Like a book with a split personality, Let Us Be Perfectly Clear has two sides to it – an amusing light-hearted side and a darker, miserable, violent side. Conveniently, Fantagraphics has produced this book in two parts to keep the schizophrenic content away from itself, so you can read it one way for laughs, then flip it over and start again when you’re ready for a downer.
The short story collection is the work of Paul Hornschemeier, who has been publishing this previously uncollected work as Forlorn Funnies. The mix of artistic styles is intriguing and experimental, showing Hornschemeier to be a talent worthy of the critical appreciation that he’s been building up with every new piece of work that he publishes. Well worth looking out for, especially if you’re a fan of modern alternative artists with a darker outlook on life.