Light It, Shoot It

 

I love a good noir story, especially one that features excellent artwork like Light It, Shoot It. It follows the travails of Billy Bonney, a young man who has just gotten out of prison for arson. He has troubles getting along with his peers as well as just fitting in to society. Luckily, his older brother is in the film business (on a low rung, but still), and he helps him get a gig being a actor's assistant. Mainly that involves him making sure the older alcoholic leading man is in working shape and on time to the set, not very glamorous work.  

As you can see from the excerpt above, the artwork is very expressive and lovingly portrays the gritty realities of 1970s Hollywood. The excerpt also features a lot of characters and moving parts, which are a hallmark of this book. There is a lot going on and lots of people with their own motives. Billy is trying to fit in; his brother is trying to get laid; one of the producers has a plan to recoup shooting costs through insurance fraud; some people are trying to make a movie; some people are trying to get famous, and still others just want to bask in the glow of showbiz. I am not going to say that the plot is the most original I've ever read, but I think that this book hits its story beats hard: a quintessential exploitation tale in graphic novel form. It's clearly a labor of love, and I got very much caught up in the enthusiastic way this story was told both through its narrative and art.

Light It, Shoot It was written and drawn by Graham Chaffee, who mainly works as a tattoo artist. He has published a couple of other graphic novels, including To Have & To Hold and Good Dog. He speaks about his work on this book in this interview.

All of the reviews of this book I have read highlight its strengths. Publishers Weekly wrote, "Chaffee’s pastel washes, clear affection for the period, and well-stocked gallery of colorful hoodlums and reluctant heroes make up for the lack of suspense." Jason Green called it "an excellent example of noir storytelling at its finest, soaked in a uniquely 1970s mood." Paul Dunne opined, "Drawn in bold brushstrokes, and hand-painted in subtle washes, Chaffee brings vintage LA to the page in a propulsive adventure."

Light It, Shoot It was published by Fantagraphics, and they provide a preview and more info about it here. This book is suggested from mature readers.

Lon Chaney Speaks

Lon Chaney was notoriously private during his life, once even stating, "Between pictures, there is no Lon Chaney." This book, Lon Chaney Speaks, takes a shot in filling in some of the gaps about his private life, but as is written in the author's note that opens the book, it is more of a "imagined biography."

For those who don't know, Lon Chaney was an actor who began working in vaudeville, transitioned to silent movies, and finally made his speaking debut in a movie just before he died. He is renowned as "the man of 1,000 faces" for his pioneering make-up and special effects work. He was famous for portraying monsters and other gruesome creatures in his films, most notably The Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Phantom of the Opera. This book recreates movie posters for most of his films and also provides adaptations for his more famous roles. It also portrays events from his private life, including a rocky first marriage, an uneasy relationship with his son Creighton (later known as Lon Chaney, Jr.), and a happier second marriage. It also shows behind the scenes glimpses of how he slowly built his career into one of the most notable in Hollywood history.

This book is a clear labor of love that is very well researched and referenced. I adore the scenes and adaptations of the films, and the personal moments are all well staged as executed in terms of portraying strong characters and memorable events.The bold storytelling is reminiscent of the art style often employed by illustrators of the day (especially Syd Hoff), which adds to the historical tone of the story. A variety of colors are used, though each vignette is rendered mono-chromatically, which helps with shifts in time and space as well as indicates what is "real life" and what are movie scenes. I am a big fan of comics, old Hollywood movies, and monsters, so this book is right up my alley. It's gorgeous and informative, a must have for any monster or movie fans who are into comics.

This book's creator Pat Dorian is a filmmaker and cartoonist who has worked on high-profile projects for AMC and Adult Swim. He also teaches animation at the Pratt Institute. This book is his graphic novel debut, though he began the project as two mini-comics titled "Lon Chaney Talks."

All of the reviews I have read of this book have been full of praise. In a starred review, Kirkus called it a "dazzling debut" that "captures the voice and soul of Lon Chaney." Publishers Weekly called it a "spirited homage." Steven Thompson wrote, "It capsulizes his life just enough. He’s depicted as a less than perfect man, getting along as well as he can in a less than perfect world."

