Publisher: Image Comics
Afterworks collects short stories from a virtual who’s who of people you’ve never heard of from the animation industry, including work from creators who have been involved with properties such as Ice Age, The Incredibles, and Star Wars Episode 1.
The entire anthology is presented in glossy black and white with varying shades of grey. Word balloons are very much a part of the story, as lettering styles and grammatical errors and inconsistencies only seem to add to the book’s unique charm.
Afterworks opens with a story by Robert Kondo, telling of the lasting love between two brothers; even though they are no longer connected on this world, their relationship continues in spirit. Told in a simple, two-dimensional fashion with angular shapes and tones of gray, the story is profoundly moving and touching.
In fact, every part of the anthology contains its own quirks. Some, like “The Champion” by Simon Dundson, are terrifying and ethereal; others, like “The Visit” by Nathan Stanton and “Blip Atomic” by Kevin O’Brien, are innocent and whimsical. Themes run the gamut from space adventures to dog fights. Not every story is as captivating as the first one, but it’s impossible not to appreciate the effort and creativity poured into every page. The range of artistic styles alone is phenomenal, and each animator uses the black and white format to its fullest.
Afterworks is storytelling at its best: pure, raw, and stripped of everything but the bare essentials. It’s a fascinating look into the unadulterated, un-edited minds of some of the top creative geniuses working in animation today.
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