Tom Hands: A Tale of Stories by Warwick Johnson Cadwell

IN Tom Hands: A Tale of Stories, Warwick Johnson Cadwell, draws on the maritime tradition of tall tales to spin us a series of salty yarns which ask a profound question about the power of stories to remember us after we're gone.

Created at The Lakes International Comic Art Festival as part of the 24 Hour Comic Marathon Tom Hands is a tremendous achievement in storytelling, as visually stunning as it is accomplished in its narrative choices.

It is clear from the outset that the author thoroughly enjoyed the production of this story and there were times where I wondered whether the conditions of the 24 hour challenge hadn't somewhat release Cadwell from his artisitic shackles so to speak. 

His artwork throughout is full of life, almost frenetic in places, with lines that at first glance might seem casual, that prove on a second lookl to be meticulously placed and essential struts and building blocks in the layered experience Tom Hands offers its readers.

Bold black strokes cast dark shadows and bring a fantastic depth to Cadwell's settings and cast, including the wonderful trio of gnarled old salt dogs whose stories weave the central premise of the book, but also the dark corners of the The Last Hand, the pub they choose as their choose to tell their tales. 

Cadwell uses a limited colour palette of blues and greys, which may or may not have been a necessity of the short deadline the 24 hour challenge forces on a creator, but is integral to creating the book's moody tone and left me half convinced I could smell salt on the air and hear the wind and rain battering the windows and shutters of The Last Hand, the pub chosen by the three sailors for their rum-soaked wake.

Also worth a mention, is the artist's use of tattoos as a central storytelling device, visually punctuating each of the tall tales we're told, tying into the book's themes and drawing us hook, line and sinker into each story through stylish attention grabbing splash pages (no pun intended).

Cadwell flashes his artistic chops in these and the other larger images in the book.

One particular example of that is an image of Tom leaning over the side of his boat to talk with a mermaid, which is striking in its composition, and clever in its use of negative space to embue the panel with a serenity which is rare - and all the more powerful for being so - in the story.

But it's in character design that Cadwell really shines in Tom Hands, winning our hearts with his trio of roughneck fishermen, fierce but fascinating creatures whose every word we hang on.

Tom Hands himself has the stature of a man of myth and legend like the Paul Bunyan-esque creation he has become to these men.

The mermaids are beautiful, but mysterious and ferocious and then last but not least, the barmaid, who hides in the shadows early on listening while the bluff mariners spin their tales, but steals the scene when the time is right, with fire in her eyes, salt in her blood and rum in her belly. 

Philosophically, Tom Hands asks us about the way we remember people through stories. 

Tom has become a legend in the stories people tell of him, but he's real to them all, and it is clear he is at once all four of the quite different men we hear about - the fearless fisherman, the unprincipled pirate, the roguish lover, and the heroic father. 

Cadwell expertly exploits his chosen medium in Tom Hands, perfectly pacing his story, from the first establishing shot to the splashes that punctuate each tall tale, to the final twist which leaves the audience satisfied and offers plenty of reasons to reread the book.

It's a must buy for any fans of small press and I highly recommend you hook one while you can. I will eagerly anticipating my next opportunity to land one of Cadwell's comics.

Warwick Johnson Cadwell is a professional illustrator working in editorial illustration, concept design, storyboarding and narrative art. You can find him at warwickjohnsoncadwell.blogspot.co.uk or on Twitter @WarwickJC.