…Michael DeForge’s new Ant Colony, a book unbound by its ambition. Originally published as a weekly webcomic following the doomed insect nest—and what’s more termite-like than a compulsive drive to produce X pages every seven days?—this little bug scales some elephantine subjects, such as war, transgression, authority, family, decaying relationships, religious revelation and societal collapse.
The phrase “best cartoonist of his [1980s-born] generation” attends DeForge like a tracking tag on a wing, but less often said, and more interesting, is that he might equally be the most prolific one. Last month, he tweeted: “have drawn 221 pages since January 1st 2013 and trying to hit 242 before January 1st 2014.” All this happens alongside his day job as a designer for the unnervingly funny kids’ show Adventure Time, a gig one hesitates to separate from his comics work, since so much of the latter dwells on strange fashions and warped forms. For all the use of “body horror” as a password to his stories, the ones that do cross that diseased wavelength are extraordinary in this sense of integration; David Cronenberg left the production of his disintegrating jaws and mutant gynecological tools to others.
One of DeForge’s characteristic techniques is transposing some quotidian conversation to a bizarre new context—or, conversely, acquainting alien forces with ours. He gives taxonomy to the unfathomable and watches familiar tropes slide into anachronism. In a near-future dystopia populated by talking dogs, a hapless, delusional dad announces: “I’m gonna start seeing a therapist this week. I’m doing it partially as research for my screenplay!” Half of Ant Colony’s central couple frets “I feel like you’re angry with me,” sitting on their miniature couch in an otherwise featureless landscape. DeForge’s approach to character design works a similar effect, as in Spotting Deer, where Wikipedia-like anthropological examination of the titular animal spirals outwards to encompass cultural history and finally the narrator’s life-destroying obsession his subject. Even in the semi-disowned debut issue of his annual series Lose, which DeForge vowed never to reprint, it seeps through the less elegant compositions and superhero parody: a desiccated mascot-sprite explains “your eyes can only pop out of their sockets so many times before the skin around them starts to sag.”
His aesthetic is more stylized and simplified now, but the very outlandishness of DeForge’s looks sometimes dominates whatever narrative surrounds them: Leather Space Man, for example, imagines Prince as an unearthly fetish-gear-wreathed enigma, then imagines the implications of that. The weirdness in Ant Colony emerges organically, a whole skewed ecosystem. Bulbous ants wear their organs painted on them like cosmetics; centipedes evoke elongated limos; earthworms get chopped up until they resemble melted vinyl, still murmuring “ha ha.” DeForge visualizes spiders as wolfish cartoon dog heads perched atop eight black sabres, a single hidden eye staring from their mouths—Carl Barks adapting Bataille. The funny-animals tradition in comics often gets passed down as something vaguely shameful, a style beloved by French people, children, and the velvety sybarites of FurAffinity.net. Ant Colony fuses animal and human qualities like a telepod accident.
“In his zeal,” Maggie Nelson’s Bluets marvels, “in the ‘dark chamber’ of his room at Trinity College, Newton at times took to sticking iron rods or sticks in his eyes to produce then analyze his perceptions of colour.” I would happily impale my pupils on DeForge’s hues. I’m partial to the custard yellow he uses for everything from the massive ant queen’s breasts to an inverted pyramid of magnified sunlight, but others pierced my affections too. A black sheen sweating on each colony drone. Imperial reds shading a rival ant tribe, the only halfway realistic-looking creatures in the book and thereby the Other. Pale pink snaking its minty course through a whited-out fertilization sequence. After the aforementioned sunlight bears down on warring ants like some towering abstracted sword, their charred corpses lie over smooth lawny green, a bucolic necropolis.
Real anthills only seem matriarchal to human eyes. A queen exercises no command or authority over the superorganism; she exists solely to reproduce, a fascist’s dream girl. In a species marked by individuality, classes would begin to assert control—none more aggressively, DeForge suggests, than the paramilitary male variety. The creepiest figure in the book is a cowardly, violent ant cop who seeks to maintain the status quo primarily because of the sadistic license it grants him. “I don’t want to fight,” he confesses. “I don’t want to die. I want to remain alive as a police officer.” The detective explains that “officers are encouraged to strike criminals in a way that leaves their faces scarred in order to shame them,” then adds: “That was a lie. We aren’t encouraged to do that. But I’ve done it twice before.” One of the baby red ants play-acts as a cop by wrapping its head with entrails.
