LARRY JOHNSON'S HORSEMAN #8: OF SPIRITUAL SECTORS & HOPPER INTROSPECTION

Artist/storyteller Larry (Tales of the Broken B/Space Cat) Johnson's Horseman #8 is an aboriginal triumph that sets the titular entity on his strangest treks yet. 

In "The Weavers," Horseman soars from a Lynch-ian factory, into the company of a female mummy (i.e. a mysterious, spooled lady), who guides him to a fascinating spectrum where Native American-styled variants of himself engage in artistic pleasure. 

The natives' creative devotion then catapults our hero into yet another spiritual sphere, this one featuring a fanciful shaman, a lady arachnid and a humungous eagle. To say the least, the transformative spree goes far beyond any that one might find among ho-hum, pedestrian procedures. 

As a bonus to the main feature, Johnson includes "Hopper-long Horseman," which pays homage to artist Edward Hopper. The adventure's images flow from a Nighthawks niche and tumble into additional avenues of moody isolation, which should delight all fans of the humble visionary.  

As with Johnson's other Horseman issues, #8 more than delivers the goods for sheer surrealism. It can be purchased for the reasonable price of $7, which one can submit through Paypal at LewBrown1@verizon.net.  

TALKING SMALL PRESS COMICS *87: MORE FROM STEVE & LARNED

Steve Keeter & Larned Justin supply the podcast goods once again in Talking Small Press Comics #87, with their informative reviews of some of the best and newest in the field. 

Through their line-up, we learn of Larry Johnson's Horseman #7; Scott McClung's Sam's Public Domain Portfolio, Vol 1; and UFO Newsletter Tetragrammaton Fragments! #287; with special attention placed on a vast variety of releases involving Verl Holt Bond, Joe Ely Carrales III, Don Simpson, Steve Willis, Tom Fellrath, Matt "Doc" Hoffman, Tom Hart, John Yeo, Rob Imes and yet more. 

This is a cheerful and jammed-packed offering that all small-press fans would be wise to visit. 

Listen, view and learn at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLx0uBy_NaE

 

LARRY JOHNSON'S HORSEMAN #7: THE SPLENDOR OF CARNY MECHANICS

I have a thing for carnivals and things mechanical. I also have a thing for Larry Johnson's Horseman. An overlap of the three is nothing short of Heaven to me. 

Actually, Horseman #7 drives home the fact that carnivals are, by and large, mechanical wonderlands, with carousels, trains and motionettes. For this issue, Horseman gallops among such commodities, bringing to light the sort of spectacles that too many of us have come to take for granted. 

Of course, with this being a Horseman adventure, matters do get ever stranger as the pages progress, with our lead encountering a jack-in-the-box counterpart, which is soon replaced by a colossal, robotic Horseman, only then to be joined by a helpful clone. There's a time when our hero appears endangered within the carnival's complexities, but through Johnson's Dali-esque mirror, things do flip to his benefit. 

Like the issues that precede it, Horseman #7's amazing, 36 pages are abstract yet fun and easy to follow, like one's most memorable dreams. I found myself lost within each of its panels, and I plan to lose myself to their mystical draw again and again. 

Try Horseman #7 on for size by sending $7 to Mr. Johnson through Paypal at LewBrown1@verizon.net. Believe me, you'll be forever glad you did.  

LARRY JOHNSON'S HORSEMAN #6: A NEW CHAPTER BLOSSOMS

When I was introduced to artist/author Larry Johnson's Horseman series, I couldn't help but praise it (see Nov '23 post). Truly, the next anthropomorphic episode couldn't come fast enough. Well, #6 has arrived, and it not only captures the rich surrealism of the previous issues, but exceeds them with an enchanting, pantomimed experiment called "Blossom." 

"Blossom" is cut from the same ardent cloth as Johnson's excellent, dark-fantasy novel, The Mayfly (see March 11, 2024 post), establishing trysts that are off-kilter yet idyllic. 

