Vansterdam Comix: by David Malmo-Levine & Bob High

A beautiful creation between storyteller David Malmo-Levine and artist Bob High; Vansterdam Comix is over a decade of work encompassing beautiful stories, detailed illustrations, tales of Vancouver Cannabis activism and pot history. This 420 paged bright and bold book, is dripping with hilarious and poignant tales, featuring prominent figures in the Vancouver Cannabis community.

Last decade, the pages that were to be Vansterdam Comix were destroyed in a fire. One singular page escaped the fiery fate and for the second time, Malmo and Bob High undertook the project of creating a comic to stand with the history books.

Page 244 spills the beginnings of Don Briere and Carol Gwilt’s historical story of cannabis activism. The stories illuminate the adversity, the strength and determination demonstrated by Don and Carol. The pages weave colourful depictions of historical moments between our two fearless leaders. Beautiful illustrations capture the time in history between their first meeting, to the moment they opened their first shop together, to Carol using her Jedi mind powers to sneak into Don’s hospital room.

Malmo’s creative imagination narrates each tale with a smashing sense of humour, while High’s mastery lies in bringing the West Coast pot activism into colour.

Author David Malmo-Levine has been published in Cannabis Culture, High Times and The Pot Book. Illustrator Bob High is a Vancouver based artist.