LARRY JOHNSON'S DREAM DIARY #4: RE-ENGAGE THE SURREAL

Larry Johnson's Dream Diary #4 returns readers to sectors that are at once bizarre, absurd and beautiful, each and every one plucked from the artist's intimate reveries. 

For this volume, the chapters include Johnson facing a tiny, attack dog, which he averts via amazing ascension; another tale of ascension in which he becomes an underdressed Pied Piper; a "restaurant" where chess rules and dancing is the main course; the startling discovery of a naked arsonist; the frustration spurred by an incoherent, art teacher; a search for a comic shop, distinguished by a friendly couple and the inexplicable water that surrounds them; a downpour that prompts the purchase of a Batman comic; the preparation of a rocket launch and its madcap consequences; a cordial encounter with a youthful clone; an art exhibit where the guests head into a perplexing tunnel; a rattling, home invasion; and last but not least, a bike ride emboldened by equanimity.

Johnson's abstract documentations are great fun, for he allows one to see through his eyes and experience his jaunts as if they're one's own: indeed, a most welcoming gesture.  

To enjoy the gamut of Dream Diary #4, send $10 per Paypal to LewBrown@verizon.net, or to Venmo @Lawrence-Johnson-232, and in little time at all, Johnson's captivating compilation will arrive at your door.

LARRY JOHNSON'S DREAM DIARY #3: WHERE THE SURREAL GETS REAL

I've come to realize that artist/writer Larry Johnson is the ultimate when it comes to building worlds both sweet and offbeat, envisioned as they are by luxuriant artwork (rendered via captivating, technicolor and monochrome shades) and phantasmagorical storytelling.  

Johnson's latest, the 48-page Dream Diary #3, seals the deal, with scenarios that could have sprung straight from one's nightly slumber, building relatable narratives, but with peculiar angles that bud with bold, organic abandon.  

Johnson stars in these (mis)adventures, with each reverie dated, as he launches us on a full-throttle, Twilight Zone-meets-The Far Side plunge with "The Green Potato Chip" (where a smidgeon of poison ivy insinuates calamity); "The Obelisk" (a play upon The Monolith Monsters, but in this case, the ascent is more awe-inspiring than disruptive); "The Tattooed Model" (a Bradbury-ish situation set at the artist's hub); "The Living Doll" (a wee figure comes to life with sadistic results); "Nuclear Disaster" (The Day After hits down the forlorn road); "The Office Engineer" (a battery-operated mishap disrupts the work flow); "The Cave Locomotive" (bulky machinery dominates a sequestered colony); "Bad Trip" (a carefree sojourn is rocked by an explosive, hospital elevator); "Off the Record" (a strange, vinyl disc spins a haunting conundrum); "Cat Poop" (a tarp and a cat lead to a mucky outcome); "The Indignant Men's Club" (stuffed-shirt verbosity falls to rage); and the clever "Biker Gang" (in which recruitment is based not on brawling or derring-do, but an essay composition). 

Johnson's affability defines his exploits, making his stories for common people who dare to see the world through an uncommon lens. Johnson tells us that there's wonderment (sometimes strange, sometimes serene) in every nook and cranny. We just need to open our eyes to recognize it. 

Dream Diary #3 deserves to be in your library, so be smart and send $8.00 to Mr. Johnson (per Paypal at LewBrown1@verizon.net) to make it so.