Lon Chaney Speaks was published by Pantheon, and they offer a preview and more here.

Child Star

Brian "Box" Brown is one of my favorite comics creators, and his prior graphic novels have been nonfiction looks at Andre the Giant, Andy Kaufman, Tetris, and Cannabis. All of these books were very well researched and obvious labors of love. His latest book is fictional, but it is based in reality and is also obviously well-sourced and personal. Child Star focuses on Owen Eugene, who displays both humor and charisma from a very young age and becomes a huge celebrity.

His life and career is clearly modeled on a melange of people such as Gary Coleman, Emmanuel Lewis, and Macaulay Culkin, but I don't think one would have to know that to enjoy this book. I am knowledgeable enough to get the references to real-life events, but I feel that readers who are not up on 1980s sitcoms and movies would just read this book as a prolonged examination of a person's life. Owen stars in commercials at first but quickly graduates into a hit TV series as well as several movies, cartoons, and other commercial venues in the form of lunchboxes and toys. And, of course, he came up with a catch-phrase that propelled him into the public consciousness but became an anchor as he grew older. Along his path through stardom, he touches a lot of people's lives.

As you can see from the excerpts above, the narrative plays out in multiple forms. There is one level of commentary that runs as a documentary, showcasing the actors, parents, and other people in Owen's life in a series of interviews. Then, there are also lengthy excerpts from fictional TV programs and movies that Owen starred in (which are colored in red, so you can tell the difference from reality).

What is impressive to me about this book is how well it plays like a documentary, with elaborate scenes from his various star vehicles included in extended excerpts. The book plays out in multiple parts, detailing Owen's rise to fame, his stream of successes, his struggles with finding work as he grew older, his disillusionment with the business side of showbiz, his fragile health situation, his dis-junction from his parents, and his eventual late-life slide into obscurity and tabloid fodder. The lengths that Brown went to in fleshing out and realizing this character and his world are extremely impressive. Also I should note the level of affection Brown has for his subject matter. Even though the TV shows and movies depicted have a tongue-in-cheek quality, this book does not parody or mock Owen, holding him in esteem while showing the pitfalls many child stars experienced. As a fan of 1980s and 1990s popular culture, I really enjoyed this book.

All the reviews I have read about this book have been positive. In a starred review, Publishers Weekly summed up, "This in-the-know skewering of celebrity and pop culture will entertain children of the ’80s as well as their own children." In a starred review in Library Journal, Douglas Rednour remarked that it was "thought provoking and poignant yet honest in its humanity." Paul's Picks called it "an impressively dense and thorough look at the child star phenomenon." Brown speaks more about his work on Child Star in this interview.

Child Star was published by First Second, and they offer a preview and much more here.

Giraffes on Horseback Salad

Today, I look at another book that is emblematic of the ways I feel Derek helped broaden my thinking and experiences with comics. Every month on the Comics Alternative, we would do an episode looking at the "back pages" of the Previews catalog, where the non-"Big 2" books were solicited. Now when we started, I had not read that catalog in a looooong time. I had relied on people with more intestinal fortitude than I (like Mike Sterling) to tell me about the highlights (or in his case, the "lowlights") that were listed. My unfamiliarity with the format of the catalog really showed. I wanted to talk about EVERYTHING that was in the book, even the resolicitations, because I did not readily catch on how it worked. That first show was very long as a result, and I think that Derek was very gracious about it even though I got from his tone that he must have been wondering what a newbie I was being.

Checking out the catalog on a regular basis really opened my eyes to the multiplicity of offerings and publishers out there. It also made me pretty aware of what was not listed, particularly as I also read a lot of comics and graphic novels from publishers in the book world that particularly cater to younger readers. Still, I really enjoyed doing my "homework" in poring over the catalog each month, and it was exciting to talk about books that caught our fancy, sort of like being a kid back in the day with a Sears catalog around the holidays.

