by Joe Zabel
Kazu Kibuishi's Copper has a mere twenty-one episodes in its archive, and yet it ranks as one of the most impressive achievements in webcomics. That's because each episode is a gem. Kibuishi devotes a month to each of them, and his patience and care can be felt in every panel and every line of dialog.
Each episode is a complete story related in a dozen or so panels laid out on a square page. The premiere installment, 'Rocket Pack Fantasy,' was in black and white, but all subsequent pages are in rich, full color. The stories focus on a young boy, Copper, and his talking dog Fred.
A Gentle Mentoring
The stories maintain a friendly tone, suitable for young children, but satisfying for adult readers. Copper is clearly a child, but in some ways he's wise beyond his years. Fred's attitude is impatient and crabby, and the stories often show Copper gently mentoring him to be more mature.
In 'Waves,' as Copper and Fred are paddling on a surf board, Fred acts like a big baby. 'My nose is a ball of solid ice!' he complains. 'How can a wave be worth so much suffering?' But when the wave finally comes, Fred quiets down. The artist doesn't overplay his hand-- he subtly suggests the dog's heightened interest by the bulging of his eyes and the cessation of conversation, as they cruise a tube with the dog nose-riding. It's only as they're riding back home that the dog breaks the silence-- 'So, when are we coming back?'
In many of the other episodes, Copper's guidance is
more overt. During a 'Climbing' expedition he responds to Fred's complaining by explaining that they are not lost, they're on an adventure. In 'Melon Bread,' Copper yields to Fred's nagging to purchase a pastry at a slick new chain store, only to discard the bun as bird feed, explaining "You can't beat food made with love." In 'Racing Shrimp' he's a racing coach, advising Fred that "it's important to know how to pace yourself." When an attractive bitch catches Fred's eye, and he feels a tug on his heartstrings, Copper advises, "You should feel lucky. Being in love is a wonderful thing."
This gets a little preachy; but Kibuishi's work is subtle and rich. Copper often makes no comment on Fred's foolishness, letting him find his own way. Indeed, Copper behaves like a model parent. Nevertheless, we'd like to see their roles reversed once in a while-- surely Fred isn't always wrong!
Romance in all its Guises
Several dramatic episodes shift the focus from Fred to Copper, who himself must face issues he's not prepared to deal with. Most often these are issues of romance. The theme first occurs in the third episode, 'Bubbles,' where he tries to rescue a girl from a floating bubble, only to wake up and realize it's a dream.
Often the series places romance in a humorous context. 'Bridges' is a wonderful achievement in pure form. It is nearly wordless-- Copper cries out when a little girl on a bridge above pummels him with balls of crumpled paper. She flees before he can catch her, and he finds a crumpled paper ball with a note from her. Though the scenario is simplicity itself, the presentation gives it a strange resonance. The action is choreographed perfectly, without a wasted motion. The environment is familiar and yet strange, with a series of arching bridges, and long shadows cast by the setting sun. Kibuishi skillfully limits the palette to earth tones; the bright yellow lenses of the little girl's fancy sunglasses contrast stunningly with it. Those fancy sunglasses also work marvelously well in the service of characterization, simultaneously making the little girl more mysterious, and symbolizing her playful, capricious nature.
'Transit' is a deeper commentary on romance and the anxiety of missed opportunities. Copper and Fred pass a young couple in the subway station. "They act as if nothing existed around them,' says Fred. "Maybe we should ask them what the secret is. They seem to know." Copper councils patience, but Fred says "Oh, c'mon! Look at us. We're not gonna look this good forever, you know... I just feel we're missing out... like we're letting everything pass us by...' Meanwhile, it's apparent that potential love interests are nearby, but escape their notice.
Elliptical Commentaries
Kibuishi's work often has darker shadings and more ambiguous themes. The very first episode climaxed with a fleet of flying men dropping nuclear bombs. The aforementioned 'Bubbles' also had a dystopian theme.
One of the most puzzling episodes is 'Ruins.' Copper and Fred wander through grey, smoking ruins, casting eyes nervously to right and left. They come upon a broken toy that resembles one of Copper's own toys. 'I need to know what happened,' says Copper. 'I want to figure this out.' Fred replies, 'You know what happened here, Copper. Dwelling on it isn't going to change anything.' The two decide to hope for the best, and the grey mists clear away in the last panel to reveal blue skies. But as an elliptical commentary on mankind's propensity for warfare and destruction, the episode inspires a lingering sadness.
Kibuishi's ambiguity carries over into some of his most whimsical tales. 'Blue' for instance, an atmospheric, wordless episode. Fred is shown in a nighttime winter trek through a junkyard of snow-covered tanks and giant robots, in a scene all tinted in blue. Then he comes upon a tent where Copper has built a fire to cook supper over, and has a video game and books to keep them amused before bedtime. A final outside view of the tent shows that a threadbare christmas tree has been erected and decorated with ornaments. Without explanation, the artist has captured the essence of winter.
Kibuishi is a professional artist in the animation industry. He's also recently launched the print anthology Flight, which seems to be getting off to a great start with lots of positive buzz. But we hope he'll continue to dabble in webcomics, where his small stories are making a big impression.
