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REVIEW: THE SWIMMER WITH A ROPE IN HIS TEETH; A Shadow Fable
Reviewed by Ed Mathews

Story by: Jeanne E. Shaffer
Adapted and Illustrated by: Howard Cruse
Publisher: Prometheus Books
70 pages
April 2004
ISBN: 1-59102-181-2

Review:

THE SWIMMER WITH A ROPE IN HIS TEETH is a huge departure from any work that Howard Cruse has done in the past. That having been said, it was also my first exposure to Cruse’s work and part of what made me want to examine it. Since reading it, I have read his other creations, like WENDEL and STUCK RUBBER BABY, but my first true exposure to Cruse has to be the most dramatic stylistic departure of his career. Typically associated with the style shown in this week’s comic strip in YOUNG BOTTOMS IN LOVE, Cruse chose to use a series of stylized silhouettes to adapt Jeanne E. Shaffer’s modern fable set in ancient times. This choice worked.

The tale is one that has been seen countless times before; it’s an all-ages tale of the Land of Evil and Woe and the Land of Good and Happiness, of trust and distrust, and how the actions of one anonymous man could affect a society. After examining the body of Cruse’s work, I would have been shocked to see him involved in an all-ages fable; after looking at this work, I’m shocked he hadn’t tried sooner. Shaffer provides Cruse with a simple, easily accessible tale of a world of dualities, where everything is black and white, making Cruse’s choice all the more logical. It reminds one of xylography, the art of wood-block printing. This give the reader an immediate sense that this is a timeless tale since it evokes an ancient style. The characters manage to retain Cruse’s expressive faces, however.

For the Cruse completist, this is a fine addition to your collection. As an all-ages book, this is a gem. If what you are looking for is typical Howard Cruse, you will not be getting it in SWIMMER.

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Ed Mathews is Co-Editor in Chief of PopImage.


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