jeff le vine's zine diary SNAPSHOT >> by austin english >> *spark-online issue fourteen

After reading issues one through five of Jeff LeVine's Snapshot, I came to the conclusion that it was one of the most effectively written mini-comics being produced today. Of course, the term "comic book" might be incorrect, since much of Snapshot is prose, but one cannot define it as simply that, since the sequential art segments are essential to the book's feel and tone. Still, it's undeniable that prose is the driving force of the book. Fortunately, LeVine writes it entertainingly, vividly and skillfully. It's such a personal work that it feels odd trying to dissect the personal thoughts and feelings LeVine puts forward, but I believe Snapshot is worthy of your attention, so I'll give it a go.

What is Snapshot? It's an autobiography, which is hardly new terrain to mini-comics, but LeVine approaches this old material in a wonderful way. While his stories recall the everyday-life writing of Harvey Pekar, LeVine focuses on the emotion associated with everyday experiences, rather than the experience itself. Instead of simply writing a story about staying up late at night and listening to music when sleep is more important due to the day of work ahead, LeVine goes for something more interesting. He writes about the hopelessness or anger he feels because he has a job that imposes a schedule on him and doesn't allow him to stay up late or pursue his own ambitions. The story is treated as an examination of his feeling toward his state in life, with the focus on how the particular song on the stereo makes him feel. A less skilled or less ambitious writer would focus more on the song itself.

Snapshot should really be read as a series, rather than in individual installments, although it works this way as well. Snapshot is like a diary, so continuity is a large aspect. In issue #1, LeVine writes about living in Portland. His attitude there seems to me indecisive and uncertain. He isn't necessarily dissatisfied with life in Portland (which is the opposite of his feelings for Los Angeles in issue #4), yet he doesn't have overwhelming feelings of love for it either. An example:

"Hands in my pockets, I wandered aimless for an hour or so -- finally deciding goin' home sounded a lot nicer than goin' to some dumb bar and getting crunked. Do you know what I mean? That's a nice feeling sometimes."

Thus, when LeVine announces he's moving to Los Angeles in issue #2, the writing becomes more optimistic and excited. LeVine writes with more enthusiasm, but later in the issue, as the moving date arrives, slight fear and uncertainty set in. Compare the first passage presented here, about the announcement of moving, with the one that follows it, which is said closer to the date of departure:

[after ordering a cup of coffee] "Are you in a rush?" she asks. Smiling, "Nah--I got all day." "I don't think it'll take that long," she responds, and I feel alive.

Followed later by:

"Maybe a last drunken night in Portland--hope to hit at least a few bars…then Friday morning I'll get up and catch a ride to the airport and goodbye…that's my way."

As issue #3 begins, LeVine has moved to Los Angeles and his mood has brightened considerably:

[in reference to a new job, new apartment, etc.] "What I can't believe is how, for once, everything seems to be working out just right. Nothing has ever come together so fast. Life is good."

But later on in issue #3, numbness has set in. Seven pages after the above quote, we see this entry:

"A month and a half of an easy life, and an easy job--and I'm bored to death. It seems like nothing is happening except time going by."

The effect of reading these short journal-type entries is very rewarding. At first, it may seem that the comic only works on the level of voyeuristic thrill (à la Joe Matt's Peepshow), but it soon becomes evident that the book is trying to be--and succeeds at being--far more. In revealing to the reader his thoughts, fears, determinations, etc., LeVine gives us an accurate depiction of a certain type of '90s life. LeVine is an office worker, struggling to keep his own interests and hopes alive. He discusses the monotony of waking up in the morning with precise detail, as well as his own unique commentary:

"Always wake up to the sound of alarm's mocking laugh. Fight my way to the shower. Pray for correct hot water adjustment. Head hurts, again. Jaw hurts--what's wrong with me? Gotta get to work. I'm doing it, but it doesn't make much sense. Rule number 1--don't stop to think. Rule number two--do what they tell you. Rule number three--never give up."

The above passage is one of my favorites from the series, and it pretty much sums up the feel of the book. This is not to say that it's all gloom from LeVine. Consider the contrast in the following passage (from the same issue no less):

"Sunday mornings pleasing mysteries. No plans and nothing to do and it feels great. Lay in bed, listen to a little Monk, a little Curtis Mayfield."

This type of writing, which displays both sides of the human emotion spectrum, is superb. Even though you never meet LeVine face to face, and rarely seem him in situations of human contact, you come to be interested in his day-to-day existence, in the way you normally are emotionally invested in a fictional character. Quite an accomplishment as far as I'm concerned.

But how does Snapshot rate as a regular comic? So far, I've commented on the prose aspect of the comic, but that's only half of the story. In between the prose segments, LeVine treats us to illustrated musings, usually one illustration a page, with a short caption. LeVine's art is very clean and compelling. It's focused, yet simple. One can't exactly call him a minimalist, but he does get a lot out of a little. He displays good use of negative space, and blends thin crosshatching with thick brush lines. The effect is dynamic and pleasing to the eye. Perhaps the best thing I can say about LeVine's art is that it made his previous effort Auto Pilot quite enjoyable, even though the story was lacking. Upon the strength of the art in Auto Pilot I bought Snapshot #1, and found that the writing had now taken center stage. Still, LeVine's art is what will draw a lot of people to him.

It's a shame that he draws so little, although the prose, as I've blathered about for quite a while now, is excellent.

This part of the comic is very different from the prose, mostly in pacing and the mood LeVine creates. Instead of the personal, talky style of writing in the rest of the book, the illustrated segments read like this:

[panel 1, with an urban skyline as the subject] "Fuzzy Morning light." [panel 2, as Levine pans across the skyline] "Pale Blue Sky." [panel 3, focusing on an L.A. palm tree] "Green trees hide the singing birds." [panel 4, featuring a house shrouded in palm trees] "White walled houses hide sleeping Los Angelenos." [panel 5, focusing on a traffic jam, with the same trees as a backdrop] "Befuddled Angels." [panel 6, where we now see a river lined with trees] "I'm awake."

Poetry-like segments such as this one are wedged between each prose segment and reveal more about LeVine's current state of mind. They are slight, of course, but the slightness is a great contrast to the bombardment of emotion and opinions LeVine puts forward in the rest of the book.

The comic segments of Snapshot make me wish LeVine would do a full-blown illustrated comic, with nothing but these short little comic-poems, but I'm content to see them as additions to his prose diary. The combination of the two forms works quite well.

Perhaps one last noteworthy thing about Snapshot is how much growth LeVine has shown in a short amount of time. Snapshot #1 was published in March '99 and since then he's published five issues, the latest in December 1999. Issue #6 should be out in about a month.

First of all, when was the last time you read a mini-comic that came out more than twice a year, let alone five times? I definitely cannot recall. More to the point, in a short amount of time, Snapshot has become more polished. Issue #1 was well done and, of course, well written, but issue #6 is even more focused artistically, and much more pleasing aesthetically.

Give the book a try--I can't think of a more well rounded mini-comic at the moment.

Go to http://www.lostforlife.com for Jeff's daily diary, which is in the same vein as Snapshot, only it's new every day.

Austin English is a San Francisco Bay Area resident and long time writer and comic artist.