Ice Cream Man Presents: Quarantine Comix #1
Written by: W. Maxwell Prince
Illustrated by: Martín Morazzo
Image Comics
2020
In the early days of the pandemic, the team behind ICE CREAM MAN launched an online-only series of mini-comics set in the ICM universe. The project was called, predictably, QUARANTINE COMIX. These strange little ditties were meant to tide folks over while the industry was on pause—and also raise money for struggling comic shops, with 50 percent of all proceeds donated to Comicbook United Fund/BINC.Now, collected in everyone’s preferred format (a floppy comic book!) are all six issues of QUARANTINE COMIX, featuring brand-new cover art and bonus stories by guest creators.And, as before, 50 percent of creator profits will go to Comicbook United to help stores get back on their feet—because comic shops are sweet.
Quarantine Comix is exactly what it sounds like – a collection of short works inspired by and originally released during the world’s recent quarantine period. The stories and artwork run the gamut, so there’s probably something for everyone between the covers. Of course, some of them appealed to me more than others, but nothing was exactly disappointing. I will say this though, almost all of them ended on a sense of dread or doom, which I suppose makes perfect sense. Still, it’s a bit of a downer, especially if things haven’t improved much for you yet. On the mental health side of things, it might be a hard read for a lot of folks.
But really, that can be a good thing in some ways. A work of art is often intended to convey emotions to the viewer, and this collection accomplishes that well. It will likely be remembered more as a snapshot of our time than as just another comic book, and I love to see that. Too many people still think comics are heroes in tights running around bopping and bamming bad guys, and I am happy to see a collection that elevates the artform. This is the kind of thing that should be included in time capsules, so that people in the future will understand the emotional toll COVID took on us all.
As always, it’s hard to rate a collection of comics like this. Some are better drawn than others, and some are better written. Some stories don’t really connect with me, and some others damn near moved me to tears. I think it is the same “something for everyone” I like about it so much that makes it hard to grade. But I’m happy to have it. I’m happy it exists. And I think there is at least one story here that will connect with you and remind you just what we all went through. Just be careful, a lot of us barely made it through the helplessness the first time, there’s no need to relive it too soon. If you’re ready though, this is a fantastic way to recall what humankind went through in 2020.
Inspired by Quarantine and all the Dread it Inspired
A collection of comics inspired by being locked up at home might just be the perfect way to remember 2020 and all the existential dread it contained.
Brian Reed
Brian has been reading comics since January, 1987, when the death of Optimus Prime rocked his young world. Once a regular presenter on The Nerdstravaganza Podcast, Brian now writes for Florida Geek Scene.
