Carol Lay: Art from Under the Skin
A Servante of Darkness Pick of the Month
I've liked underground comics my whole life, so it's no wonder I've come
to know the artwork of Carol Lay. If my aged memory serves (and it
doesn't), I first discovered the comic art of Carol Lay in "Weirdo"
(1981-1993), Robert Crumb's comic book answer to "RAW Magazine", which
he considered "highbrow". Lay's "weird" artwork became a staple of her
style, but it evolved as she tackled contemporary topics, especially
modern women in a traditional world of romance and rituals seen through
an askew point of view. Naturally,
after "Weirdo", she created "Good Girls" 1-6 (1987-1991), published by Fantagraphics and Rip-Off Press.
Since then, Lay has drawn for DC, Bongo Comics (The Simpsons Comic
Book), Kitchen Sink Press, Last Gasp, and other traditional and
underground venues as well. "Murderville" is one of my current
favorites.
