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Against Pain
Short stories from the radiant "cute-brut" world of a truly remarkable artist
Against Pain is the first collection of multipage anthology pieces by Ron Regé, Jr. The storytelling side of his expressive work is featured in these comic strips gathered from McSweeney's, The New York Times, Kramers Ergot, NON, Rosetta, Arthur, The Comics Journal, and Drawn & Quarterly's anthology. Suicide bombers, art appreciation, a Lynda Barry "cover," and even a Tylenol-sponsored comic about pain are brought together under the theme of suffering and
how people cope with it. Against Pain also includes the alt-comics zine classic Boys:a twenty-two-page collaborative comic--considered by many to be Regé's finest work--illustrating the "lust life" of a friend in explicitly honest and hilarious detail.
Against Pain is the first collection of multipage anthology pieces by Ron Regé, Jr. The storytelling side of his expressive work is featured in these comic strips gathered from McSweeney's, The New York Times, Kramers Ergot, NON, Rosetta, Arthur, The Comics Journal, and Drawn & Quarterly's anthology. Suicide bombers, art appreciation, a Lynda Barry "cover," and even a Tylenol-sponsored comic about pain are brought together under the theme of suffering and
how people cope with it. Against Pain also includes the alt-comics zine classic Boys:a twenty-two-page collaborative comic--considered by many to be Regé's finest work--illustrating the "lust life" of a friend in explicitly honest and hilarious detail.
- GenresComicsGraphic Novels
128 pages, Hardcover
First published September 2, 2008
3 people are currently reading
50 people want to read
About the author
Ron Regé Jr.
31 books23 followersRon Regé Jr. began drawing and self publishing comics in the early 1990’s in Cambridge MA. His first book Skibber Bee~Bye was published by Highwater Books in 2000. His most recent book Against Pain collects short works from 1986-2006 and was published by Drawn & Quarterly in 2008. His comics and drawings have appeared in hundreds of zines and comics anthologies. Illustration clients have included Nike, Sony, Tylenol, HP, McSweeney’s, Vice, The New York Times, and Canada’s National Post. Ron currently lives in Los Angeles.
His current project The Cartoon Utopia began in early 2008 as a series of 60 small drawings, but has expanded to include larger drawings, and longer comics pieces, including those presented here. Drawings from The Cartoon Utopia have been presented as solo gallery shows in Los Angeles, Montreal, Richmond VA, and Austin TX. They will eventually be collected as a book.
His current project The Cartoon Utopia began in early 2008 as a series of 60 small drawings, but has expanded to include larger drawings, and longer comics pieces, including those presented here. Drawings from The Cartoon Utopia have been presented as solo gallery shows in Los Angeles, Montreal, Richmond VA, and Austin TX. They will eventually be collected as a book.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
August 23, 2021
This book kind of felt like I was back in my highschool folk punk phase. It was at the same time, extremely optimistic and depressing. Some of the stories in here were super interesting and thought provoking - the best one being Girls Against Pain, where the title of the book comes from - which was a drawn out transcription of an interview between an Israeli defense minister and a 20 yr old female Palestinian suicide bomber. There were some legit logic mathematical comics in there that were also pretty sick ngl never thought I would see Euler in comic form. However, some strips in second half of this book were pretty weak and uninteresting imo.
The reason I picked up this book in the first place was the really unique art style. I think some of these short comics were very interesting takes on comics and what they can talk about and look like and it was very cool to read. I wish the whole book was as thoughtful and thought provoking as some of the comics, but overall this still gets four stars because of the quality of a few of the strips and the uniqueness of it all.
The reason I picked up this book in the first place was the really unique art style. I think some of these short comics were very interesting takes on comics and what they can talk about and look like and it was very cool to read. I wish the whole book was as thoughtful and thought provoking as some of the comics, but overall this still gets four stars because of the quality of a few of the strips and the uniqueness of it all.
September 17, 2011
Brilliant and profound, the first 1/4 . . . innovative comics, that are doing things not quite like anything. However, sadly, some of the pieces in the last 1/4 seem like just filler.
Rege attacks his subject matter with an almost autistic focus at times. He often chooses to tell extremely simple stories. My favorite in this collection is the pretty straight forward story of a girl who is about to become a suicide bomber but then has a change of heart at the last moment. There is not a lot of twists and turns, or deep character development, and the language is not much more complex than a bugs bunny cartoon. However, the earnest and head-on approach that Rege tackles the stories themes: redemption, choice, guilt, revenge, fate, justice . . . is effective to the point of being heart breaking. I was surprised at how moved I was. Likewise his artwork appears very simple on the surface, but is actually a very complex language of his own. Truly an original, creative, and meaningful artist. he obviously plays by his own rules, and isn't afraid to get experimental, or devote a long strip to an obscure mathematical formulae, or the life cycle of cicadas, or whatever he wants.
