Review by Woodrow Phoenix

kuš! (pronounced ‘koosh’) is a publisher based in Riga, Latvia, producing themed anthologies of indie comics from around the world, in a ‘pocket-sized’ A5 format. Each square-bound volume of š! has a different theme and mix of Latvian and international contributors, spreading the word about new and innovative comics to Latvians and also to interested parties further afield. A story from Yuichi Yokoyama appeared in Volume 32 of this anthology series: š! ‘Japan’ in August 2018. kuš! also publish even smaller booklets in A6 format which is half the size of A5. This series is called mini kuš! and each one usually spotlights the work of just one artist. Sandbox, a 28-page, saddle-stitched booklet, is three little vignettes by Yokoyama previously published in Fashion and the Secret Room, an art book that also documented his collaboration with fashion house Hermes in Paris in 2015.

The seven-page episodes ‘Sandbox (1)’, ‘Sandbox (2)’ and the five-page ‘Roy’ could be excerpts from a larger story, or just as easily they could be self-contained tiny glimpses of one of Yokoyama’s strange environments. All three of them feature the usual humanoid individuals with oversized heads that could be masks or helmets, decorated in wild graphic styles, and these characters are always in groups exploring a place unknown to them. ‘Sandbox (1)’ begins with a long chamber being filled with sand pouring down from openings in the roof to create dunes stretching toward the interior horizon. The chamber is soon occupied by men marching through it. There are no clues as to where they are going and why, but a couple of intriguing character interactions that carry over into ‘Sandbox (2)’ give us just enough of a taste to make us curious about what happens next. ‘Roy’ continues the action, concluding with a spread that could be an ending or the start of another phase.

Readers previously familiar with Yokoyama’s work will find enough here to slot these strips into his overall worldmaking quite easily. If you are new to the odd geometries of these drawings that make it very demanding to identify who or what the protagonists are and the nature of the situations they find themselves in, then it’s all about style and execution. This uncompromising intro may not be the best method for creating interest, but if you respond positively to the aesthetic of these pieces there is quite a lot more where that came from.