Those whose social life centers around the magic elixir of alcohol have their share of bar stories. Now there's a whole illustrated collection of them in "Drunk," a limited-edition hardcover available online. Forego your bartender tips to buy one.
Most of the 25 contributing artists are unknowns, but a couple of names may catch the eye of indie-comics followers: Kim Deitch, with a hallucinogenic nightmare, and Ivan Brunetti, who counts down the 32 types of drunks (i.e. "Mr. Touchy-Feely," "Miss Giggles" and "Date-Rapist").
Evan Dent has one of the funniest selections in the book, with "Hot Dog Millionaire," in which two guys concoct a scheme that will enable them to drink free at bar after bar. Alex Getchell and Laurenn McCubbin's "Vulgar Display of Power" amusingly details a bar fight over nothing, and Tori Morris recounts picking up a "Bus Date" "? specifically, a woman who snorts coke, then proudly declares she's "25 days clean of meth!"
What happens when bar tchotchkes like pineapple magnets and hula-girl figurines get lit? Patrick Quilao shows you in "Kitsch's Night Out." Even wackier "? because fact trumps fiction "? are Sean Russell's "True Stories of the VFW."
"Drunk" showcase a solid mix of comics, more text-heavy pieces and abstract art. More often than not, they focus on the dark side of getting three sheets to the wind and all the bad things that come from it. Naturally, the subject matter "? like the liquid from which it takes its inspiration "? is adults-only. Vegasdrunk.com"?Rod Lott
