Words With Pictures Rescued Big D

Late last summer I picked up Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie, what a mistake. No book in recent history has done more to disinterest me in reading. I struggled to get through each chapter, usually giving up after a few pages, my mind closed to words no matter their pedigree. I finished Midnight's Children after four grueling months, determined to keep the number of books that have gotten the better of me to the handful that already exist. And like a prisoner walking free after a long incarceration, I couldn't wait to get back into action, not with hookers at the point, but with easy reads. My remedy? Graphic novels. Don't get me wrong, I'm looking forward to reading and reviewing several meaty novels that have been collecting dust while I traversed Rushdie's India. Until then, here are some writers and artists that might be worth getting to know.

Stop Forgetting to Remember, The Autobiography of Walter Kurtz by Peter Kuper (2007) – I loved this book. Walter Kurtz is the author’s alter ego: the main character and narrator of Kuper’s riotously funny coming of age novel/memoir. Kuper follows Kurtz through the main traumas and triumphs of his life, namely, trying and failing to get laid as a teenager, becoming a father, and pursuing success as an artist and writer. Kuper is a great writer and artist and as much fun as I had reading this I also felt that much of what he conveys would ring true for most people for whom growing up has been a topsy turvy ride. Graphically Kuper’s style is whimsical and rich. A close examination of each cel often reveals clever puns, and references to other comics, art, and books; the more carefully you look, the more you will find.

Chance In Hell by Gibert Hernandez (2007) - Hernandez’s work is steeped in magical realism, I’m told. In this case I found the magic confusing and the realism a bit too depressing. Chance in Hell is the story of the discarded in our society, in particular, it’s the story of a young girl named Empress who lives in a garbage dump where she is at turns violated by the opportunistic, and protected by the equally violent. Eventually Empress is adopted by a seemingly well meaning man but she seems no happier in her new life than her old. She consorts with a teenage pimp, hangs out with whores and johns – because those are whom she feels most comfortable with I presume. Throughout each stage of her life, from the days in the dump through her days as a married woman, happiness continues to be elusive. The book’s ending left me scratching my head and wondering what I missed. Graphically, Hernandez’s style is dark, violent, and abstract.

The Dark Tower, The Gunslinger Born by Stephen King (2007) – This highly stylized graphic novel is based on the series of novels by Stephen King but is written and illustrated by artists from Marvel comics. Not having read the novels, the obviously abbreviated story presented in the graphic novel didn’t bother me, however, as is often the case when novels are adapted into other forms, fans of the original work may feel the deviations from the original are too great. This is a western gothic epic that features truly evil bad guys and a clan of gunslingers determined to thwart them. The action is intense, the blood flows freely, and fantasy and reality freely swap places in a fun and exciting read.

Shortcomings by Adrian Tomine (2004-2007) – Adrian Tomine writes quirky modern graphic novels that deal with the issues of young urban adults, in this case a young Asian American couple, Ben and Miko, headed for splitsville. The novel’s other primary character is Ben’s unlikely best friend, Alice. Ben has a thing for white women, and a lot of insecurity about where he was shorted in the gene pool, if you know what I’m saying. Miko is aware of his wandering eyes, and is in a way liberated by it. The dialogue in this novel is top notch; realistic, funny, irreverent, and insightful. The artwork is clean, detailed, and easy to follow.

The Boondocks, All The Rage by Aaron McGruder (2007) – This collection includes strips run between December 2004 through December 2006, transcripts of interviews given by McGruder between 1999 and 2006, and before and after versions of particularly controversial strips that McGruder was forced to revise due to their sensitive or inflammatory nature. Overall, a must have addition to any Boondocks fan’s collection.