Giraffes on Horseback Salad was one of the books that really leaped off the page for us when we saw it in Previews, as it hit on a few of our interests. It is a graphic novel based on a lost script by Salvador Dali (!) for a movie that was to star the Marx Brothers(!). A book from one of the great surrealist artists featuring comedic characters made famous in the early days of film seemed like one of the potentially perfect uses of comics, in my opinion. How else could something like this be created and communicated today? We were both really excited about this intriguing, unique book, gushing about it. Lo and behold a few months later, the publisher sent us review copies, one of the best benefits from doing our podcast. I was excited to talk about it with Derek, but, sadly, we never got the opportunity.

So, you might ask, does this amalgamation of ideas and artifacts work? Yes, and no. I have to say that it would be a tall order to pull off in the best of circumstances. Not every work translates well across media, and what is more collaborations between creators with larger-than-life personas don't always go well. What this book does well is tell the story in multiple aspects. There is an essay by Josh Stack about his research into the script and how he managed to locate drafts, scraps of artwork, and commentary that would be used to create this book. There are dramatized scenes of the meetings between Salvador Dali and Harpo Marx that base this work firmly in history and their biographies (bolstered by input and artifacts from Harpo's son Bill). Finally there is some insight into how the comedy scenes were fleshed out by contemporary comedian Tim Heidecker. This front matter is extremely rich, compelling, and intriguing, and I have to say that it forecasts a "movie" that is fun enough but does not live up to expectations (how could it though?).

In many ways, the story is a like a typical Marx Brothers movie, with clever quips, bad puns, and zany situations. In other ways, it is sort of academic with its conflict between a staid, soulless, and capitalistic type of living and a surreal lifestyle centered on art, experience, and sensation. The protagonist is a man named Jimmy, a stand-in for Dali but played by Harpo. He is a man of industry who works for the father of his beautiful but vapid and conniving fiancee Linda. He suddenly realizes that he is unfulfilled when he encounters the mysterious figure known as The Surreal Woman. She is malleable, made of various substances, exhibits different countenances, and apparently has the power to alter reality with her parties.

The effects of The Surreal Woman are one of the best features of the book, as they help highlight the abilities of artist Manuela Pertega. She is not so interested in depicting all of the characters realistically, but she makes sure we can tell who is who, and where she excels is in portraying scenes and layouts in ways that ape Dali's art. There are plenty of disembodied hands, viscous fluids, flaming giraffes, and serendipitous spatial arrangements. Seeing how she lays out pages and propels the reader through the narrative is a real treat. I may not have known what was going on all the time, but I sure enjoyed the ride.

I think what sort of hamstrung the book was mostly the main character, who was supposed to be played by Harpo, but seems like one of the least Harpo-characters I have ever seen. He seems too uptight and loquacious, and Harpo was more madcap and always silent. I just could not see this character take shape. Also, the story gets a little too metaphorical for my liking, and behind that is a saccharine ethos that I do not think really maps on well to a Marx Brothers movie, which is more about comedic chaos and mayhem. Still, it is an interesting experiment and a worthwhile read. Perhaps this "strangest movie never made" might not be the greatest graphic novel ever made, but it offers lots of great history and a fascinating diversion for fans of the surrealist artist and classic comedians.

This book was a collaboration between Josh Frank, Tim Heidecker, and Manuela Pertega. Frank is a producer and pop archaeologist who has written a few other books about popular culture and music. Heidecker is a comedian/writer/actor known for his various Tim and Eric collaborations. Pertega is an artist/illustrator, and this book is her first graphic novel. Frank speaks more about the work that went into making this book in this podcast round table.

The reviews I have read praise many parts of this book, even if they admit that as whole not utterly cohesive.  J. Caleb Mozzocco opined that "one needs some knowledge of, and at least some degree of affection for, the Marx Brothers and their film comedies to buttress the comic." Etelka Lehoczky wrote, "It may not be a good story, but Giraffes on Horseback Salad makes a good book." Marissa Moss stated, "The creative team behind this book have risen to the challenge and created something completely unique."

