Mineshaft #25

Mineshaft #25

"Mineshaft" is a small magazine (only 52 pages), which is a sort of mix between a comic book and a literary magazine. Despite the fact that this is rather fanzine than a professional publication, "Mineshaft" is known because in every issue Robert Crumb’s works appear, and the cover of this issue is decorated with self-portrait of Crumb's daughter, Sophie. The Crumb family in this issue presented skits, small sketches, and Robert Crumb’s excerpts from his diary of dreams. It is surprising that in 2004 Crumb had a dream that he was Nicholas II and captured by the Bolsheviks, who, however, are not going to shot him.

The issue is opened by touching letters from fans of the magazine, underground artists. A short sketch of Pat Moriarty, dedicated to global warming, is well drawn, but too filled with the words, hence the loss of part of the charm of the picture. Jay Lunch’s "Eggwhites and Nehi" is a funny story, which does not aspire to any literary. A detailed critique of Crumb’s "The Book of Genesis" by Kim Deitch is interesting not only from the perspective of a comic critics, but also allows you to see the effect of Crumb on contemporary authors of graphic works, as well as works that have influenced Crumb himself, who now regarded the States perhaps the greatest comics underground author.

Simon Deitch in "The Devil’s Chicken "finds the roots of the Dodo bird, which appeared in Lewis Carroll’s "Alice in Wonderland ". Despite the obvious humor of the article, the author accompanies the text of various illustrations explaining the origin of the birds. The beginning of Elizabeth Koenig’s comics «Dark Grounds» rooted in social problems within the family. Unfortunately, four pages of the beginning don’t allow saying how well the author completed the story. The issue completes with the told in dark colors comics "The Procedure" by Nina Bunjevac. The social aspect of the story - a pregnant woman eats and drinks too much - does not let me completely fall in love with this comic.

This is a noteworthy magazine, which has two flaws: it ends too quickly, first, and second: the texts are less successful than the comics, so I would like more comics.