The introduction, Completing the Collection, is a critical exploration of the sources from which The Complete of Collection of people, places & things leaked. It is a study of the personal and societal pressure exerted upon us by the aesthetic allure of consumerism. The essay looks particularly at the marketing culture surrounding childrens toys in the United States in the 1980s and the public gallery that is the consumer complex of contemporary Tokyo. Each new topic is introduced by a drawing, mimicking the form of the collection it introduces.The Complete Collection of people, places & things is a collection of interrelated short short stories. In the vein of Sherwood Andersons Winesburg, Ohio, it follows the anxious lives of several residents of a single town. This town is peopled by citizens named after popular toys and television characters of the 1980s. The stories particularly look at the towns ultimate decadence during the mayoral administration of the shy and nervous Optimus Prime. Each story is introduced by a drawn image, meant to break open, rather than illustrate, the narrative.
