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A review by hypops
Prison Pit, Vol. 1 by Johnny Ryan
3.0
Having just very recently read a handful of Gary Panter’s Jimbo books, it’s impossible not to see Panter’s strong influence on Johnny Ryan’s comic (though both Panter and Ryan drink deeply from the well of George Herriman).
But where Panter’s work grows into a kind of “refined post-punk, spiritual hedonism,” Ryan’s first Prison Pit book pretty much just shows a lot of blood, guts, and penises. Characters wander a vast wasteland and beat one another to a disgustingly juicy pulp in increasingly humiliating ways.
So, yeah, this book is kind of awesome. It’s also stupidly childish. It’s the punk version of a Road Runner cartoon.
But where Panter’s work grows into a kind of “refined post-punk, spiritual hedonism,” Ryan’s first Prison Pit book pretty much just shows a lot of blood, guts, and penises. Characters wander a vast wasteland and beat one another to a disgustingly juicy pulp in increasingly humiliating ways.
So, yeah, this book is kind of awesome. It’s also stupidly childish. It’s the punk version of a Road Runner cartoon.