Trosper [With CD]

There's just something about Jim Woodring's art in "Trosper" that triggers the happy centers in my brain! When accompanied by Bill Frisell's lovely music, it's like the cherry on the sundae!

Woodring's art work is one of the few the really capture the surreal world of early childhood dreams. As is true of all of Woodring's stuff this is a little pricey, but if you want to stimulate your child with something beautifully simple yet profound, this is a great litttle story. The music is nice but I didn't see how it related to the story. Some of the images can be a little scary as littley Trosper is being chased by some sinister critters, but not more so than a Grimms fairy tale or classic Disney.

Jim Woodring has enjoyed a comics career that runs from his beloved independent Jim and Frank books to popular additions to the Aliens and Star Wars franchises. Now, he adapts one of his newer stories to a picture-book format, and experimental jazz artist Bill Frisell is on board as well with a 6 or so minute soundtrack cd. A soundtrack cd for a tiny picture book may sound carzy to you, but Woodring and Frisell are quite serious; they are currently touring together as an art/music show.Trosper is a very short story involving a little elephant-like creature who loves his ball so so much! Sadly for him, the Forces of Darkness can't stand to see such fun, and conspire to ruin Trosper's day. That's just about it for the plot, but I think you'll be fairly involved anyway, thanks to Woodring's great color art, which just seems to get better and better. The book has one large picture on each 2nd page, with the first being blank, save for one splash picture. There are no words, but this never weakens Woodring's Frank material, and Trosper is similarly aided by the lack of text. The soundtrack is oddly dark and brooding. But this serves to bring out the darkness that seems to lurk within even Woodring's most cheerful work. Needless to say, if you like experimental electronic/jazz stuff, you'll enjoy the cd. The real fun in Trosper lies in going over it again and again. Is it pure art for art's sake? A throwback to the Little Golden Books of childhood? A commentary of childhood's dangers and fear? A fable about the human desire to erase spiritual pain through material obsession? An overpriced nicknack? Whatever it is, it's fun and beautiful, and fans of Woodring and/or Frisell ought to check it out. Everyone else: you might just like it anyhow.