A few of these comics were so moving they made me do that thing which all art is supposed to do, which is really think about stuff like: what is art, what is life, how should I live my own life? etc.
And here are lots and lots of scenes of women giving men blowjobs! It's a huge repeating motif in a lot of the stories. Which is . . . kind of hilarious somehow.
Rege attacks his subject matter with an almost autistic focus at times. He often chooses to tell extremely simple stories. My favorite in this collection is the pretty straight forward story of a girl who is about to become a suicide bomber but then has a change of heart at the last moment. There is not a lot of twists and turns, or deep character development, and the language is not much more complex than a bugs bunny cartoon. However, the earnest and head-on approach that Rege tackles the stories themes: redemption, choice, guilt, revenge, fate, justice . . . is effective to the point of being heart breaking. I was surprised at how moved I was. Likewise his artwork appears very simple on the surface, but is actually a very complex language of his own. Truly an original, creative, and meaningful artist. he obviously plays by his own rules, and isn't afraid to get experimental, or devote a long strip to an obscure mathematical formulae, or the life cycle of cicadas, or whatever he wants.
A few of these comics were so moving they made me do that thing which all art is supposed to do, which is really think about stuff like: what is art, what is life, how should I live my own life? etc.
And here are lots and lots of scenes of women giving men blowjobs! It's a huge repeating motif in a lot of the stories. Which is . . . kind of hilarious somehow.
June 2, 2016
A great mix of comics. Some strips, some longer stories, some illustrations. Rege is kind of like a cross between Marc Bell and John Porcellino, but with a really cynical but realist writing style.
March 29, 2018
Short comics created between 1986 and 2006, some are nicely drawn, some are sloppy. The writing manages to always miss having a point, except a dozen or so one-page, nine-panel relationship and life anecdotes written by Joan Reidy and drawn by Rege. It was kind of interesting when Rege was in his mathematics geek phase, too.
September 5, 2018
Fuzzy on the eyes but funny.
March 10, 2020
In general, most of these stories are good, but some of them are vile. Be ready to skip several stories that appear in the beginning to be in the latter category.
June 30, 2009
Ron Rege is one of my very favorite underground comic artists...i even had the sweet surprise of meeting him when he came through town with the Kramer's Ergot tour. This is a beautiful oversize book, a retrospective of sorts of Rege's work from the past 15 years, much of it initally self-published or in compliations. His style is deceptively simple and super-complex at once, beautifully laid out in loosely drawn geometric patterns...analagous to Fort Thunder, and buddies with them, but a different beast. His work is so emotional in a way that is immediate and abstract at once. (other titles include "Does Music Make You Cry?", if that gives you some idea) The title of the book is pulled from 'Girls Against Pain,' which is a piece based on an interview with a young Palestinian woman who planned to do a suicide bombing, and then had an epiphany and decided against it at the last moment. She was arrested anyway, and the interview is with the police. So brutal and empathetic, this piece reveals the emotional and human sides of a complex issue in a way that no other medium can...hooray for comics. hooray for ron rege! check out his work if you get a chance...the Carnegie Library has some great stuff.
October 29, 2014
i love the way Ron draws! i think he is one of few comic artist who can say he has a style all his own. this book is a wonderful showcase of all the things he does right on the comics page!
my only critizism with the work is that sometimes his passion for strange panel layouts can be a bit confusing. it's a real break from the reading experence when you have to stop reading to look at the panel numbers to make sure you're going in the right order.
my only critizism with the work is that sometimes his passion for strange panel layouts can be a bit confusing. it's a real break from the reading experence when you have to stop reading to look at the panel numbers to make sure you're going in the right order.
August 7, 2012
Strange and wonderful and the exact thing that I needed to read. Some of the smaller panelled stories were harder to keep interest in, but the larger full colour comics more than make up for it. My favourite is a several page exploration of physical versus emotional pain - raw but also beautiful, like all of Regé's work.
April 22, 2016
A collection of short pieces featuring a kooky, eccentric art style and an encompassing theme of self-actualization and positivity. But the line in the sand for me with Rege's work is that I am neither infatuated with New Age sensibilities nor a dirty hippy. Well-meaning stoners or people with threadbare self-esteems will probably adore this hodgepodge of holistic healing through cartoons.
March 6, 2013
THIS GUY BLOWS MY MINDCAVE INTO FREEFLOATING SAND
May 20, 2009
Ron Rege is touching on some very important areas of the human psyche. He creates a world blessed the psychedelic heart, the power of love and the presence of ghosts.
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October 23, 2013by and large pretty okay until, right in the middle, a great, interesting comic about a suicide bomber which was easily the best of the bunch.
July 19, 2014
Irritating.
October 3, 2008
got this at SD comicon, so excited!
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews