‘Pass Me By’ is a beautifully illustrated queer Canadian tragedy on Kickstarter

The risograph-printed series follows an Alberta man dealing with dementia and revisiting his past life with a glam rock band

Although there are only two days left to this Kickstarter project, this gorgeous new comic series is one worth checking out! Newcomer Kyle Simmers dove head first into comic self-publishing. The writer and illustrator, known for their larger than life murals across the city of Calgary, is teaming up with visual artist Ryan Danny Owen, to put out this little gem in Kickstarter called Pass Me By.  The series is an inverted coming of age story about understanding queer identity and what happens to the stories you never tell.

The first book, Pass Me By: Gone Fishin’ is currently available for pledges by backers. The video to promote the Kickstarter is incredibly well constructed. In this eye-catching campaign video, Simmers selectively animated certain panels to bring the story alive.

Pass Me By: Gone Fishin’ is the first chapter of a five-part series. The protagonist is Ed, a retired elderly man, living a simple life in rural Alberta who enjoys fishing and orders the same dish every day at the local diner. Recently diagnosed with dementia, Ed starts to lose his memory of the little things like what his daily order is at the diner, and becoming increasingly disoriented, begins to feel like he is losing his grip on reality. Pass Me ByGone Fishin’ will give readers a hint of the past as Ed thinks back to his days touring in a glam rock band.

The second chapter, Pass Me By: Electric Vice promises put the readers back in 1972 to the age of mascara, weathered leather, platform heels and neon. Without the rigid expectations and culturally defined roles, Ed beings to explore his sexuality and gender. Ed challenges masculine norms of rural Canadian life.

Unlike most comics which are usually printed in black and white or full colour, Simmers chose to print using a 2-color process known as Risograph. Risograph is more akin to screenprinting techniques.

A spread from Pass Me By: Gone Fishin’ by Kyle Simmers

“We chose risograph for its economy, efficiency and low environmental impact as well as the aesthetic that it achieves,” Simmers explained. “The soy-based inks and natural paper give the printed books a vintage feel that evokes nostalgia in a way that supports Ed’s reflection on his life.”

Pass Me By: Gone Fishin’ is currently only available on Kickstarter for pre-orders until August 26, 3:25 PM MDT.

A page from Pass Me By: Gone Fishin’

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