The bloated volume by Wesley Rodrigues escapes the simple frames of the pictorial world. This work is stunning with its beauty: its diverse illustrations, going beyond the usual frames of comics, the conventionality of the plot, and the conviction that, in fact, on all sides, that it is freedom that should guide our lives.
Wesley Rodrigues is not your typical comic book artist. He is known primarily as an outstanding Brazilian director, screenwriter and creator of award-winning animations, the most recognizable of which, Faroeste: An Authentic Western , has been shown and appreciated at many festivals. The collective imaginarium took years to develop (one could say that it was a resultant of earlier works); it took the artist 11 years! Has the trouble paid off? In my opinion – definitely yes! And I hope that Rodrigues will be as recognizable and appreciated in the world of comics as in animation from now on.
Was there a word in the beginning?
Well, at the beginning of creation, there was a factory, or more precisely a factory of souls, which assigned a specific role to each of them in life. All you have to do is get a number, stand in the right line and… go! A being becomes a human, a crocodile or a giraffe. However, what was supposed to be trivially simple begins to fail when one of the souls, destined to be a cow, with every part of her being feels that she is a bird and only a bird! Despite the adversities and waking up in the cow’s body, our little soul does not let go. He wants to become a birdie at all costs and soar in the sky. And, to say the least, she manages to get up in the air, and at the same time introduce a lot of confusion in the lives of other comic book characters.
Wild at heart
Without revealing too much of the twisted plot: oppressed, practically enslaved people, thanks to the flying mug, realize that there is an undisclosed potential in each of them. The comic thus refers to the assumptions of Carl Gustav Jung’s theory, namely the “collective unconscious”, to which the title of the comic already refers. Like a soul that desires to become a bird, we ourselves are often unaware of the desires and goals that are rooted at our very foundation and which we share with others. One of these desires is precisely the eternal striving for freedom and freeing ourselves from the ever-limiting fetters of systematized reality.
Fantastic visuals
Każda strona tego wyjątkowego tomiku zachwyca; jest niczym małe dzieło sztuki. Mimo utrzymania całości w czerni i bieli, nie jest ani nudno, ani banalnie. Kreska Rodriguesa jest zróżnicowana: od ostrych, kontrastowych pociągnięć po kadry malowane miękko, niczym szkic węglem. Nie są one zamknięte w sztywnych ramach – ujęcia przechodzą płynnie między stronami, a dymki dialogów wirują na kartach równie swobodnie. Częste są też tzw. splash pages, co tylko podkręca wyjątkowość ilustracji. Dodatkowo, projekty postaci wybijają się oryginalnością, pokazując nietypowy styl rysownika, niejednokrotnie mocno pokręcony, dziki i surrealistyczny.
The beautiful edition by Mandioka also deserves praise. Hard, pleasant to the touch cover and high-quality print and paper make the comic book very easy to read. The flawless technical preparation of the Imaginarium means that nothing prevents us from receiving this work, and the charming frames are only underlined.
Value in itself
I recommend this cartoon story with all my heart. This item will surely adorn my comic book shelf. Both original, twisted content and wonderful drawings captivate and are deeply remembered. After reading is finished, a pleasant, warm feeling remains in the heart; each of us can aspire to higher goals, pursue hidden, often unconscious dreams, breathe fully and be free!
Nasza ocena: 9/10
The collective imaginary is a unique, even - I am tempted to say - an outstanding position on the Polish publishing market: graphically dazzling, with charming, original content. Recommended to both old comic book stagers and people who read picture stories only from the jump.Characters: 9/10
GRAPHIC DESIGN: 10/10
STORY: 8/10
EDITION: 10/10