Kjære Rikard #[nn]

Lene Ask's Kjære Rikard arrives from No Comprendo Press in 2014 with a cover that immediately commands attention — a finely cross-hatched pencil-and-ink portrait of a small boy in a buttoned jacket, his wide, solemn eyes looking directly at the viewer with quiet intensity. The restrained, almost documentary quality of Ask's draftsmanship gives the image the weight of something deeply personal. With Ask handling every creative role herself — writing, drawing, inking, and lettering — this is as singular and fully-realized a graphic work as 2014 has to offer.