Giraffes on Horseback Salad was published by Quirk Books, and they offer more info about it here. There is also a website for the book, which features reviews, events, and lots of other goodies here.

The published provided a review copy.

Maria M.

If Maria M. were a movie, it'd be more than three hours long and with an ending that would put Scarface's to shame.

You know what's crazy? How fast time goes by. The first half of this book was published in 2013, and I wrote a review of it here. I have to say that looking back at my past reviews often makes me cringe a bit, but I think that one is pretty well composed and captures what I still think about this book. So go check it out. The only thing I could not say then but can now: Gilbert sticks the landing, and there is a lot of blood along the way. Whereas the first half of the book is a story of an immigrant trying to find her way in a sleazy world, the second half is more a concentrated crime drama with lots of intrigue and double-crossing.

Also, abdominal walnut cracking!

This book is an excellent one, showcasing an accomplished creator's range of skills in fine fashion. There is so much plot packed in the visuals, it's a testament to economical storytelling. It's a good read for those unfamiliar with his work or his Palomar tales, but it's also highly rewarding for readers who have been enjoying those comics over the years as well. The only people I cannot recommend this book for are younger ones, as it features sex, violence, and profanity. But if you are mature enough to handle those things and enjoy a gruesome crime tale that pays tribute to classic exploitation/B-films, this book is right up your alley.

This book's author is Gilbert Hernandez. He has been creating comics for about four decades now, most notably the Love and Rockets series with his brothers. He is prolific and considered one of the great American comics creators of all time. He talks extensively about his life and works in this interview.

All of the reviews I have read of this book have been positive. Publishers Weekly wrote that "the pulp plot is executed with style, strong and sensitive character development, practiced casual linework, and the kind of gonzo weirdness—such as Maria’s talent for cracking walnuts with her abs—that defines the Hernandez ethos." Andy Shaw opined that "anyone else with an interest in sharp, sexy, violent but sophisticated stories can still enjoy it for what it is: a B-movie homage that takes the genre above and beyond our expectations." Robert Rea summed up, "Every writer should be so lucky to have the imaginative chops that Hernandez shows in Maria M."

Maria M. was published by Fantagraphics, and they offer a preview and much more here. Also, the publisher is having their big annual Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales soon, so check those out. They publish lots of excellent books!

The Complete Matinee Junkie: Five Years at the Movies

The Complete Matinee Junkie was another book I got as part of backing Birdcage Bottom Books' Kickstarter for 2018. It collects four shorter books into one complete volume, like the title says. Given the title, I thought perhaps that this book was going to contain a series of illustrated movie reviews over the course of the titular five years, especially because now I have two small kids and do not get to the movies nearly as much as I used to. There is some movie criticism here, but mostly this book is a collection of autobiographical comics that use movie-viewing as a backdrop.

Instead of being disappointed, I was pleased by this book's tone and perspective. I really enjoyed the view into the day-to-day life of the narrator and his girlfriend, and I was frequently tickled by their various observations and comments. This book might not have been heavy reading, but I felt it was very relatable, great fun with a great sense of humor. Also, he reproduces all his movie tickets as part of the comics, a touch I loved.

Jordan Jeffries is the creator behind this series and collection. I do not know that much about him but you can check out some of his works here. He speaks about his work on the series and also his movie-going in this interview.

I was not able to find many reviews of this book, but the ones I have read have been positive. Publishers Weekly summed up, "Even the most lackadaisical theatergoer will be moved by Jeffries’s sincere and enduring love of all that makes cinema special." Ryan C. wrote, "It’s packed with enough witty and wry observation to satisfy cineastes from the casual to the committed."

The Complete Matinee Junkie: Five Years at the Movies was published by Birdcage Bottom Books, and they offer a preview and more info about it here.

