The Blot
Writing and art by Tom Neely
I Will Destroy You, 2007
By Miles Baker
I’m not sure what I’d do if a giant black cloud were either following me around or spewing from all my facial orifices. I probably wouldn’t think too hard about what it metaphysically meant, but that’s what I did when I read The Blot.
I’m hesitant to say what The Blot is about or what my interpretation of it is. The dream-like story is about a mute character and an ominous black form that follows him around. But it doesn’t just follow him around; it eventually consumes and later emanates from him. He’s taught to control the blot by a female character that has the only speaking role. What the blot represents is artfully open to multiple interpretations. It has some obvious meanings, but subtleties are apparent and the book proves more compelling on re-readings.
But an interesting, ambiguous metaphor aren’t the only thing working for The Blot. Neely’s art is incredible and fits the story very well. His style is almost nostalgic, influenced by cartoonists from another time — Walt Disney or Chuck Jones — and so is the content, but in a different way. The lines are confident and full of motion. It all looks effortless, which I’m assuming means that the exact opposite is true of the process. My favourite parts are when his classic style slams into more modern content, like full-frontal nudity. That odd juxtaposition is natural and, again, works with the story. While the book is largely black and white, the sparse use of colour is effective and — more importantly — beautiful.
It all drips with meaning.
For more about this book, or to purchase it, visit iwilldestroyyou.com.
This was certainly a weird book. I mostly found it sad. That giant wolf was probably the best part.