War Made Me Do It A postcard book by Jfry Craig MudScout Media, 25 pages, postcards, $13.00 Every war is different, but Jfry Craig’s War Made Me Do It, a 25-page postcard anthology, exposes the universal losses that every one feels as wars takes their toll on the human condition. This text-free book tells a story of censorship, isolation, blindness, gender struggles, power, and sexuality. The artistic expressions in Craig’s postcard anthology never negate the valiant efforts of the soldiers or cultural sacrifices that tag each conflict. Richard Nixon with his eyes blocked by white censor bars, a wordless collage of pop culture icons and sci-fi clippings from the 1950s, and the romantic figures of the 1940s are some of the ways Craig emphasizes the grinding gears of war. The propagandist commercialism employed in war and how it dilutes universal collective consciences rises high in Craig’s horizons. The pictures tell how human morals become easily fragmented during war, these rippling power shifts, that devour landscapes and harden cultures. His art documents the evolution of war and commercialism becoming a symbiotic duo, coexisting in narcissistic romance — the use of white, empty, dripping dialogue boxes emphasize the blanket of fear created by propaganda, deceiving and silencing everyone affected by war. Craig’s art also captures the universal sentiments that resurface with each decade of war, from the industrial age to the technological era. The line is never drawn separating the decades — some of the postcards reflect how WWI and WWII bleed together. There are also riveting images telling wordless stories from the Korean conflict to Vietnam. And, subtly, one notices the evolution of camouflage, from green to tan, as the 30-year span from 1950 to the 1980s ushers in the present conflict in the desert climate of the now war-torn Middle East. The first and last thing Craig says is, “War is a big word. Respect our Veterans.” In that solemn vow, he never strays in his art from exposing the brutal truths and sensitive conflicts that are tied to every war. – Layla Burke (www.mudscout.com)