The Fade Out: Act One

I am a HUGE fan of Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. Their first collaboration, a combination of superheroes and espionage, Sleeper, was followed by Criminal, a series of  hard-boiled crime tales. Since then, they have created all sorts of crime series, like Fatale, where it was mixed with mystical horrors, and Incognito, where there were superheroes involved with the witness protection program. In The Fade Out, they turn back to a straight noir tale.

The narrative here is set in post-WWII Hollywood. It involves a drunken screenwriter, a dead starlet, a blacklisted screenwriter, a crazed director, and shady studio executives. The drunk screenwriter is privy to information that what was reported as a suicide was actually a murder and that there is a cover-up. Of course, there are multiple interested parties (suspects?) and the entire situation is as clear as mud. One of the strengths of this book is that the plot is extremely intricate and the characters are types of a sort but also intriguing because of their circumstances. I am trying not to spoil things and doing a poor job of describing just how great this book is. I should just say that if you are fan of noir, murder mysteries, or classic Hollywood, you should check this book out.

All of the reviews I have read about this book have been glowing. Publishers Weekly concluded by calling it "a strong beginning to a serial mystery that offers a fresh spin on the genre." The reviewer at Comic Bastards summed up, "you should come to The Fade Out for the plot and the atmosphere, stay for the characters, and never think about McCarthyism the same way again." Sean M. Thompson wrote that it was full of "great characterization, excellent pacing, a great mystery, and brilliant art and color."

The Fade Out was published by Image Comics, and they have more information and previews available here. There are violence, sex, and nudity in this book, so it is suggested for mature readers.

Kill My Mother

Jules Feiffer cuts a large figure in the world of comics. He was an apprentice to Will Eisner in the 1940s, a time when comics were in a nascent state. He won a Pulitzer Prize for his cartoon work, all but created the genre of alt-weekly comics with his work for The Village Voice, was a comics historian, wrote the screenplay for the classic film Carnal Knowledge, and illustrated classic books like The Phantom Tollbooth. But until now, he had not written or drawn a graphic novel.

And this is some debut. It has lots of elements of 1940s noir films, which I guess should not be a surprise as the book is dedicated in part to Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, James M. Cain, John Huston, Billy Wilder, and Howard Hawks. It stars the prerequisite private detective, though he is pretty much useless, a drunken lout who tries to be a womanizer and who seems to enjoy wearing women's panties. The folks who actually do things are all women, and what roles they play. There is Elsie, a young widow who decides to work as a secretary for a PI so she can investigate her policeman husband's murder. There is her daughter, Annie, who resents her absent mother while bossing around her friend Artie. There is a mysterious blond who hires the PI to find a tall, blond woman whom she resembles.

And of course, this being a noir tale, there are lots of scenes in seedy place like apartment buildings, smoke filled cabarets, and boxing matches.

 

The story is split into two parts, one in 1933 in Bay City, and the other in 1943 in Hollywood, where we see what has transpired in ten years. The tone of the second half is much different, as we see the movers and shakers behind movies, radio programs, and USO tours. Their world may seem cleaner and more civilized, but there are still bitter undercurrents of jealousy, greed, and potential murder. It is like having a movie and its sequel in one work, and I think that this graphic novel works extremely well in terms of its narrative. In fact, I think this is a book with all kinds of details that demands to be read and then re-read.

Part of what makes the story interesting is how it is laid out. I think that the panels (and at times, lack of panels) are constructed in interesting and fluid ways. There is something experimental about them in how they attempt to track how readers' eyes will move across pages. The sketchiness of those movements are a strength but also sometimes a detriment. The biggest issue I had with this book was that some of the characters look alike, but that seems partly the purpose in a book about changing societal roles and shifting identities.

Feiffer makes a great hash from his many influences, including dimestore novels, old comic strips, and noir films, as well as his years spent as Will Eisner's apprentice. This book is sort of a paean to those modes of telling stories, but it is also a commentary and critique of them, playing with their conventions and making something vital. The story is entrancing, and the artwork is provocative, ranging from paneled scenes to full page splashes that are surprising effecting and poignant. You can read more about Feiffer's influences and choices for making this book in this profile.

