45 Days Of CCS, #36: Mac Maclean

Mac Maclean's comics tend to be about body image and grief, and there are a lot of intersections. They are also fundamentally about queerness. Ode To A Body is a brief mini accompanied by illustrations of their body in close-up that abstracts the images. It's a smart approach because the narrative is about learning to accept one's body as it is--every fold, every muscle, every crack. It's not explicitly stated in this mini, but being trans undoubtedly makes this self-acceptance even more difficult. 

Dice-O-Mancy is an ingenious comics idea generator. Using dice to determine genre, conflict type, theme, character types, events, and random elements is a perfect way for artists struggling with structure or focusing in on ideas to break out of their rut. Maclean has a strong understanding of genre story structure, which is funny because virtually none of their own comics tend to fall into this category. They're careful to include slice-of-life and potentially deep themes that allow for the use of metaphorical images while never losing hold of motivation and conflict. I would recommend using this in a second for any artist struggling to get going and would especially recommend it over the more familiar turf of a diary comic. 

Six Years was Maclean's entry in the ShortBox Comics Fair, and it's a companion piece to their many previous comics about their deceased father. Maclean cleverly structures this update in such a way that no prior knowledge of their past comics is needed. It opens with Maclean in a diner, sitting in a booth and talking to someone who is kept out of sight. It becomes immediately obvious that this is a one-sided conversation, as Maclean says things like "I bet you'd like D&D." The expected reveal comes halfway through, as Maclean wonders if their father (a preacher) ever suffered from anxiety and control issues, and if so, if his belief in god helped. The shifting use of colors used as a wash seems to reflect a shifting emotional tone in different parts of the story, as Maclean shares news of their current life, their partner, and their career before they fervently wished he was still there. It's a touching, vulnerable moment that's both an attempt at connection and an expression of grief that this was no longer possible. Maclean's cartoony, chunky self-caricature (their hair is drawn in a wild, wavy, and unruly style) carries what is essentially a talking head comic with a variety of gestures and expressions.