The Unique Eye of Kyle Starks

Over the past several years, Kyle Starks has distinguished himself as one of the most unique voices in mainstream American comics. His knack for comedy has led to work writing popular adaptations like Rick and Morty and Invader Zim, but fans of these series have only experienced a small taste of what Starks offers. His work as a cartoonist on a variety of creator-owned works provides a truly unique collection of work. Starks is truly an auteur whose seemingly simple style might lead many to underestimate him. However, reading any of his original comics reveals a consummate storyteller capable of delivering some of the most effective action and comedy in comics today.

This work is what has helped Starks to crowdfund many of his first longform comics with a dedicated and growing fanbase. It is also what has led to the republication of some work at Image Comics along with the publisher's acceptance of a series like Rock Candy Mountain. Unfortunately, it's coming to an end with its second and final collection being released this week. Rock Candy Mountain was a favorite from the past year of comics, and while we're sad to see it go, it also frames the (hopefully bright) future of Starks' career. Taken alongside two of his other creator-owned comics, Sexcastle and Kill Them All, it reveals the core strengths of an artist and writer unlike anyone else in comics today.

The Madness of Sexcastle

Sexcastle was Starks' breakout success. Funded via Kickstarter in early 2014, the comic was pitched as a loving homage to the action films of the 1980s. That's the heart of a story about Shane Sexcastle whose entire existence and setting is predicated on getting this very deadly individual into fights, no matter how reluctantly he accepts them. Anyone with an infatuation for this subgenre of movies is bound to get a kick out of Sexcastle. There are ample references to the actors, tropes, and weapons which populated the best and worst action films from the era. It shows off the creator's love for the unique language of this fandom, and an earnest embrace of why so many fans love it.

That fandom isn't a condition for enjoying Sexcastle though, even if it certainly helps. Unlike many other comics that seek to provide an homage, ironic or earnest, Sexcastle existed on its own terms as a unique entry. If a young reader were to pick up and enjoy the comic, they might have just found a great entry point into a whole lot more violent media. There's an element of exaggeration within all of the best sequences as well. Starks writes a one-liner like nobody else in comics, coining brilliant responses like, "You brought a you to a me fight." There's an embrace of the comics form as every element is a bit more heightened. Iconic faces trend closer to caricature and some truly ludicrous fight moves are drawn into reality. There's ample humor and violence in Sexcastle, something that would be true of all of Starks' future work as well.

The Rage of Kill Them All

The over-the-top nature of Sexcastle is a love letter to 1980s action films, but it's a very exaggerated one that seeds a lot of pre-existing knowledge throughout the comic. In the spiritual sequel Kill Them All, also funded on Kickstarter, Starks crafted an entry that was much closer to its source material in characterization, action, and storytelling. It's a story of a burned-out former cop and revenge-driven assassin who team up to take down a crime syndicate and the entire tower in which it resides. There's still plenty of elevated moments and depictions, but Kill Them All is first and foremost an action comic.

Fans of modern action cinema will likely recognize the tower setup from The Raid: Redemption or Dredd. It's a machine for increasing stakes and clear motives that has also been reproduced in comics like Moon Knight #5. Starks action sequences feature much less dialogue or exposition. When characters begin to fire guns or throw punches, the emphasis is all on showing cause and effect. The character motivations and arcs are clearly perceived, whether it's revenge, redemption, or a chance at heroism, yet each of the three core characters feel substantially less cartoonish than those in Sexcastle. Dissecting the layouts and sequences of Kill Them All makes it clear that Sexcastle was no fluke. It's not just a love for action, but an understanding of how to deliver it that makes Starks' early work so successful. No matter the style applied the essentials on the page are top-notch for murder and mayhem.

The Heart of Rock Candy Mountain

Reading Rock Candy Mountain on a monthly basis revealed Starks' intense dedication to research and understanding. Backmatter on the world of hobos helped make clear just how much of this three-way tussle between hobos, law enforcement, and Satan were steeped in the mythology of America's Great Depression. Nothing about the series was an excuse for a specific fight scene or joke; all of those elements evolved naturally from an appreciation of lore.

That lore is also deeply tied to the characters of Rock Candy Mountain, the most human and moving ones in Starks' career thus far. All of the violence and silliness of prior series remain, but the duo at the heart of this series is steeped in much more pathos. They are tragic figures looking for hope and inspiration. The choices they make that shape the series feel light years beyond the motivations of someone like Shane Sexcastle. That's what made the series the most powerful of Starks' career thus far as the madcap humor and great storytelling encountered a much more human set of themes.

Across all of these works the essence of Kyle Starks' place in comics becomes clear. He offers readers a heightened version of worlds they know. Whether they're steeped in the lore of action cinema or legends from the Great Depression, Starks explores a setting with love and careful attention in order to recreate its essential elements. Then in the comics form he delivers on action, comedy, and character in a way that can only be done with truly great cartooning. He's a master of interpretation and one whose career will hopefully grow and allow him to tackle many more ideas.