All the reviews I have read about this book regard it as a work to be reckoned with, even if they were not always uniformly positive. In the New York Times Sunday Book Review Laura Lippman called it "terrific" and wrote that it was "a thoughtful meditation on female identity and whether the not-so-simple art of murder can ever be defended as a moral necessity." Alan Cheuse called it "a darkly drawn confection." Dash Shaw was more critical of the book's layouts, calling them "herky-jerky" and summing up his review, "It looks like it was fun for him to make. I wish it was fun for me to read."

Kill My Mother was published by W.W. Norton & Company, and they provide a link to previews and more here.

Pete and Miriam

Pete and Miriam are twenty-somethings who are lifelong friends, and this book shows many episodes from throughout their lives. Flashing back and forth through time, we see them go to film school, date different people, go trick-or-treating, meet, pull pranks, drink, dabble in punk rock, and deal with high school. There is no single narrative thread, but we get several impressions about them and their lives that add up to give a fuller picture of these characters. I think that Pete comes off worse than Miriam, but what is palpable is the strong relationship between the two. Also, they really like movies.

Writer/artist Rich Tommaso has been creating comics for the better part of two decades. He won an Eisner Award for his work on the graphic novel Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow, and he has a great variety of works available for preview at his official website. Currently he is also working on re-coloring reprints of classic Carl Barks stories for Fantagraphics. Tommaso speaks about his career at length in this interview at The Comics Reporter.

Reading this book, I enjoyed the idiosyncrasies of Pete and Miriam's relationship as well as Tommaso's expressive art. He has a great feel for the characters, and I appreciate how he shows them at different times in their young lives. I have found few reviews online about this book, and they have been mixed thus far. Matt Demers wrote about how the book was structured, "I was a bit perplexed after I read through it because... the stories jump around through different times." He added, "I really felt as if I had read a collection of stories with no connecting tissue between them." I would counter that there are connections between the stories, especially once you realize they are all about the same two people. The reviewer at the Stumptown Trade Review enjoyed the realism of the book and concluded, "Do yourself a favor and pick up Pete and Miriam today."

Pete and Miriam was originally published in France, and it was published in the US by Boom! Studios. Here is a sizable preview posted at the Graphic Novel Reporter.

On a side note, I met Tommaso at HeroesCon this summer and he signed my copy of this book and also provided a fun illustration. He is a great guy!

Multiplex Book 1: Enjoy Your Show

This book is a collection of Gordon McAlpin's webcomic, which has been regularly published on Mondays and Thursdays since 2005. It follows the employees of a local movie theater, chronicling their interactions with customers and each other, and there are lots of movie-based jokes, pranks, and fumbling attempts at romance. The main characters are: Kurt, the jokester manager; Jason, the ticket-taker with highfalutin tastes; Becky, the projectionist with a heart of gold; and Melissa, another projectionist and Kurt's girlfriend, who is often the voice of reason.

Aside from capturing the flavor of working in a customer service job, McAlpin also does a great job with the characterization of people growing up and finding their places in the world. He is an illustrator who specializes in digital publications who also does work in printing and advertising. Multiplex has been his long-term project, and thus far he has 5 books available online. He funded publication of this book by raising funds using Kickstarter. McAlpin talks about why he decided to do a print version of his work in this Newsarama interview.

This first book is full of the early entries in the series, with McAlpin offering commentary on his creative decisions. From the reviews, it seems that this comic's appeal depends on its audience. Johanna Draper Carlson reviewed the book and saw some features that could use improvement. She also commented on how the strip evolved over time for the better but also speaks to how some of the characters seemed stereotypical to her. On a different note, Jason Sacks wrote that "it's fun to see how the characters grow and change." Xaviar Xerexes wrote that although it may be tougher to enjoy these early strips than the later ones, they do serve as a good introduction to the comic. As for me, this is one of the few webcomics I regularly follow, especially for the relatable and developed characters. This development has taken time though, and I am not sure this collection captures enough of it.

The online version of the comics in this collection is available here, along with character biographies, guest strips, and other bonus features.