoenix accidentally kills the object of his affections. The Phoenix finds itself in many different environments: wacky ocean, on top of clouds and inside mountains of long ago where sea scientists and sexy deities respectively help the Phoenix achieve self-awareness. Fake’s commentary on how we must categorize ourselves, label our own boxes gives way to a beautiful lack of any label.

On this search for love and memories, the Phoenix runs into the man once again, who is now also a Phoenix. Luckily, he is forgiving and understands the pain of not understanding what someone wants.

The book weighs heavily on sex as a theme but without being actually sexy or even exploitative with the leaves, bubbles and other such design-friendly fluid that comes out of apertures. What it may do in the reader is inspire an appreciation for sex as a creative outlet. As cookie-cutter plastic porn is so readily available, Fake’s work can encourage the reader to look inside yourself and explore that which is unique to you.

While it could behoove your understanding to hear more about Fake’s personal life and sexual tribulations, read it once before listening to Robin McConnell’s in-depth interview and then give it another whirl. The abstract storytelling of sexuality is both mind-blowing and beautiful in the two color coral and deep green printing (which looks a lot like black when scanned, unfortunately).

And I cannot help but want to see Edie Fake collaborate with other golden-fleece themed cartoonists by creating a huge physical map with the Hypercastle of  Mark Phensel (aka William Cardini), mindscapes of Theo Ellsworth or the Salt Mines of Dane Martin.

Pick up Edie Fake’s Gaylord Phoenix today!

–Jen Vaughn