Made up of short serialized chunks, mostly drawn across the same nine-panel grid, Ant Colony depicts a civilization annihilating itself in bleak, queasy-funny episodes. Survivors can only stagger onwards, upholding the worst tendencies imparted to them, whether romantic or murderous. DeForge’s story is a horrifying indictment of a system where revolutionary thought seems impossible. The one ant who truly escapes social law is a libertine psychopath, the sort of gourmand who wonders what cannibalism might taste like, later musing: “I’d like to go swimming … I’d like to eat a mosquito … I’d like to fuck a living thing while that thing was caught in a spiderweb.” DeForge gives him roaming, ovular eyes and a little parenthesis of a mouth, inverted with self-amusement. In the wreckage of the queendom, he grills rancid meat and sings “Just Can’t Wait to Be King.”
DeForge’s grim joke of an ending leaves the future in the mandibles of a traitorous cop, a sundering non-family, and a child prophet high on inhaled earthworm. Our closest thing to a heroic character is reduced to dragging a shovel through the dirt, pleading: “We can design it how we want. We can make things different! … I’ve spent my whole life just—just moving tiny bullshit around some other tiny bullshit…” The lone hopeful note comes when the oracle tells him that visionary foresight is really only a series of randomly apocalyptic hallucinations. In 1962, thinking about Little Orphan Annie’s blank eyes, Manny Farber argued that termite art aims for “the feeling that all is expendable, that it can be chopped up and flung down in a different arrangement without ruin.” What happens to a society that cannot even picture anything but the settled order? Ant Colony’s first image is one of the oldest: a plump fallen apple, chewed down to its sinewy, shriveling core.
p.s. Hey. ** David Ehrenstein, Hi. Ha, that was an Ehrenstein-ish comment if there ever was one. ** Dominik, Hi!!! Oops, well, Dolan’s are the kind of films that are pretty divisive, and that often speaks well for the work. Love or hate is kind of the most ideal response. Ha, thank you for that love. I’m sure I can find a welcoming response for it. Stockholm was great. The screening was sold out, amazing response. The famous Swedish avant-pop star Robyn came and said she really liked the film. A heartening trip. How have you been? Love placing a legal ten year ban on the use of the words Kanye West in any human utterance, spoken or typed, G. ** _Black_Acrylic, Thanks! It went really well, as I just told Dominick. Zac is not an ABBA fan, so we did not get to go to said museum, but now I need to book a trip to London to see what they announced yesterday. Whoa! ** Bill, Hi. Yes, a coupla keepers, those two. I’m glad you liked that Luther Price. Yeah, he’s good. The screening went great, thanks! You good? ** Steve Erickson, I haven’t been interested by a BLaB film in many years, so I’m not chomping at the bit for his new one. The trip was great, the screening couldn’t have gone better, No, the traveling was easy. It was disorienting being in Stockholm where no one wears masks anywhere, not even on public transport. Hopefully I escaped unscathed. Wow, great about the Lizzie Borden interview. Everyone, Mr. Erickson interviewed the great and so ridiculously under utilised filmmaker Lizzie Borden on the fine, fine Brooklyn Rail right here. I’ve heard and liked some Bruiser Wolf tracks. So, yeah, thanks! ** David, You’re having a colorful life, man. And thanks for your sharing of its colors. ** Okay. Here’s a restoration of an old post by the wonderful writer and more and former (well, eternal) d.l. Chris Dankland propping an artist he understandably likes a bunch. Follow his lead please. See you tomorrow.
@ Chris, I missed this intro the first time round so I’m very happy for the DeForge primer. Webcomics were a glaring gap in my art knowhow until today.
@ DC, some of my own best friend are ABBA unbelievers and it tears me up inside. Maybe the new hologram version will see them right?
The new episode of Play Therapy is online here at Tak Tent Radio! Ben ‘Jack Your Body’ Robinson brings you German Disco, Danish Electro and some ecologically sound Dancehall vibes too.
