We’re going far out with this week’s “So You Want To Read Comics”.  This is our weekly feature where we take a look at a single topic or genre, then give you two comic book recommendations, perfect for new readers, based on that topic or genre.  This week we’re taking a look at the trippy world of psychedelic-inspired comics.

Originating in the study and usage of certain mind-altering drugs, the term psychedelic has gone on to have various other applications relating to visuals, sounds, and other forms of sensation that resemble or are intended to mimic the sensation of the types of hallucinations and altered states that often came with the usage of psychedelics.  The term itself was coined by a psychiatrist named Humphrey Osmond in a letter to A Brave New World author Aldous Huxley and it comes from combining the Greek words for mind/soul and manifest being joined together,  Some common traits of psychedelic-inspired art is the usage of bright and vivid colors that wouldn’t normally exist within nature, an obscuring of shape and form, and some sort of allusion to a higher state of consciousness.  In pop culture, the term psychedelic has been tied to music, for example, Strawberry Fields Forever by The Beatles, movies like The Monkees starring film Head, and literature such as Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson.  Even some comic books have gotten in on the fun.

Here are a couple of comic book series that are either inspired by psychedelic usage or have utilized strong psychedelic aesthetics.

THE INVISIBLES

Writer: Grant Morrison
Artist: Steve Yeowell
Publisher: DC Comics

Created and written by self-admitted psychedelic user Grant Morrison,  The Invisibles tells the story of a group of “vigilantes” who have made it their mission to utilize aspects of counter-culture as weapons.  From drugs, to sex, to new age mysticism, to good old fashioned violence, The Invisibles utilize all of these to battle those who they feel are oppressive not only physically but mentally as well.  Beyond this, the group is also concerned with ushering humanity as a whole into the next level of its collective consciousness.  While there are certainly some moments that are visually psychedelic, much of this series is focused on the philosophy of altering one’s perception of reality and achieving a higher level of understanding of the universe, a claim that many proponents of psychedelic drug use have also utilized in their support of the substances. The Invisibles is a challenging read and does touch on a lot of troubling topics, but it is an interesting study into the differences that can exist between the appearance of psychedelic art and the mindset of the creator.

SILVER SURFER: BLACK

Writer: Donny Cates
Artist: Tradd Moore
Publisher: Marvel Comics

Anyone who is familiar with psychedelic art knows that half the fun is simply how it looks.  The appreciation of the usage of unnatural colors, the perception-bending form, and puzzling shapes, is something that can be had by people from all over the consciousness spectrum.  That’s where Silver Surfer: Black comes in.  This series tells the story of how The Silver Surfer is sucked into a black hole and is sent billions of years into the past, where the universe is still without form where he is forced to fight primordial gods and team up with the very beings who would go on to shape the universe.  The story here is interesting and trippy in its own right, but the star of the show is the art.  Every panel is like its own snapshot at a version of existence that developed different laws of physics, and each chapter is like watching not only reality, but the main character’s own mind be twisted and pulled in the same energies that would go on to create galaxies.  Everything is super colorful, there are no rules when it comes to body shapes or what is physically possible, and it makes for a truly enjoyable reading experience that will be much different than most of what you’ll find out there.

What did you think of these recommendations?  Do you have some of your own?  Let us know in the comments section below.

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