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Theth

Theth

Josh Bayer

Retrofit Comics

9781940398273

Regular price $10.00 USD
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This is the story of the winter of 1980. In the shadow of the days following John Lennon's murder, a strange preteen, dressed inexplicably in a spacesuit, wanders the wastelands of suburban Ohio struggling with the nameless forces that surround him and the seemingly well meaning but ultimately sinister adults he encounters every day. He numbly navigates the universe around him and within him, obsessed with comicbook heroes like Mr. Incompleto, ROM, and Zero Sum, who seem to occupy a void only he is aware of. His name is Seth but everyone calls him THETH.

"In his Marvel Comics cover versions and punk takes on figures like G. Gordon Liddy, Josh Bayer has been exploring the ways in which ideas like integrity, autonomy and idealism can often be used to mask cruelty, hatred and selfishness. Building a loose continuity between projects, these ideas come to a head in THETH, which is about the superhero-loving kid who wears a Rom-like mask over his head and has trouble dealing with the harshness of everyday life. This story doesn’t represent his heartwarming triumph over the odds nor his unlikely rescue from a family and community that doesn’t understand him. Instead, THETH details his bleak and inevitable betrayal by not only his family but from a fellow outcast as well. Bayer’s savagely scribbly line and grotesque character design retain a sense of whimsy that make the story’s more visceral moments all the more effective." -- Rob Clough, High-Low

"Through Theth, Bayer conveys the pathos and poignancy of feeling unconnected and adrift in a world that makes little sense, which is populated by people who are cruel and self-serving. It's a messy place to walk through and Theth is a messy comic. And that's what makes it so beautiful." -- Daniel Elkin, Comics Bulletin

80 page black and white paperback
Retrofit, 2014

Categories: All Products | Josh Bayer | New | Retrofit

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