I have great admiration for what this niche genre can offer the reader. Nobrow which is well represented here (Jon McNaught, A J Dungo, Tom Haugomat) is typical of small publishers that are putting out fine work. Fantasy or fantastical thinking are key elements traditionally, but for me, the form is often at it's most magical when rooted in reality. Equally, the heroes you will find in this selection are more likely to be "anti" than "super". Many titles are autobiographical. Styles can be street-scratchy or dreamily pastel. The visual techniques - the telescoping out or in, radical points of view and frames within frames for instance - lend themselves to some convergence of themes: alienation v connection, dysfunctional relationships and states of mind, being part of something so much bigger, the slow passing of time, finding solace in quiet moments and small occurrences in the natural word...