
Boom! Box 2016
Created & Written by Pamela Ribon
Created & Illustrated by Veronica Fish
Coloured by Brittany Peer
Lettered by Jim Campbell
First of all if you’ve never seen Roller Derby in your life you need to fix that there are leagues all over the place and they are some of the most fun to attend. The action is intense and the girls are definitely admirable for what they do so i’m overjoyed to see them given some respect here. This will definitely make you want to go see a match if you’ve never done so.
I like this introduction because it isn’t from an established point of view instead it’s from the viewpoint of two girls who form a bond of friendship as newbies. They both discover Roller Derby for different reasons and it’s how the process of getting their introduction to this life is going to change theirs. I think there’s a great moment in this when one of the girls approaches Jennifer out of the blue about the Roller Derby thing and it shows a fearlessness that kind of moment when unexpectedly your life can change just by putting yourself out there. We don’t see enough of those moments in life and you never know what’s possible if you don’t speak up or just simply say something to someone.
I also really like the way that Maisie is the complete opposite of Jennifer. The way their lives were pre-derby compared to the confidence and life lessons learned it’s pretty great to see. Pamela and Veronica do such a great job in not only showing how their lives were through the dialogue and the visuals but how they changed in the same manner. Sometimes something comes along you didn’t know you needed to break up the status quo and for some that’s the best thing in the world to have happen and for others it destroys their routine and sets them upon a new path were they forget how to juggle everything they’ve been doing.
Veronica’s interiors here are amazing. There are great instances of subtlety and use of facial expressions and body language. The flow through page layouts with angles and perspective and done extremely well. I’m usually a big proponent of backgrounds but here everything really works well and it’s really about the people and the experiences and what she does is really quite good.
There are so many wonderful examples here of how to change your life, how to find your voice and become the person you want to be and all of it is mixed in around this strange, violent and wonderful world of Roller Derby. This is for boys & girls of all ages there are things we should be reminded of and things we need to see and learn. There is so much potential here to see how something you never would’ve thought of on your own could change your life by one single chance encounter.
Warm, inviting and full of solid writing and characterisation surrounded by great interiors this is one of those that will charm your socks off.