As to the story's plot, Johnson's nomadic protagonist meets a seductive, limbed plant that simulates human, female features. As a result of cavorting with the being, Horseman becomes physically altered, at one point sprouting amber, horse-headed pollywogs, which are in turn nurtured by the seducer's diligent acolytes. The peculiar process prompts Horseman to sprout roses, which in turn spawn pink, winged colts, in an evident play upon the Pegasus myth. 

It's a matter of one extraordinary transformation ushering the next, each with strange and fruitful consequences, in what becomes an allegorical essay on life. Johnson's vibrant and intricate imagery strengthens the proceedings, ensuring that no matter how one interprets the fable, one will want more. 

I, for one, certainly want more. Horseman's ruminative possibilities are as exciting as they're endless, and that Johnson speaks volumes without an ounce of caption cements his status as a primo, visual maestro. 

If interested in purchasing Horseman #6, email Mr. Johnson at LewBrown1@verizon.net; he'll be sure to get back to you in little time at all, with all the details you need.  

SURREAL SOJOURNS: LARRY JOHNSON'S HORSEMAN

I reviewed Larry Johnson's Tales of the Broken B in early December (after publisher Jim Main recommended it). As Bizarrechats readers know, I became enthralled by Johnson's weird, episodic western, enough that I grew curious about his other endeavors. After watching the latest Reviewing Small Press Comics (hosted by Steve Keeter and Larned Justin), I decided to make Johnson's Horseman my next-in-line. 

Horseman is, to say the least, amazing, combining components of Doctor Strange, Doctor Fate and Doom Patrol, with a steady stream of Homer's The Odyssey, John Boorman's Zardoz and general, Native American lore, while rendered in a stylish pantomime that would make the great Marcel Marceau bow with respect. On the other hand, my florid description doesn't do Johnson's contribution anywhere near the justice it deserves. Horseman is that unique. 

Horseman is, per his unpretentious label, an anthropomorphic entity, a humanoid with a horse's head, who for modesty's sake, wears white skivvies (though with evident room for a protruding tail). Is he Earth-grown or of alien emanation? Is his terrain of the past or future? Parts of the saga imply the terrestrial here-and-now, but regardless of Horseman's origin or the landscapes he roams, his nomadic mythology triumphs all onto itself. 

Along Horseman's psychedelic paths, he encounters a goat-headed counterpart; equestrian wolf men; amphibian men; hovering fish; a haunted graveyard; an octopus guide; a voracious spider; and skeleton scientists and their fiery, Frankenstein-ish apparitions. At one point, Horseman is swallowed by a giant anglerfish and mystically escapes by emerging from a chicken egg. At other points, he's visited by insects, elephants and a Pteranodon, and more by accident than plan, manifests from a children's book to embark on yet another twisted trail. Yes, it's all quite bizarre, but that's what makes Horseman so addictive.  

My favorite segment occurs in Issue #4, when a wolf man flaunts a grandmother persona, in homage to Little Red Riding Hood. Also, there's substantial food for thought in Johnson's recurring, lupine motif, as it often places the titular lead in a Brothers Grimm context. 

At present, Horseman consists of five, color issues, with a sixth in development. To embellish the existing exploits, Johnson offers an impressive companion piece, Encounter: The Birth of Horseman. 

This 160-page volume features Johnson's black-and-white illustrations, which influenced the character's progression. From an artistic standpoint, Encounter is as captivating as the individual comics, and for anyone who gets hooked on Horseman (and how can one not?), the curation will act as an appreciated appendage. 

For their innovative pizzazz, the Horseman entries are worth the indulgence. Please feel free to email Johnson on the issues' prices (individually or combined) at LewBrown1@verizon.net.

And for those who desire a steady spree of Johnson's color, Horseman imagery, check out his fantastic, YouTube channel at 

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLH2qnSaWeyd_N4_HkP9kUfmGcLHhsdoVa