A Hereafter, Sum, and New Grit City: The Work Of Geremy George

We are truly living in a new golden age of comic books. With the possible exception of the original Golden Age, there has never been a greater variety of titles and authors of graphical fiction.

The downside to this bounty of creative work is that it can be tough to sift through all the noise to find exciting new creators. This is especially true in the DIY scene of comics. Indie creators have access to all the digital art and publishing tools that mainstream creators do – they just lack the same platforms to promote their work.

Allow me to do my own small part in promoting an exciting new creator by highlighting the work of Geremy George. I first met Geremy through his comic shop, Stargazer Comics. I had been a regular for over a year before realizing that he not only dispensed comics – he created them as well. I caught up on his work via his website, and was elated to find out that he started producing them in print as well.

Geremy creates his comics in a bold, photorealistic style, using the stark contrast of black and white to paint science fiction landscapes. So far, he’s worked with some near-future science fiction themes, exploring the impact that revolutionary technology will have on society. Dystopian stories in comics are a dime a dozen these days. But rather than tread this well-worn ground, Geremy chooses to highlight the hopefulness of technological possibility, even if his settings do have a tinge of the sinister about them.

Another aspect of Geremy’s narratives that I really enjoy is his ability to weave parallel narratives through the writing and art. For example, in “A Hereafter,” his script follows a preacher’s sermon that occurs asynchronously to the narrative told through the art, yet complements the themes of permanence and impermanence expressed in the short vignette about a new mnemonic recall technology.

Geremy’s work “Sum” doesn’t have the same linear narratives as his science fiction work, but it really does highlight his ability to put together a stunning photo collage. This comic is a meditation on all the evils of the material world, and a philosophical head trip. This one is worth picking up for the incredible photo manipulation spreads.

If I’ve piqued your interest, you can check out Geremy’s work in digital form at www.geremygeorge.com.