This is the story of two bored guards standing on a seemingly endless wall. One of the guards can’t even remember which side of the wall they are supposed to be protecting. The comic shows us short, funny vignettes of their days- they are on day 83 when the comic ends. Nothing really happens, one afternoon they spend throwing stones at a rock, another day they play the game- what food am I thinking of? It’s the great dynamic of these two characters that makes this comic so enjoyable, and of course- how beautiful it’s drawn. Tom used tons of tiny little lines to make shading on the background. The characters are often just silhouettes set against it. The way Tom breaks up the panels is also interesting. It’s very different on every page. I have a copy of this comic’s third edition (that’s how you know it’s good). It seems to be sold out again on their site but their are plenty of other comics and prints available. Check out more of Tom’s work here.

© Julia Rothman 2007