Visual Funk: Jim Mahfood Art
Hardcover
By Jim Mahfood
IDW Publishing
Release Date: August 28, 2013
Cover Price: $49.99

Visual Funk: Jim Mahfood Art isn’t an examination of Jim Mahfood‘s comics work, that is, the work that made him famous (a brief look at Tank Girl notwithstanding), so there’s no narrative structure, nor a chronological exploration. And unlike similar books examining an artist’s oeuvre, there’s minimal text, save for brief subject introductions by Mahfood.

What it is, is a compendium of mostly posters, showcasing Mahfood’s angular, cartoony, street-level, graffiti, hip-hop via manga style “” page after page crackling with energy and attitude. I also saw many elements in his ink work that reminded me of the art of Bill Sienkiewicz, Ted McKeever, Ralph Steadman, and Joe Ollmann.