Entertainment For Lively Minds
Graphic Novels - Where next?
I have long loved all things Moomintroll, I grew up with the novels and the dodgy TV animation. The collected comic strips were published a few years ago. A snippet:
These were probably the first comic strips I had read since my 1983 Beano annual (which I still cherish).
A few months ago I was given the graphic novel "Logicomix" by Apostolos Doxiadis and Christos Papadimitriou. A biography of the early life of Bertrand Russell. I was slightly taken aback by the gift, I'd never read a graphic novel, and only had a very shaky grasp of who Russell was, and I didn't have a clue about mathematical philosophy. But I loved it! I keep returning to it, and want more of this kind of thing:
Do any of you have recommendations of graphic novels you have enjoyed? I'm not overly interested in superheroes or deep science-fiction. Is that the difference between comics and graphic novels? (Mind you, I've been calling the Moomins a comic strip. I hope I've not been making all manner of graphical semantic faux pas). I'd love your advice on where to go next. Pretty pictures, speech bubbles, diverse subject matter and intricate plots all most welcome.
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Edward Gorey?
Gorey wrote exquisitely illustrated, amusingly macabre, vaguely Victorian stories. What the hell am I doing - I'm trying to describe Edward Gorey in words! Just look him up on the web and see what I mean.
Any Gorey will do but you might be best to start with the collection "Amphigorey" which is just a delight. I personally love his strip "The Gashlycrumb Tinies" the best but everybody who reads him has their favourites.
For out-and-out funny I would probably turn to either Bloom County (which started out as a tight little three frame comic strip and ended up as the rather more free-form "Outland" series) or even the Asterix books.
For more grown-up fun I'm always hugely entertained by Alan Moore who just gets so much "stuff" into a few words in a comic strip. "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" has now been horribly tarnished by the wretched film but the original comic books read like films themselves and are just so rich in detail.
I really quite envy you discovering all this new stuff - I will definitely be seeking out Logicomix so thanks for sharing that one!
Blooming great
I still have the U2 pisstake and single .
Edward Gorey
Very, very good suggestion - you are now the proud possessor of an up arrow, my lad.
Coo thanks!
. . but actually hugely embarrassed I forgot to mention Maus (see below) . .
Comic strips I love.
I always have. Alex, Calvin And Hobbes, Zits, Dilbert, Viz, Beano, Victor and many more.
Graphic novels I've never managed to get to grips with. I've tried plenty. The first big 'un I can remember was Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns. I couldn't appreciate the format in the long form.
This is me.
I get really distracted reading longform comics - I can't concentrate on them.
Strips: deffo. I've loved Gary Larson to distraction since I was knee-high.
A few recommendations...
- Maus by Art Speigelman. The classic serious grown up graphic novel, Speigelman tells the story of his father's experiences during the holocaust and his own relationship with him. It's wonderful.
- From Hell - Alan Moore. If you don't want superhero stuff, this is the work by the comics genius I'd recommend. It's his retelling of the Jack The Ripper story and it's mindbogglingly good.
- David Boring and Ghost World by Daniel Clowes. Very good, sometimes strange, often very touching, Clowes is a talented man.
There are plenty of others but if you are new and liked Logicomix, these seem like natural places to try next. Enjoy!
A great Work of Art
'Maus' by Art Speigelman is the only Graphic Novel I can think of that justifies the term 'Graphic Novel'.
The Moomin strips are wonderful. Some very clever sly humour in there.
Another vote for Maus
Also When The Wind Blows by Raymond Briggs. Astonishingly sad.
Can't remember who drew it, but I have a brilliant comic book version of Macbeth using all the original Shakespeare dialogue.
For something a bit lighter than any of those there is always Geoffrey the Tube Train and the Fat Comedian by Alexie Sayle.
Oh yes, Raymond Briggs
I had forgotten that I have read Ethel and Ernest, his biography of his parents. Beautifully drawn, and very moving.
I can't wait to go to a good bookshop!
the shakespeare
was done in the eighties by penguin.try greenmetropolis.co.uk they are the first graphics in the uk v.primitive but give it a try.
And a third...
I also can't recommend Maus or From Hell highly enough. They were the first two graphic novels I ever read and I'm still astonished at how good they are when I go back to them. FH is a remarkable piece of writing - Alan Moore manages to keep about seven plates spinning at once throughout (it's simultaneously a Victorian romp, a crime thriller, a dissection of the gender politics/science/class attitudes of the day, a very odd metaphysical story about time travelling, and finally a brilliant self-analysis of what makes people want to write books about murderers).
