The cover.
Looking Up, the first print comic (that I know of) by Ursula Murray Husted, is one hell of a debut book. Husted is one of the forty-five cartoonists featured in the Big Funny gallery show and paper, and her book is also on sale at the exhibition (or at least it was when I was there).The inside title page says the book is “a love story between a woman, a man, and a bottomless pit.” It’s an enigmatic but accurate description. Husted went to college in West Virginia and, according to her bio at the beginning of the book, this story grew out of her feelings towards the mining industry and, more importantly, the miners whom she lived among. Olive Adkins is a waitress and reluctant, part-time gardener whose boyfriend, Colt, can no longer work in the mines due to an injury. When a seemingly bottomless pit inexplicably forms in their backyard, they’re both forced to question the lives they’re leading and the relationship they’re in.
A sample from an early page of the book.
Husted did quite a bit of research into the area, the mining industry, the lives of the people in the area, and, most notably, the environment. The book opens with two gorgeous four-page spreads showing the lush mountains and the small town nestled among them. Husted’s brushy ink style has a dreamlike elegance that’s perfect for capturing greenery and landscapes. Her use of shadows and deep black space is also masterful; there’s a truly haunting sequence where Colt remembers going into a forbidden cave with his brother when they were younger. As their candles flicker and go out, the black space around them slowly closes in, shrinking the panels and threatening the lost children.
Fantastic as the art is, though, I’m slightly disappointed by the story. The characters are developed enough and their personal stories engrossing enough that I didn’t notice until my second read-through that, for a story set in the mining country, there’s no actual mining shown in the book. The industry and its demands are mentioned in conversation, always a part of the background, but only in the background. Husted notes in the introduction that she was tremendously affected by the Sago Mine disaster, but for a reader who’s always lived in an urban environment and only knows about mining from television and films--I’m talking about myself here, basically--the book would’ve benefitted tremendously from showing the real conditions of mine work, the dangers and possible disasters of such a hazardous environment.
But the book is, first and foremost, a love story, and as a love story it succeeds very well. As with a lot of local creators and their creations, you can read the entire thing online, at Husted’s site, but I’d recommend getting the actual book if you can--it’s worth the price. (You can order a print copy from her website.) And while you’re at the site, check out her other works--I personally recommend Making Rain, a simple but heartfelt story about a young girl losing her grandmother at a young age.
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