Leviathan, The Jungle and other works by Jack Teagle

JACK Teagle’s passion for creating comics is obvious and his hard work and dedication to the craft shine through in a sweeping portfolio of work characterised by humour, his own unique style and a genuine honesty and vulnerability that set his work apart from the crowd and make his voice one of the strongest and most interesting in the UK’s burgeoning small press scene.

A prolific creator, it is a testament to Teagle’s commitment to comics that such a wide range of his work is available in print and online and it was with some frustration that I missed the opportunity to buy work from him at both the Lakes International Comic Art Festival and Thought Bubble in 2014.

So it was with an aspect akin to a kid let loose in Will Wonka’s Chocolate Factory that I plundered his online store, and with the sense of excitement, anticipation and inspiration, that only new mini comics can bring, that a few days later, I tore open a bulging envelope to find six beautifully produced books by Teagle and set to work enjoying my swag.

Teagle’s work is rich and varied, every book a piece of the puzzle that is the man behind the comics, each revealing something new about his motivations and his nature and enriching the tapestry that is his overall portfolio.

In Turtles Fighters, Teagle draws on a fine tradition of homage/ fan-fiction in mini comics, where creators reimagine other popular characters from comics, cartoons, films and fiction, here adding just the right dose of irreverence to sate our adult cynicism without demeaning the nostalgia he – and certainly me and I imagine most of his readers - have for the original source material.

Turtles Fighters is funny and brutal in a way that reminds me of my own childhood efforts to further the adventures of the heroes on a half-shell, with Teagle’s smart, elegant lines and deceptively simple style perfectly complementing that humour and proving to be surprisingly dynamic where the action calls for it to be.

Teagle shows a sophisticated understanding of his medium here, perfectly pacing his shorter strips to craft space for punchlines that often had me laughing out loud.

In the longer strips, the art comes alive, showing off Teagle’s versatility and ability to depict action and physical comedy, at the same time adeptly utilising the longer form to tell more involved stories and weave in more intricate gags.

The Jungle - one of a number of 24hr comics Teagle has produced -  is a change of pace, proving he is just as comfortable creating longer, more complex and challenging work.

With an existential plot, detailing one man’s descent into madness, The Jungle reveals an edge to Teagle that is both intriguing and sympathetic, exposing a thoughtfulness and vulnerability in his work that is enticing.

The humour is still here, but it’s somehow softer, playing nicely against the more sombre tone of the artwork, where jet black backgrounds add weight to the anxiety and vulnerability of the hero.

It's here that I first find myself admiring Teagle's use of layouts and start to realise how well he understands his medium, exploiting an array of panel combinations to create a variety of effects and punctuate the stories shifting moods. 

Leviathan - another 24 hour comic – again highlights Teagle’s ability to use his work to ask more complex, difficult questions of his readers.

It’s a wonderful, beautifully-formed, philosophical piece that sees two travellers questioning the nature of their God and of creation - Teagle’s trademark art style here hitting new notes again, with a bold visual language that is at times, reminiscent of religious iconography.

In The Day That Jack Left Earth and An Anxious Visual Diary Teagle again switches gears, stepping away from fiction, for two autobiographical books - or at least two comics that features his own avatar as the lead and his thoughts as the narrative. 

In doing so, he reveals an entirely different side of himself, as a man filled with angst, paranoia and self-doubt.

This is the autobiographical comics genre at its best for me, an artist laying their soul bare for his audience, telling us about their fears, their frustrations and their struggles and it only serves to make me like Teagle as an artist even more, adding another layer of depth to some of the themes he has already expressed in his fiction of isolation, anxiety, anger and fear.

Few small press creators are as comfortable in both autobio and fiction as Teagle proves he is here and it is testament to his hard work that he is so capable in both forms of the medium.

In 100% Unofficial Simpsons Comix Teagle returns to homage and in doing so, forges my favourite book in the selection I read.

Again, the healthy irreverence and the love for the characters work in concert rather than conflict, and when Teagle rolls out classic dialogue ("Why you little ..."), it is evident the balance he's striking is note-perfect.

The character designs of The Simpsons play to his art style, meaning that when he makes a change (aging Bart, dressing Lisa as a goth, turning Homer into a dog), it feels natural and does nothing to interrupt the flow of what are an increasingly surreal set of strips. 

I'm left with a picture of Teagle as comics creator with a full arsenal of skills, a fine understanding of his craft and a passion for creating comics, but also as a human being, one that shares many of my own anxieties and self-doubt.

Well in his work, he need have no doubt: His comics are a fine addition to any collection and the success with which he turns his hand to a variety of styles will appeal to fans from all corners of the comics community.

One of the great things about discovering someone like Jack Teagle, is that, six comics in, I barely feel I've scratched the surface. It only takes a quick trawl of the Internet to find a plethora of other books I have yet to read.

In fact, as I finished writing this I saw a tweet promoting his latest work, The Unmentionables, a wrestling comic which I absolutely have to lay my hands on soon.

You can find Jack Teagle on Twitter @jackteagle and online at www.jackteagle.co.uk where you can buy much of his work.