If any of that makes it sound dry or difficult, it's not - it's a very easy read and hugely enjoyable. Moore is a national treasure and it's the literary establishment's loss that he's not cherished to a greater degree - he towers over most of our supposedly 'great writers'.
Watchmen
It's a cliche. But like all good cliches, it's rooted in something true.
Maus is great. From hell is great. Watchmen was one of the few books that just blew me away.
Some graphic novels are simply graphic ways of representing a text-based story. A series of images.
Watchmen doesn't do that. I think it actually helps define a form of book. It isn't easy, and the characters are - largely - unsympathetic. But I love it. I've bought three copies - lost one, wore one out...
I've cited the Charley's War stories before - I'm a big Pat Mills fan, and Joe Colquhoun's art was definitive. It's ironic that the best war comic story was so...anti war. I've started collecting the hard back collections now, having read all the "Battle" and "Battle Action" comics as a kid. They more than stand the test of time.
My favourite Watchmen things
And
If you've enjoyed...
...a graphic representation of Bertrand Russell, try Robert Crumb's Kafka - or any of his long form books, really. I can thoroughly recommend Alice in Sunderland by Bryan Talbot (on at Latitude) as well or again, any of Talbot's books; comprehensively researched and beautifully drawn, they cover almost everything - history, art, life, the universe...
Alien Outbreak
Orignally written to carry on where Aliens left off, Outbreak is the best Alien film you've never seen. After Newt and Hicks were killed in the opening to Alien 3, their characters were changed in the book to Billie and Wilks. But an older version will have the original names. Featuring parallel storylines of our heroes returning to space, whilst an alien is kept in captivity on Earth. The creatures telepathic nature inspires a cult around the creature and well, I won't spoil it for you.
Is this it?
There seems to be a few of them?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Aliens-Outbreak-Mark-Verheiden/dp/1852867566
That's it
But it's worth hunting down an early pressing with the Hicks and Newt characters intact. It's a much better story for Newt's character whose death in hibernation was a bit lame.
Graphic Novel is just a term
invented by publishing industry pr's to get over their own cultural hang ups and to persuade equally benighted broadsheet book reviewers to take Comic seriously. The likes of Alam Moore and Neil Gaiman call them comics and that's good enough for me.
That aside you could try Daniel Clowes comics ,Ghost World is perhaps the most famous one. In similar vein there's Optic Nerve Series by Adrian Tomine which is indie north American vibe but well written.
In a more serious intense form there's the work of Joe Sacco which are based on interviews and journalism of recent events in Palestine and Kosovo etc. You could also look out for the work of pioneers like Will Eisner.
I've recently started borrowing comics from the library it's a great way try new artists etc and I must admit I'm still a little put off buying some editions which look lovely but only take an evening to read but cost 20 quid.
Persepolis
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persepolis
Also a great movie version:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0808417/
I had forgotten Persepolis
Seconded, plus it's available at the price of a normal paperback.
Maus and its sequel are wonderful
but they're the only (cough) 'graphic novels' with which I've got on.
I tried the Watchmen years ago when it was flavour of the month but I couldn't get past the 'superhero' storyline. I guess I just don't 'get' all that superhero stuff.
I'm happier with comic strips with some basis in reality and real events - Steve Bell's 'If...' is a thing of wonder and I've been following Doonesbury for ever.
Speaking of which, is Doonesbury the only strip in which the characters age, die and are replaced by their kids in real time?
I was going to
suggest Ethel and Ernest which is a lovely and very moving book, I like a lot of other Raymond Briggs stuff as well - Gentleman Jim is worth looking into. The one I really wanted to recommend is Will Eisner, absolute works of art, not only are his drawings superb but they are good stories as well. His New York compendium is well worth investigating, though not cheap. Also, back home Bryan Talbot is another and his Tale of one bad rat is worth a gander.
My all-time favourite is Victor, brought out a compendium last year which is just brilliant - Alf Tupper, what a hero !
If you live or are going to that London, head to the Cartoon Gallery, near the ritish Museum - a great place and they have good exhibitions there as well.
