Lyndale Love

Brian Wood and Ryan Kelly's Local is a comic book series about a city-hopping young woman named Megan. Minneapolis gets some ink with issue #2, "Polaroid Boyfriend," thanks to St. Paul resident Kelly. The story of Megan's disturbing and/or romantic relationship with a stranger takes place on a three-block stretch of Lyndale Avenue South, and it's got the landmarks (Hum's Liquors, the Wedge Co-op) to prove it. Locale aside, the book is like a visual scavenger hunt for Twin Cities readers who will no doubt spot details like a Spyhouse to-go cup or a Chino Latino billboard.

Leave it to scrutinizing local eyes to also pick up on the inaccuracies. For one, the main character works at Oarfolkjokeopus--which was renamed Treehouse Records years ago. A disclaimer says that the story takes place in 1995, an excuse which is betrayed by all sorts of musical anachronisms: Low's The Great Destroyer on the store's shelves, a Heiruspecs CD lying on the floor of Megan's studio apartment, a flyer for a Soviettes show at the Triple Rock on her fridge. Kelly blames the mistakes on trying to get the book done in a hurry. But irked residents may find solace in a snarky Twin Cities primer in the back, which includes factoids like, "[In 1866] the first Minneapolitan discovered St. Paul, immediately grew bored and returned home."