Poopsheet Foundation

www.yawningvoid.blogspot.com
This is a literal flip book, in two different ways. Not only do you flip it over to enjoy two distinct “chapters” of the story, but you actually physically flip through the pages to create your own stop motion viewing experience. It reminds me of the first rudimentary DIY sequential comics we made as kids, by drawing a ball in various locations on sheets of paper, then stapling the pages together, flipping through, and watching the ball bounce around. This book features an oil derrick pumping dutifully along, the kind that dot the barren landscape in places like Bakersfield, California, until it suddenly freezes in crisis. Ultimately, the second half of the book shows us that the leftover artifact has some societal use. It reminded me of those guys who make contemporary art installations out in the desert using rows of old station wagons sticking up out of the ground. Pump is not just a crafty construction gimmick, but an intense piece of commentary about the consumer culture and changing tides of taste. It’s an impressive little project. Perhaps $4 is a little steep for an experience lasting under 30 seconds, but there is no denying the craft involved, the purity of the message, or the simple effective charm. The gas gauge stamp adorning the book also cleverly underscores the message of the book and is a nice design element. Pete Hodapp is suddenly an award-winning dynamo of creativity that has burst onto the scene. I’m anxiously awaiting whatever is next! Grade A-.