Clyde

People looking for lessons learned or personal growth would need to look elsewhere, but if you are looking for an inventive book that will make you laugh Clyde is for you. Clyde is a bear from Cubville, and he fancies himself a bad guy. He wants to move to Grizzly City, where life is way tougher and more suited to a "bad guy," but he soon finds out that might not be the place for him.

Probably not the best way to fit in with the locals...

Along the way he makes friends with a surprisingly tough butterfly named Melissa Sue. He also runs afoul of some fish and has to spring his dear old grandmother from fish jail. Clyde goes from place to place without much purpose, but he keeps finding himself in interesting (and funny) situations. Part of what makes this book work is its sense of surreality.  It's got its own logic, with Clyde being a bear, his grandmother a turtle, and his brother an invertebrate. Also, the dialogue and situations are quite inventive, full of character, and snappy. There is also a heavy dose of gross-out humor, mostly fart and booger related, but I have to say I found most of those parts pretty funny, too. And I'm an adult.

As you can see from the excerpt, the artwork is pretty straightforward and uncluttered, with great expression and energy. This book, like its title character, is brash and bombastic. It has its edginess, but it's more on the side of good than bad.

This book was authored by Jim Benton, who is best known as the creator of Happy Bunny. He has published a variety of humor comics, which you can check out here, and also has a made a few series books, starring characters named Catwad and Victor Shmud. He speaks more about his work on Clyde in this interview.

All of the reviews I have read of this book have been positive. Stephen Thompson "was surprised at how genuinely funny Clyde and his friends could be, even for grown-ups." Jennie Frencham wrote in School Library Journal that it featured "mildly naughty humor, a sly wit, and bright, adorably crude artwork." Rachel wrote, "It was short and sweet, but such a page turner."

Clyde was published by Yoe Books, and they offer a preview and much more here.

Usagi Yojimbo: Yokai

I wrote about my love of Usagi Yojimbo comics in the past, and I felt that this stand-alone graphic novel would be a great one to promote for reading around Halloween time. It was published to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Usagi's creation, and it tells a different kind of ghost story, one where the rabbit ronin finds himself in the middle of a forest and comes upon a weeping mother. Her child has been kidnapped by a fox spirit and she begs Usagi for help. Against his better judgment, he agrees to help, even though he knows his swords may be no help against a supernatural enemy.

It turns out that Usagi's instincts were spot on. This kidnapping is only one act in a series of appearances by yokai, Japanese spirits/monsters who are congregating in an evil plot to bring the witch queen into the human world. Usagi is certainly over his head here, but assistance arrives in his ally Sasuke the Demon Queller. However, both learn that dealing with these treacherous creatures is extremely hazardous, as they are incredibly underhanded and tricky.

This book's creator Stan Sakai is a multi-Eisner Award winning artist and letterer who is best known for creating Usagi Yojimbo as well as his work on the independent comic book series Groo. He speaks extensively about his career as well as his work on this graphic novel, which consists entirely of painted images, in this interview.

All the reviews I have read about this book sing its praises. Publishers Weekly gave it a starred review, calling it "a genuine pleasure for readers of all ages." The review in Rolling Stone India stated that the watercolors gave "the story a Miyazaki-esque feel that wows you right from the first page." The reviewer at Reading for Sanity wrote that it featured "a lovely blend of humor mixed with drama."

Usagi Yojimbo: Yokai was published by Dark Horse Comics, and they have a preview and more here.

The Usagi Yojimbo Saga, Books 1 & 2

Today I am writing about two books that contain more than 600 pages of comics each following a creator-owned character that originated in 1984.

I have read the adventures of Usagi Yojimbo before, mostly because his creator Stan Sakai worked on a ton of Groo comic books I read when I was a kid. But it has been years since I have checked in on him. Luckily, Comixology Unlimited has the first two books of The Usagi Yojimbo Saga available to borrow, and I got to read a great many of these wonderful stories over the past few weeks.

