Truth, trouble, and everyman blues are the themes of the essays in this collection. Whether battling the cops in Chicago, chronicling the frenetic nervous breakdown of city life, spilling the secret truth of all religions, or talking comics and punk shows, Al Burian does so with class, humor, and a timeless feel for language. Heavily illustrated, dense with stories, and ripped right from the headlines of Burian's hard, hilarious, rowdy life, this edition is sure to entertain.
Natural Disaster compiles Issues #10, #11, #12, and #13 of Burn Collector, along with Issues #1 and #2 of Natural Disaster. Al Burian presents a vivid portrayal of life for twenty- and thirty-somethings in modern America. The narrative explores human behavior through the lens of contemporary entertainment, particularly the "Ultimate Fighting Championship." This international sporting event, where rules seem to align more with global human rights violations than with sportsmanship, showcases martial arts experts from the East battling individuals from Newark, whose fighting skills may involve little more than bar brawling. The violence depicted is both shocking and unsettling, evoking a sense of queasiness akin to watching the most base forms of entertainment, like police car wreck footage. The commentary raises questions about the nature of competition and mating rituals, suggesting that if winning the championship granted exclusive mating rights, it might add an intriguing twist to the spectacle. The complexity of human relationships is highlighted, with the observation that humans uniquely engage in mating for entertainment, unlike other species. This complicates the dynamics of attraction and selection, contrasting sharply with the straightforward mating practices of great apes, where physical prowess alone determines reproductive success. The narrative ultimately invites reflection on societal values and the nature of comp
