Floid #2 review

This article originally appeared in Strangehaven issue issue #11, April 1999.

FLOID #2 (Floid Press) 24 pages + b/w covers, comicbook size.

I don’t know how old Adam Jakes is, but the impression I get is that he’s a young artist/writer with a lot of potential. His inking style is clean and simple and the high contrast adds a lot of impact to his layouts. It does look as if it’s drawn actual-size (rather than reduced) as it lacks a little detail and tightness, but this could also be interpreted his style. Parts of the book read very well, parts not so well, but this is to be expected of a fledgling creator. The lettering is superb for a small-press book – which makes it much more pleasurable to read than some.

The premise of the story is reminiscent (if not derivative) of early issues of Sam Kieth’s The Maxx in that Floid is a creature spawned from the subconscious of the main protagonist, Suzie (“quiet, neurotic twenty-something”) when she sleeps or is otherwise unconscious. But there’s also some original ideas in there too.

Adam probably still needs a little more time to develop his craft before he launches himself onto the world stage, but he shows a lot of promise, and deserves support.