Hunt Emerson
"Calculus Cat" and "Alan Rabbit aka Bill The Bunny" by Hunt Emerson - very strange funny/weird stuff, dark and knockabout at the same time.
Otherwise, I definitely recommend anything by Alan Moore; even the superhero/sci-fi stuff always subverts/extends its influences.
Neil Gaiman's "Sandman" series; ostensibly an update of a 1950s DC superhero series (that at least was Gaiman's commission), he turned it into something else entirely. It's important to read the whole lot; it starts in fairly typical horror/fantasy style and evolves only gradually.
Hunt Emerson also did some great rock caricatures
I particularly remember his Phil Lynott in typical Lynott pose but with one HUGE string on his bass and a crank handle for a machine head
Firkin The Cat
Was another gem by Hunt Emerson. Probably best found in the collected edition rather than trying to track down the back issues of Fiesta where it originally appeared
Also:
Matt Groening's comic stuff, pre-Simpsons: "Life is Hell" (and I think "work...", "School..." etc), plus "Akbar and Jeff". Like the Simpsons, only stranger and darker.
PS. I don't much like the term "graphic novel" either - to me, there's nothing wrong with "comics"!
Zombies
As mentioned on another thread, how about The Walking Dead. £25.99 on Amazon for the first 48 issues at the mo. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Walking-Dead-Compendium-1/dp/1607060760/ref=sr_1...
A fantastic read, I devoured this in one sitting!!! (Sorry!)
Neil Gaiman's Sandman
or even more particularly the Death stories especially Death: The High Cost of Living.
Also Jaime Hernandez's Love & Rockets stuff (not as keen on Gilbert's stuff)
Love and Rockets
Work of genius. Especially Jamie's stuff. Heartbreak Soup (or Palomar) by Gilberto (or Beto) Hernandez is inspired by magical realism, and has its moments (particularly the death of Tonantzin). A lot depends on your interest in central american life and history.
Jaime is just wonderful. The two main characters Maggie and Hopey have grown from teenagers to being thirty somethings. Ignore the Rockets in the title, and the early issues - they are not important and disappear pretty quickly.
There is a lot of talk about punk bands in Southern California, and it is witty and funny and wonderful. What is important is the lives of the characters, and so you really have to start at the beginning so that things have the right impact. Things early in the series have pay offs much later (years in the writing) - such as why Speedy Ortiz is called Speedy, and why it is so sad.
There are 2 hardbacks - Locas and Locas II. Hours of joy. Oh, and the artwork is wonderful too.
Alternatively...
you can go completely batfink and dive into Cerebus. The story of a talking Aardvark who becomes Pope in a parody world of Sword and Sorcery - really. Think Terry Pratchett. Ish.
16 telephone book sized volumes, some 6000 pages and about 25 years worth of work. The art really picks up in book 3 when Gerhard starts drawing everything that is not the main characters (about issue 65). The story starts to get interesting about book 2 (issue 25) when the creator Dave Sim had a breakdown (his first) after taking too much LSD, and decided to stop making a comic book and start tackling the big topics. War, Religion, Politics, Oscar Wilde, Hemingway, the battle of the sexes (in a quite literal way). Along the way Sim seemingly had another breakdown leading to his adopting a rather unique religion combining Islam, Judaism and Christianity. This inspired (if that is the right word) what was seen as rampant misogyny, and culminates in a retelling of the book of Genesis based on his own insights from reading the Bible.
As I said, completely BatFink. But in parts inspired, beautiful and extremely funny. In other parts dull, rambling and self indulgent. But a unique piece of work. DO NOT start with Reads. Try Church and State. Don't be afraid to skip ahead if you want to know how it finishes (there is a definitive end, though like the Sopranos it is open to interpretation).
Be warned, though...
Once the misogynistic mindshift occurs, referred to above, and the VERY extended rants begin, you may well decide that's where Sim lost the plot. I'd stuck with Cerebus from its outset, and found it exceptional, until Sim's apparent breakdown began dominating the comic. Enough was enough - I left him to complete his "journey" minus at least one reader.
Personally
I skipped all the bits when he stopped drawing and started just typing his rants (about the time the letters pages got to be longer than the rest of the comic). I don't think I missed anything. If you are interested, Cerebus dies as predicted - alone and unloved.
Cerebus
is unparalleled. Absolutely brilliant, but may be 6000 pages too far for a comics novice...
