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 SNAKE
PIT 2007 & 2008
by Ben Snakepit (Microcosm
Publishing) 94 pages each. Comic collections. Each book sold
separately. Ben is in his early thirties and lives in
Texas
. He has a job, plays in a band, drinks, smokes lots of weed, and often
has a female in his life. Ben’s your average slob living a fun and good
life. What makes Ben not so average slobbish are the daily three panel
comics he draws to journal his life.
Incase yer a motard (or I’m a bad writer), each book covers
the year indicated in its title, and I can not stress enough even though
this is one review, it covers two separate books. Each three panel comic
covers a day in the year of Ben’s life without being too specific or
invasive. If you’re looking for detailed sexual encounter with pictorial
backing, go away. Though the specificity (say that word ten times when
drunk) is light, Ben brilliantly captures his day and his mood, which will
engage the reader all day long. And to be honest, what Ben writes, as in
text, is not even necessary; a great trait for a cartoonist if you ask me.
However, his far from perfect, but certainly not crude, drawings puts an
exclamation point on the words and often had me rolling on the floor
hysterically laughing, which was at times embarrassing because I read both
books while at my local pub. While at work, Ben often simply draws himself
in front of videos. If he is tired or baked or hung-over or sick, you know
due to his face. But one picture of him at work is so friggin’ funny and
there’s no reason given for that damn funny face (10-5-07). I have
looked at it 300 times and it makes me howl every time because it
encapsulates how we all feel, at times, while at work. Put that one panel
on a t-shirt and he’s a millionaire. Another hilarious panel shows Ben
drunkenly telling his girlfriend secrets he probably shouldn’t be; mouth
wide open with a big fat speech bubble pouring out accented with eyes of X
(4-24-08). Hell ya we’ve all been there. Least you think I am in love
with all things Snakepit, there are a few instances where I felt some
annoyance with Ben’s
apologetic gestures concerning a few panels that could be considered
offensive to the champions of sensitivity. Bro, just put it out there and
if it upsets someone, so what. Though, Ben did not apologize for referring
to his dog as a “sissy.” How dare he! Boycott! Surely, I jest. Now, I
do not know Ben from anything and I’ve no interest in his life beyond
his books. In fact, I sent him an email a few years back requesting an
interview, he failed to respond, and for that I find him bit of a wee
dick-though I tend to over react. On the other hand, I almost wish time
away so I can read his 2009 book and at my age wishing time away is a no
no. –Denis Sheehan
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