Calamity Jane #[nn]

A boldly irreverent French take on the Wild West legend, this Editions Jungle release by Jeanne Gaullier and Sophie de Villenoisy presents Calamity Jane as a rifle-toting, thoroughly modern-feeling figure in lingerie, framed by bare winter branches, a looming bear, a cherub, a skull, and a roll of toilet paper — all against a vivid red backdrop. The subtitle La Vie Comme un Western Spaghetti ("Life as a Spaghetti Western") signals right away that this 2014 album isn't shy about mixing frontier mythology with sharp, playful humor. It's a distinctly European spin on an American icon, drawn with loose, expressive charm that makes it impossible to look away.