Alberta-based Graphic Novel - Pass Me By: Electric Vice - Hits Kickstarter
This month, Pass Me By: Electric Vice hits Kickstarter with the goal of reaching $8000 by mid-May. Illustrator Kyle Simmers and visual artist Ryan Danny Owen collaborate once again on this sequel to their original graphic novel, Pass Me By: Gone Fishin’, continuing a vivid and deeply Albertan story.
“In December of 2019, Ryan Danny Owen settled into the Ledge Gallery [in Arts Commons] for their project Come Find Me. During this time Ryan and myself were hard at work on our first title while writing the script for book two,” says Kyle. “One year later, I stepped into the Ledge Gallery (just ahead of an oncoming pandemic) ready to illustrate a large chunk of Electric Vice in a residency that I hoped would allow me to share insight into the process of comic making.”
Though the pandemic meant that face-to-face interaction with audience members at Arts Commons wasn’t possible, Kyle was still able to reach people online through the virtual gallery exhibition of the work.
Pass Me By: Electric Vice, is a dual narrative exploring the main character Ed’s struggle with dementia and the loss of his dearest memories. The graphic novel is a direct sequel to Pass Me By: Gone Fishin’ which explored Ed’s life from a meditative, often melancholic perspective as he moved through the local diners and bars as well as open prairies that are so synonymous with small town Alberta. Electric Vice takes on a very different tone, transporting readers into the glam rock world of Ed’s past, and introducing us to the charismatic and androgynous Lou who becomes the centre of Ed’s universe.
The world of the graphic novel is brought to life through the duo’s collaborative writing process and Kyle’s beautiful illustrations, inspired by the experience of their grandmother’s dementia and living in small town Alberta. Kyle shared that many of the scenes are lifted directly from their own stories.
“It’s this foundation that helps to create the emotional core of the story,” they say.
“In large part it was a way to explore the complicated feelings Ryan and I both dealt with growing up queer in rural Alberta,” says Kyle. “With the onset of COVID-19 my residency has been extended to nearly 13 months! As a result I’ve technically been a resident of the Ledge Gallery (if not in person) for 90% of the production of the book.
“With a handful of pages left to colour and a Kickstarter launch looming, the project is winding down to its last few weeks. I can’t wait to share the research and heart that I’ve pumped into this project while part of the Arts Commons roster.”
Read the Calgary Herald article Queer rural Canadian tragedy' explores glam-rock, small-town life and dementia here.
The Story
A queer love story set in Ed's memories of touring across 1970s Canada with the outrageous glam rock band, Electric Vice. Exploring love, heartache, music, and self-discovery; we find what is lost as Ed's dementia progresses in the present.
Pass Me By: Electric Vice, the 168-page follow-up to Pass Me By: Gone Fishin', continues the series through a shift in time to Ed's memories of lost love and a hidden past. In Gone Fishin’ we were introduced to Ed, as a tender old man dealing with dementia in a small Canadian town. Lakeside diners, open prairies, doctors’ clinics, and small-town bars set the stage for Ed’s declining condition. A meditation on the mundane, Gone Fishin’ has been described as a slow-burning, deeply human exploration of humor and melancholy.
In Electric Vice, a song on the radio sparks a train of recollection and we are transported to a world of lipstick, leather, platform heels, and neon. Taking place during the rise of glam rock in 1970s Canada, Pass Me By: Electric Vice follows Ed as a young man being swept away from the life he’s always known in the current of an outrageous glam rock band, Electric Vice.
Along with their enigmatic leader Lou, the band of misfits invites Ed into their world of rebellion, taboo, and love. As we encounter Ed’s past we learn what is at stake as his condition worsens in the present.
The Details
This Kickstarter helps to support printing/creative costs for both the Renegade and the Risograph editions of Pass Me By: Electric Vice with a shipping date set for early October for Kickstarter backers and a wide release of Pass Me By: Electric Vice for mid-October!
The Renegade edition will be produced as a 168-page offset print book featuring a matte laminate cover with spot UV accents and a Kickstarter exclusive book sleeve! The book will be printed in Canada by Friesens using eco-friendly recycled paper and vegetable oil-based inks.
The Risograph edition will be produced as a limited print run by the Canadian risograph studio, Pindot Press, as a two-tone risograph 164 page perfect bound book. Gone Fishin’ broke new ground by pushing the limits of the risograph printing method. With striking colors not possible in commercial printing, the Risograph edition of Pass Me By: Electric Vice will stand out from anything you’ve seen before in comics!
