Lustration & Other Stories – An Anthology Of Short Comics – Kickstarter Campaign
Lustration & Other Stories is an anthology of short comics varying in length from 2 pages to 10 pages. Thematically they’re an exploration with process and storytelling, examining emotional highs and lows. The tales are about deep dives into intense emotions, fantasy and folklore explorations, and even slices of life.
Lustration
The campaign, running through June, is to raise funds to produce a printed volume of the book. Initially intended by Latham to be 70 pages, A5 sized, perfect bound (so it has a spine), on uncoated recycled paper (so it feels nice). The stretch goals for Lustration include an additional two comics, which would increase the page count to about 90 pages and possibly end up with gold foil print on the front cover (that’s his graphic designer dream; to have gold foil on his book)!
The basic pitch is for three stories within the anthology, with further stories added as stretch goals get hit. Each one examines a form of love, grief, fear or Anxiety, one of the titles featured in the collection.
Lost
Included within the Lustration anthology, Lost is an eight page comic about a Bunny and a Cat – with bat-wings – walking through the woods. In Latham’s own words:
Initially I wrote conversations between these two characters about grief, and about trying to reason with some of the most painful concepts in modern life, of which some things are so difficult to put into words.
This particular short comic stems from the middle of the pandemic, when the wider world was so small and closed, and my own world was shrivelling, with a constant barrage of news causing sleepless nights, and those sweltering chasms of thought still being peppered with images of loved ones, friends, and kindness.
Latham’s trademark art style allows the story of flourish and flow, and his art brings a sense of peace even when dealing with the big issues in life.
Backers
Latham manages to produce artwork that is hauntingly beautiful. He takes the fear and worry of living and transforms them into painfully real stories, told by fantastical creatures. Rewards include digital and physical copies of the book – perfect for those that want that gold foil edge – as well as other works from Latham, such as the wonderful Haru.
You can find out more about the campaign on the Kickstarter website, and can find Joe on both Twitter and Instagram.
