Panter is a legend of independent comics; considered the father of punk comics, he has influenced many, including Matt Groening, and warped the look of children's television with his sets for Pee Wee's Playhouse
. Jimbo's Inferno
is the prequel to his critically acclaimed Jimbo in Purgatory
, which came out in 2004. Inferno
originally appeared as part of a short-lived line of art comics published by Groening, but here it's been reformatted to the terrifyingly deluxe oversized standards of Purgatory
. Like that volume, this follows the outlines of Dante's Divine Comedy
, but combines and conflates specific events, looking at them all with a satiric rock and roll flair. The erstwhile hero, Jimbo, guided by the boxlike Valise, travels into Focky Bocky, a subterranean mall that spirals downwards, containing a modern vision of hell. The art is a Boschian mishmash of grotesque and comic, all in Panter's signature proto-punk style. The dialogue borrows as much from Dante as from Lewis Carroll and Frank Zappa. Together, it is a dizzying re-envisioning of Dante. Perhaps because of its earlier format, it lacks the intricate polish that made Jimbo in Purgatory
a groundbreaking comic, but as a rough sketch of twisted genius, it still amazes. (Apr.)
