A&E

Comic review: Jim Rugg’s ‘Supermag’

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Supermag includes brief appearances by Rugg’s earlier comics creations.
J. Caleb Mozzocco

You would be forgiven for finding Jim Rugg’s one-man anthology Supermag somewhat show-offy. A collection of short strips, story fragments, pin-ups and even a few fliers, it’s a glossy, magazine-sized showcase for the artist’s considerable skills and stylistic range.

That’s one way of looking at it. Another is that it’s Rugg’s celebration of the possibilities of the comics medium, a series of short, playful explorations of the comics and pop culture that inspired his art, packaged as the sort of one-man indie anthology that used to be prevalent but is now mostly extinct.

The Details

Supermag
Three and a half stars
By Jim Rugg, $10

Herein are funny animal-style strips of savage nature, the adventures of jingoistic cartoon character USApe, brief appearances by his earlier comics creations Street Angel and Afrodisiac, his take on Golden Age adventure hero Captain Kidd and a Bigfoot (the monster truck) vs. Bigfoot (the monster of legend) battle.

Is it a little show-offy? Sure. But then, when you can draw as well as Rugg, it’s okay to show off a little.

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