Thanks Dennis… some great imagery there… I am an artist and write as well… must say and I’m sure you get this… I’m often more stimulated elsewhere other than in the art houses and galleries nowadays…I used to paint at a graffiti tunnel/out and about for 4+ years….. as you know you get to that point where you’ve seen it all…. in order to see knew stuff you have to go elsewhere… I like wandering down derelict roads etc…. recently in Liverpool I spotted this crazy crucifix-like apparatus in a work yard…. reminded me a bit of a lethal injection Gurney like the one Timothy Mcveigh was on…. I’d show you the photos I took here but I know you can’t do that… and I understand why… also walking along the beach I spotted a number dead animals on various days… a seal.. a porpoise etc… I start to burn inside often looking at other people’s artwork often…. funnily enough I’m not minding at all ‘here’ cheers x
Have a nice long weekend and if you live in L.A. contact me at [email protected] and dop by and Buy
DVDS; : Marguerite Duras”Memoir of War,” Godard’s “Sympathy For thw Devil (One Plus One”, “Sauve Qui Peut(laVie)” aka “Every Man For Himself”and “, “Keep UpYour Right,” Bergman’s “The Seventh Seal,” Andrej Wajda’s”Walesa :Man of Hope”Chantal Ackerman’s “LaChambre,” Hotel Mnterey,” News From Home,” Je Tu Il Elle,” and “Les Rendezvous D’Anna,” Bett Grable in “Pin-Up Girl,” “Seven Brides For Seven Brothers” and on tape “Celine and Julie Go Boating”
BOOKs
72 Drawings by David Hockney
“Neil Young” by Tom Clark
“Eastward Ha!” by S.J. Perleman
“The Rise of the Guardian”
Audrey Hepburn
“Pioneers and Entrepreneurs” The Making of Los Angeles 1827-1927
Jordan Peele “Pieces of Us”
Martin Scorsese “TheIrishman”
George Clooney “The Midnight Sky
Welcome back! I’m so happy to hear Stockholm was such a fantastic experience – with Robyn’s feedback and all. Congratulations!
I’m fine, thank you. I can already see that I’ll love today’s post, but I have approximately 2 working brain cells right now (I just finished work), so it’ll be part of my weekend treat. I’m heavily into the music of this very young Hungarian guy, Lidokami, nowadays, so I think I’ll spend my evening listening to him.
Haha, I’m happy to say your love’s ban won’t make my life too difficult. Love dedicating his latest book to you even though its blurb is “A cowboy seeks a husband via reality TV”, Od.
The Kanye Discourse is so exhausting that I want to stay far away from his new music.
I listened to a lidokami song, on Dominik’s recommendation, and it reminded me of Yung Lean/Drain Gang doing ballads minus the hip-hop elements. An intriguing starting place.
Do you have any other travel within Europe lined up? I hope it’s possible to bring your next film to festivals around the world in person.
I saw Todd Haynes’ Velvets doc yesterday. It’s better than most music docs, far more imaginatively directed. Lou Reed’s death and the lack of quality live footage of the band may have pushed it in a more creative direction. (The film incorporates clips from practically every major American avant-garde filmmaker working through the mid ’60s.) It also leads to a thesis that the tension between Cale & Reed was the band’s guiding force; Haynes seems much less interested in their music after the first album. If you know much about the band, it repeats many old stories, especially about the group dressing in black, acting surly and hating hippies on their California tour. But I also learned something about Cale and Reed’s early lives. However, the first few minutes set up something potentially astonishing and much more experimental – a rapid montage of early ’60s TV clips (including Cale’s appearance on a game show!) set to a particularly fiery viola solo – that the rest doesn’t live up to.
Welcome back Dennis and Zac! Glad to hear things went well, despite the lack of mask-wearing.
I think I missed this post the first time. I like a lot of Deforge’s work, though he’s so prolific I’ve only read a little of it. (That’s quite an apartment, ha.) My favorite is Stunt: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45746907-stunt
Very interesting design, and the text is rather Evenson-ian. I also liked Big Kids. But even his work that I thought didn’t work so well is pretty interesting.
Congratulations on the new ep, Steve! Am checking out now…
FLUNKER, six fictions, 124 pp., coming from Amphetamine Sulphate in July. US, July 4: Preorders open. UK/Europe, July 19: Preorders open. Cover by Michael Salerno.
* POSTPONED: May 27 – 31: Paris @ Théâtre du Châtelet: THIS IS HOW YOU WILL DISAPPEAR * POSTPONED: October (dates TBA): New York @ Brooklyn Academy of Music: CROWD
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Now available in North America 
*
@ Chris, I missed this intro the first time round so I’m very happy for the DeForge primer. Webcomics were a glaring gap in my art knowhow until today.
@ DC, some of my own best friend are ABBA unbelievers and it tears me up inside. Maybe the new hologram version will see them right?
The new episode of Play Therapy is online here at Tak Tent Radio! Ben ‘Jack Your Body’ Robinson brings you German Disco, Danish Electro and some ecologically sound Dancehall vibes too.
