Love is a comic zine following the adventures of Jack and Pokie, two guys who happen to be in love with each other. Their creator, Matt, hopes to tell a story about a relationship between two people while avoiding the usual gay clinches (such as �gyms, cruising, and fancy French restaurants�!). I think he accomplishes this task fairly well. Jack and Pokie are real characters, not caricatures. Like most of us, they�re artists or writers with punk leanings. They work at crappy jobs they hate while wishing for something more. But the �more� isn�t what everybody else wants, like houses and cars, career, maturity, credit cards and social standing. I think the �more� is not so much about getting to another place, but about feeling okay with choosing a life that satisfies you. And no, I don�t mean the gay lifestyle here. I mean the punk-inspired, zinester lifestyle where creation is everything and daily life is fulfilling. Because there is no tangible �prize� to work towards, our lives are made to feel less successful, less real. Jack and Pokie are happy, if unsure about the future. I feel the exact same way. My life is very good, but it�s not like everybody else�s. And that sometimes makes me feel like shit, even though I know it shouldn�t. Because I don�t want my life to be like everybody else�s. Anyway, enough of my shitty, bitter philosophy. The drawing is good and I especially love the parodies of �Milk & Cheese� and �The Powerpuff Girls�! There�s just the teensiest bit of sex in here, many declarations of love, plus a wise homeless man to wrap it all up. Oh, and also I really, really want a crow�s nest of my very own! It would make my thinkings that much better.
