By Sarah Becan
192 pages, sepia-toned
Published by Shortpants Press
I think all you have to do is say the words, "Ouija Board" to get a strong reaction out of anyone. Love them, hate them, believe in them, scoff them, there’s always an opinion just waiting around the corner. Sarah Becan over the years created four mini-comics that illustrate sessions she was part of using a Ouija Board, and thanks to a grant from the Xeric Foundation, collected them all into a sharp looking little book last year.
Here’s the thing that instantly struck me about The Complete Ouija Interviews; it doesn’t matter what your views on a Ouija Board are, this is still going to have some entertainment value for you. (Well, unless you think using a Ouija Board is witchcraft or that it’s the work of the devil, in which case… yeah, perhaps it’s best you stay away from this book.) If you think they’re real, then you’ve got several interesting transcripts with ghosts from the other side to read about. Think they’re not real? Then you’ve got several entertaining little stories about possible ghosts. Either way, you win.
The stories that Becan relates here all vary in length and tone. Some are quick and to the point, like Henry Thompson, who explains that he died "badly" and says to "live life to the fullest and enjoy." "It could be worse," the story ends, "you could be me." Other stories have some more to them, like Naomi, who wants to know why Becan’s brother David isn’t also dead (and that she loves him), or Chip, who tells jokes and says both that he has a boyfriend and that he’s been reincarnated as a strawberry. They’re fun stories, if a little creepy.
Toward the end of the book is when Becan draws the darkest story, involving Mack and Agatha looking for their mother so they can move on. You can start to see the ending forming before the characters involved do, but it’s still interesting to read, and a little sad. Fortunately Becan draws all of her spirits as slightly adorable little ghosts, hovering in the center of the panel with Becan and her friends’s questions up at the top of the page. Considering this is a one-panel-per-page comic, Becan gets as inventive as she can; in the multiple-ghost session involving Mack and Agatha, she has the ghosts enter and exit the panel, giving us a visual depiction of the ghosts coming and going within the board itself. It’s a simple little touch, but it’s appreciated.
The Complete Ouija Interviews is a cute little book, and it’s different enough to stand out from most other comics. It’s the sort of project I love seeing the Xeric Foundation help get out there, because it’s the sort of book that really could only be done in comics. Becan even added in an embossed cover, which just adds to the overall attractive look of the book. It’s a fun diversion for a rainy afternoon, and the perfect thing to set out on your coffee table for visitors to read. If nothing else, I can all but guarantee that it’ll be a conversation-starter. After all, everyone has an opinion on Ouija Boards.
Purchase Link: Shortpants Press