Worth mentioning that whenever I have had correspondence with Dave Sim he's been unfailingly courteous and far removed from the insane lunatic certain corners of the internet would have ypu believe.
That's good to hear, MlH,
But the rants themselves did little to convey the impression you received from your personal correspondence, and the rest of us were not privy to the latter, of course.
...and the page count's not the issue, really.
ahem
look at my username. Does anybody honestly think I'm not going to recommend Love & Rockets?
FWIW, I second the "Jaime is better than Gilbert" motion.
Maakies
Tony Millionaire's comic strip about the alcoholic Drinky Crow and Uncle Gabby the unsanitary ape is absolutely priceless; not to mention scabrous. There are several beautifully produced large format collections, and if your sense of humour veers towards the unwholesome, I urge you to buy them all. Two other delights of the strips are Millionaire's breathtaking draughtsmanship when he draws the occasional strip in "fine art" mode (his old-style sailships are particularly good), and the smaller, usually unrelated, strip that appears beneath each main strip.
Have a look at the online archive here:
http://www.maakies.com/?page_id=5
Bone by Jeff Smith
If Tolkien had been a Looney Tunes writer.
Bone
also works exceptionally well in digital form on the iPhone - viewed as a series of single panels you realise how beautifully composed each picture is. The colour looks gorgeous too.
Lots of the above is fine with me
How about E C Segar's original Popeye Thimble Theatre strip a wonderfully entertaining piece of story telling which is a true delight.
Anything by Bill Tidy is worth a look and in particular his masterwork The Fosdyke Saga.
Eddie Campbell who illustrated Allan Moore's From Hell has done some fine stuff in his own right. Check out Alex or his comics about the old Greek Gods in modern times featuring Bacchus and the Eyeball Kid
Can I add three?
Duncan the Wonder Dog - sounds like a Superman's dog type thing but it isn't - it is a work of genius, but strangely appears to be out of print as Amazon marketplace is selling it for over £200! if you liked Life of Pi I think you'd enjoy this. It's pretty dense though, but rewards careful attention.
Asterios Polyp by David Mazzuchelli tells the story of an architect/lecturer and is narrated by his still-born twin, it's one of those books that could only exist in this form - Polyp is all angles, his on-off girlfriend is curves and soft lines - as they fall in love you can see the styles merge. Both of these ARE graphic novels or original graphic novels (OGNs) as they never appeared as monthly comics.
I Kill Giants tells of a loner/outsider oddball girl who is gearing up to fight a mysterious monster which turns out to be symbolic of something tragic and close to home - you will cry.
100 Bullets runs to 12 or 13 volumes - Reservoir Dogs style crime gang, mysterious agents, untraceable bullets, the opportunity for revenge, cabals as old as the US. This was a 100 issue series and - all written and drawn by the same two principal creators is a phenomenal achievement. Most volumes stand alone.
Finally - I just read Ba and Moon's Daytripper - stories featuring the many lives and deaths of one man - it will also make you cry - particularly if you are or have lost a father.
I think I've read every book recommended so far - no-one has given you a bum steer. I loved the Moomins collections too - they led me to seek out some of Trog's Flook strips from the 60s - sadly out of print and therefore a wee bit pricy, but gorgeous stuff nonetheless.
I've finished now. (I know - that was more than three)
Oh - don't forget Tintin either.
Going.
Seconded
Daytripper is a heartbreaking work of staggering genius. And is also (keeping the cliches coming), life affirming.
It's the best graphic novel, and indeed book, I've read for a very long time: http://www.buzzfocus.com/2011/03/06/graphic-novel-review-daytripper-vert...
Take the trip. You won't regret it.
A few different takes on Marvel characters
Marvels is a chronological run through of the main events of the Marvel universe, told through the eyes of a photographer. Some fantastic artwork.
What if the Marvel Universe took sides against each other
The Ultimates. A reimagining of The Avengers, with Nick Fury based on Samuel L Jackson, before he was cast in the role. Hopefully, the Avengers movie will go down this route.
Hate
Peter Bagge's Hate is excellent stuff. I'm sure a few members of the massive will recognise something of themselves in slacker, band manager and thrift store proprietor Buddy Bradley (though hopefully not his pals Stinky and Jay)
Hey kids, comics!
