The Adventures of Sikly Wilson & the Name Thief

By Dan Berry
thingsbydan.co.uk

When suggestiong character ideas for Joe List's Annotated Weekender Berry came up with Silky Wilson. Or maybe not the full idea, but at least the name. Not satisfied with that he created this comic to answer the immortal question "Who is Silky Wilson?", and it succeeds admirably.

Silky is a gullible fop, and not the brightest bulb in the box. The story opens with him relaxing in his house, but he's soon bamboozled by a fast talking thief and is left homeless. It's up to his friend Curtains, a foul-mouthed falcon, to help him regain his home and his honour. In some places the story reminded me of some 24 hour comics, in that while Berry may have known where he was going with the story, he didn't know how he was going to get there (there's one conversation that seems to be given a few too many pages for the length of the comic). Berry still manages to pull the whole thing off, with some good dialogue that, combined with the art, allowed me to "hear" the character's voices in my head.

The art is good, and while most people would have their own idea of what a foppish dandy should look like, Berry at least manages to fulfil mine. Berry also shows good use of posture and character actions, as Silky Wilson movements accurately show his feelings (which admitedly are mostly fear) and thoughts.

Everything is coloured using a very subdued colour scheme. Muted reds, greens, and yellows are used to create an extra dimension in the art, creating definition and texture, and helping to define the characters through their clothing choices.

I hope Berry is working on more of these comics, cause I could definitely read more stories about Silky Wilson.