The plot mainly follows Miyamoto Usagi, a samurai living in 17th century Japan (during the Edo Period) who has lost his master and now wanders the road alone. He has a code of ethics, and he seeks to help those in need and often finds himself embroiled in interesting situations. What I find most impressive about this series, it features "funny animals" but they are some of the most human and evocative comics I have ever read. Sakai is masterful at creating tense situations and full characterizations in very short order. His artwork is impressively detailed and smooth, and the economy of his storytelling is superlative. He can portray small scenes of poignancy equally as well as large scale battles. Just check out this preview:

 

 

The tales in these books range from one-page gags to multi-page episodes to one multi-chapter epic (called "The Grasscutter"). I was shocked and amazed to see how much material was incorporated from all these disparate episodes into one long narrative in Book Two. The scope and scale of the world-building here is nothing short of remarkable. I feel that these books are masterpieces of comics, and what is more they are accessible for readers of almost any age. And apparently I am not in the minority here, as "The Grasscutter" stories won one of Sakai's five Eisner Awards. If you read comics and have never read Usagi Yojimbo, you should make time to do so immediately.

You'll be glad you did.

The Usagi Yojimbo Saga was published by Dark Horse, and they have a preview and more info about the series here.

Fran

Today, the last stop on my Comixology Unlimited tour (for now).

Why I chose it: I have been reading Jim Woodring's comics for decades now. They are all extremely well rendered, dreamy, surprisingly complex, philosophical, and full of life. Weathercraft, Frank, and all his other works are well checking out. How could I not read this latest book of his?

An excerpt:

 

The Bottom Line: This book is simply fantastic. It is a wordless adventure that follows Fran and Frank's relationship, which is complicated when they find a gizmo that projects past experiences as a movie. Frank is enamored with it, and Fran hates it. After she wrecks the device, Frank loses his mind in anger, and she sets off on her own. Everything that follows can be read as a search for forgiveness or some larger allegory about love, relationships, and finding one's identity/place in the world. I loved this book, cannot recommend it enough, and really need to find and read its prequel/sequel The Congress of Animals.

Don't just take my word for it: Joe McCulloch wrote a great meditation about how this book comments on love, identity, and cycles. Derek Royal called it "a very enjoyable and approachable book." Henry Chamberlain wrote that this book only adds to the fact that "Jim Woodring is one of our greatest cartoonists."

Fran was published by Fantagraphics, and they have a preview and much more available here.

Thank you for checking in on me this week as I wrote about my borrowing habits of late. I will review more of these books in the future.

Weathercraft

Weathercraft is a 100-page long journey into Jim Woodring's dreamlike world, and the book practically defies description. The all but wordless tale may be read as a philosophical or spiritual journey. It mostly follows the plights of Manhog, a pig/man hybrid who lives in a rubbish pile and is ruled by his basest appetites. He encounters many strange creatures in this tale, including devils, carnivores, paisley-shaped critters, and Frank, a cartoon animal who resembles a dog or a bear. In this world creatures typically eat or are eaten; they go through transformations, see visions, are imprisoned, and are magically transported across time and space. Over the course of the strange and fantastical events a kind of logic starts to emerge.

Jim Woodring is a Seattle artist who has been drawing comics for decades now. He gained some notoriety lately for making a functional, seven-foot-long ink pen. He is best known for his independent comics series Jim which featured the adventures of Frank. He won two Harvey Awards in 1993 for his work on the series. He also won the Inkpot Award in 2008. This interview with the Onion AV Club as well as this one with Shaun Manning lend insight into his work on Weathercraft.

Woodring's first graphic novel has been almost universally praised. Reviewer Jason Michelitch wrote that "Weathercraft paints small moments of beauty and mystery on a huge canvas of twisted wonder. If you've never ventured into the deranged world of Woodring, take it from a belated first-timer that this book is as good a starting place as any." Henry Chamberlain and Brian Heater also have great things to say in their detailed reviews of the book.

A video preview is provided here from the book's publisher Fantagraphics. They also provide a great number of links and images here.