FrankenComics (Self-Published)
Frank Candiloro
Frank Candiloro is a name I’m not familiar with. He is not someone who changed my life, nor is he the best comic book creator alive. But he is someone who was able to deliver a nice message that should be noted throughout the review. While I don’t always agree with this message, I do believe that people should listen to it and make strides to try and hold it in their own way.
The Black Cat doesn’t have the longest premise. It’s just about a young artist named Raecl (I don’t their gender I’m very sorry.) and they open up an art studio. It talks about the challenges and accomplishments Raecl faces and how he deals with them using a giant black cat. It’s not very long and it’s a quick read for others to try.
Raecl is a really cool character. I really like how they have a simplistic dream as an artist and they go for their goal of making it come true. They follow their own path and do their own thing without harming anyone. I do pity Raecl as they go on their journey and the challenges they face. They aren’t as gruesome as near death experiences, but they do cause enough emotional pain. With that said, their trials are something that should be noted as a human. As a reader, these things may become a second glance. Depending on how involved a reader is, they may or may not like Raecl’s personality. I personally love Raecl’s style. I know I would never be able to pull it off, but they do it really well. Hats off to Candiloro for being able to create Raecl’s personal style. I love their hair so much! The black cat is a menace of its own, but it’s also a nice representation on Raecl’s emotions.
I love the simplicity of the plot. I think this comic would work really well for younger audiences. That is not to say the comic is “childish” or “playful”. In reality, this comic is short enough for younger readers to learn about life lessons that normally aren’t taught in other picture books. The symbolism used in this story is really well done. Candiloro could have hidden it hard enough and made readers look for it. Usually, I would encourage it for other stories. In this case, I love how obvious the symbolism is because of the plot’s simplicity. Also, because I take things at face value, I am an idiot when it comes to hidden easter eggs. So thank you to the creator! I really like the themes overall: be kind and let everyone do art. There’s no perfect definition of art and everyone has their own style. I would like to point out that the creator doesn’t touch on how someone should judge art. That’s an area I wish the creator covered. With that said, criticism should be used carefully as a means of improvement. However, it shouldn’t result in destroying a person’s emotions.
Finally, I love the art style. It reminds me a bit of Picasso because of the angular shapes. I also love the detailing for the characters’ expressions. I’m not an art expert, but it is rare to see a geometric style like this one. The coloring is really nice and I wouldn’t change it. Other readers with an artistic background may prefer more shades when it comes to all of the objects. But I think it’s really good overall.
The comic was a nice tale that showed that challenges an artist would face. It’s not overly complicated with complex characters or even intriguing plot points. There was a beginning, middle and solid end that pleases the child in all of us and reminds of hope and goodness. I really do think this comic would be great for younger audiences and would teach valuable lessons to them. For more information on how to buy this comic, click here.