Brief Respite

My Day Off (Self-Published by Lilli Loge): Loge’s 10^th self-published mini-comic is an ultra-limited print run of just 25 copies, which are all lovingly hand-assembled and have a hand-sewn binding. Hailing from Berlin, Loge shared with me via a handwritten note that she originally produced this with black and white originals, and then used a somehow “damaged” printer to eek out the pink hues in this edition. The experimentation continues. The original story also was a mere 3 pages; here, Loge has tinkered with the story to achieve the optimal result of each panel being placed on its own page, extending My Day Off to become a 20-page objet d’art that has enough introspection to sustain the larger narrative length. Aesthetically, Loge’s style seems to have some vintage manga influence, particularly in the facial characteristics. It’s almost as if Leiji Matsumoto dropped in some of his 1970’s figures, combined with an effervescent paper quality, and Loge’s own European fine lines to produce something slightly ethereal. Her wispy line weights, spare inks, and expert use of light create what we’d call in the Fine Art world, a minimalist composition. The main character seems to want to escape her sense of duty in a clinical setting and venture into the city at night in order to answer the call of adventure. When we can all get caught up in our isolationist work ethic, it’s a nice reminder that it’s never too late to do things for yourself and remember to prioritize your own needs in life. For ordering information visit: www.lilliloge.de Grade A.