Thanks Dennis… some great imagery there… I am an artist and write as well… must say and I’m sure you get this… I’m often more stimulated elsewhere other than in the art houses and galleries nowadays…I used to paint at a graffiti tunnel/out and about for 4+ years….. as you know you get to that point where you’ve seen it all…. in order to see knew stuff you have to go elsewhere… I like wandering down derelict roads etc…. recently in Liverpool I spotted this crazy crucifix-like apparatus in a work yard…. reminded me a bit of a lethal injection Gurney like the one Timothy Mcveigh was on…. I’d show you the photos I took here but I know you can’t do that… and I understand why… also walking along the beach I spotted a number dead animals on various days… a seal.. a porpoise etc… I start to burn inside often looking at other people’s artwork often…. funnily enough I’m not minding at all ‘here’ cheers x
DaForge is DA BOMB
Have a nice long weekend and if you live in L.A. contact me at [email protected] and dop by and Buy
DVDS; : Marguerite Duras”Memoir of War,” Godard’s “Sympathy For thw Devil (One Plus One”, “Sauve Qui Peut(laVie)” aka “Every Man For Himself”and “, “Keep UpYour Right,” Bergman’s “The Seventh Seal,” Andrej Wajda’s”Walesa :Man of Hope”Chantal Ackerman’s “LaChambre,” Hotel Mnterey,” News From Home,” Je Tu Il Elle,” and “Les Rendezvous D’Anna,” Bett Grable in “Pin-Up Girl,” “Seven Brides For Seven Brothers” and on tape “Celine and Julie Go Boating”
BOOKs
72 Drawings by David Hockney
“Neil Young” by Tom Clark
“Eastward Ha!” by S.J. Perleman
“The Rise of the Guardian”
Audrey Hepburn
“Pioneers and Entrepreneurs” The Making of Los Angeles 1827-1927
Jordan Peele “Pieces of Us”
Martin Scorsese “TheIrishman”
George Clooney “The Midnight Sky
Hi!!
Welcome back! I’m so happy to hear Stockholm was such a fantastic experience – with Robyn’s feedback and all. Congratulations!
I’m fine, thank you. I can already see that I’ll love today’s post, but I have approximately 2 working brain cells right now (I just finished work), so it’ll be part of my weekend treat. I’m heavily into the music of this very young Hungarian guy, Lidokami, nowadays, so I think I’ll spend my evening listening to him.
Haha, I’m happy to say your love’s ban won’t make my life too difficult. Love dedicating his latest book to you even though its blurb is “A cowboy seeks a husband via reality TV”, Od.
Hello Dennis, hello dankland,
Major announcement from Nine-Banded Books and Amphetamine Sulphate today regarding a very special joint venture:
http://www.ninebandedbooks.com/bandedbooks/lionel-maunz-peter-sotos/
https://amphetaminesulphate.bigcartel.com/product/lionel-maunz-peter-sotos
How were your travels? Did you suffer from Stockholm syndrome ?? Lmao
I hope all is well with you and Zac.
Love ,
James
My new ep is finally done!: https://callinamagician.bandcamp.com/album/final-boy.
The Kanye Discourse is so exhausting that I want to stay far away from his new music.
I listened to a lidokami song, on Dominik’s recommendation, and it reminded me of Yung Lean/Drain Gang doing ballads minus the hip-hop elements. An intriguing starting place.
Do you have any other travel within Europe lined up? I hope it’s possible to bring your next film to festivals around the world in person.
I saw Todd Haynes’ Velvets doc yesterday. It’s better than most music docs, far more imaginatively directed. Lou Reed’s death and the lack of quality live footage of the band may have pushed it in a more creative direction. (The film incorporates clips from practically every major American avant-garde filmmaker working through the mid ’60s.) It also leads to a thesis that the tension between Cale & Reed was the band’s guiding force; Haynes seems much less interested in their music after the first album. If you know much about the band, it repeats many old stories, especially about the group dressing in black, acting surly and hating hippies on their California tour. But I also learned something about Cale and Reed’s early lives. However, the first few minutes set up something potentially astonishing and much more experimental – a rapid montage of early ’60s TV clips (including Cale’s appearance on a game show!) set to a particularly fiery viola solo – that the rest doesn’t live up to.
[Umm, if this appears twice, sorry]
Welcome back Dennis and Zac! Glad to hear things went well, despite the lack of mask-wearing.
I think I missed this post the first time. I like a lot of Deforge’s work, though he’s so prolific I’ve only read a little of it. (That’s quite an apartment, ha.) My favorite is Stunt:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45746907-stunt
Very interesting design, and the text is rather Evenson-ian. I also liked Big Kids. But even his work that I thought didn’t work so well is pretty interesting.
Congratulations on the new ep, Steve! Am checking out now…
Bill