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Gregory III: 04/07/08
Marc Hempel is probably best known for his work on Sandman, the Neil Gaiman 75 issue comic that ran from 1989 until 1996. Gregory III is the third volume in a series Hempel did on the side. Gregory is a straight-jacketed child living in an unnamed asylum somewhere. His introduction from the distant future implies that someday he's reformed enough to go back to mainstream society and make quite a living for himself but however or whenever that happens isn't revealed in this slim volume. Gregory has rats and bugs for friends (they live in his pants) and a demented imagination. What Gregory III reminds me of most is The Snake Pit by Mary Jane Ward. I'm reminded of it because of the introduction. In both stories the only setting is institution but both are told from sometime beyond the protagonists' stay. Hempel's bold use of line and black and white visually brings to mind the German classic expressionist film, Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (1920). Comments (0)
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