Veering towards the misanthropic (or maybe that’s just what living in Yeovil does to one), The Cosmic Toast is a collection of comics and prose by Luke Wakefield.
The first few strips focus storywise on the Great British booze culture and the aftermath is captured in all it’s degradation with apt gross-out illustrations. I wasn’t so keen on these strips,which basically lampoon but offer very little else. It puts me in mind of certain Viz strips, but at least Viz has comic relief (usually).
The second half of the comic is much more interesting. In illustrated prose the author recounts his past hallucinogenic experiences and his brushes with psychedelic enlightenment. They’re well written, truly engaging and elevate this comic to a much higher (no pun intended) read that the first strips indicate. Wakefield’ strength as an artist is definitely in the field of the trippy and the artwork reminds me of a cross between Jamie Hewlett and the Ozric Tentacles cover art.

One Pound Fifty from:
Luke W, 12 Manor rd, Yeovil, Somerset, BA20 1UG
lukewak@hotmail.com