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Time’s Up #9: Bearing the Wait

I first discovered Patrick Lee while I was out in L.A. a couple of years ago visiting a friend (the same one who did the James Kochalka interview). It was because of an absolutely striking cover that he did for a comic called “She Said” which had the likeness of a hauntingly beautiful woman. For me it was like how most people apparently see the Mona Lisa; an enigmatic picture that you can’t get out of your head. I remember buying it and being impressed by the issue, and by the other ones of his that I bought too, but… There has always been something holding me back from unreservedly recommending him to friends of mine. “He’s OK”, I say, and then try to explain why it’s just OK and not great. I still can’t tell you exactly why that is, but I can say this: he’s not doing enough. It’s nothing I can put my finger on. His commitment to his comic is commendable, his art has gotten better from the last time I saw it (it wasn’t bad to begin with), I remember laughing more than a few times in this issue, it’s just… Well, it seems to me like he’s one intangible away from greatness. I don’t know what that is or I would be happy to pass it along, and it’s not like what he is now is bad at all, because it’s still a consistently entertaining read, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I thought he had more in him somewhere.

After reading #9 again for this review, I have to say that whatever it is that he’s missing, he’s getting a lot closer to having it. #9 is a series of one or two page stories and almost all of them “work”. “5 Types of Comic Convention Geeks” was a joy, although it would go right over the head of somebody who had never been at a convention. Wait a minute, do people that have never been to a convention even read minis? Well, never mind then. Daily events, the life of a mailbox, past events in his life, fictional stories like the one where the couple burns each other’s porn, even the Kubrick tribute, they all entertain. And what more can you ask for than that? On another note, will somebody please send me some crappy minis? I’m trying real hard to be negative here, but all the minis I have I either like or they aren’t in print anymore for me to bash. I’m trying to be mean here, dammit!

Ask Patrick what he has in print:

Patrick J. Lee 280 N. Florence Street Burbank, CA 91505-3618

Or e-mail him first and see what he has.