I don't feel particularly articulate at the moment, but I'll put in a vote for some of the books that have been previously mentioned
Bone (charming children's cartoon characters find themselves in a high fantasy epic)
Ghost World (a brilliant evocation of teenagers - the movie was OK but didn't do it justice)
League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (19th Century adventure mashup becomes Where's Wally for literature professors - the less said about the movie the better)
Sandman Stick with it through those early, difficult (and occasionally incomprehensible, if you haven't read every single DC comic between 1939 and 1989) books, and you will be rewarded by one of the greatest modern fantasies around. Also gothtastic!
and a couple more
Black Hole (Dazed & Confused as directed by David Lynch)
It's a Bird... (brought a tear to this jaded and cynical eye. NB - it's not really about Superman)
Hellboy (come for the mad nazi scientists, russian vampires and gnarly fairies, stay for the immaculate storytelling. Loads better than the movies)
Promethea By that man Alan Moore again. Starts out as a sort of modern take on Wonder Woman, then becomes a sort of magical textbook. Weird and beautiful
Flex Mentallo (hilarious, terrifying and utterly indescribable. Your mileage may vary as it's a deconstruction and celebration of the history of comics (very specifically super hero comics), without really being one, but it's fantastically written and beautifully drawn and it's FINALLY being released in a collected edition later this year. This makes me happy)
Milk And Cheese - Dairy Products Gone bad
by Evan Dorkin is the only comic book I've actually taken the effort to import from the US
It's about a carton of milk and a hunk of cheese who drink too much, watch too much daytime TV, and like killing people...
http://www.houseoffun.com/milkandcheese/index.html
Good Call Mr Stimpy
I think Dorkin is a huge talent, and rarely gets mentioned. His comic "Dork!" opened my eyes to a whole new world. Comics didn't just have to be dudes in spandex beating the shit out of eachother. They could be about sarcasm, self loathing and ripping the piss out of pop culture at a furious pace.
The Eltingville Comic Book, Sci Fi, Horror, Fantasy & Role Playing Club is a particular favourite - it was adapted into a Cartoon Network series that never appeared, but the pilot is all here and jolly good it is too (although the characters are much more unpleasant (and weirdly sympathetic) in the original comics
We cure the stupid
somewhere I have a trading card similar to this:
but they are brandishing chainsaws and screaming 'WE CURE THE STUPID' - I always thought this should be my school's motto instead of 'work and pray'.
Right,
I have been an avid comics reader for twenty years. Have to second the votes for Sandman above - sheer bloody storytelling genius, and in it's Absolute editions, a thing of great physical beauty as well.
The Killer is an outstanding French BD, which I discovered via the fantastic Page 45 store in Nottingham. They have a great "recommended"section on their website, which can be found here: http://www.page45.com/store/page-45-always-recommended.html
They also offer a personalised recommendation service where you can tell them comics, books, films, whatever, that you've enjoyed and they'll match you up with something. Well worth using, or just browse round their site for a bit - you're bound to find something good
Castle Waiting
by Linda Medley, is a wonderful work of comics, and the two (so far) collected hardback volumes are gorgeous books, too. The premise is simple: take the fairytale world of The Sleeping Beauty, sprinkle it with all the lesser, incidental characters from a few other classic fairytales, then imagine what their day-to-day lives might be like once the fairytales had ended and life returned to "normal". Then set it all in a huge, Gormenghast-esque castle. Not much really "happens", there's very little drama, and no real villains, but it's gently addictive.
Fun Home
I would certainly recommend most of the above- but I would also put in a mention for this graphic novel
Fun home by Alison Bechel.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fun-Home-Alison-Bechdel/dp/0224080512/ref=sr_1_1...
I think its one of the best auto-biographies i've read.
Thank you all VERY much!
I've read all your recommendations carefully, they are much appreciated. I've just ordered the following. I can't wait for them to arrive!
MAUS - Art Spiegelman
Gentleman Jim - Raymond Briggs
I kill Giants - J M Ken Nimura
New York - Will Eisner.
I'll refer back to this thread when I need a top-up, so do keep them coming. Thank you again.
If people still get paper papers
Adrian Tomine has strip in the weekend magazine yesterday. a Little cutesy compared to his earlier stuff but nicely done all the same.
D.R. & Quinch
Alan Moore's major works have already been mentioned, but great though they are, I don't think any of them are as much fun as the small set of stories he did with Alan Davis for 2000AD in the 80s about alien delinquents D.R. (stands for "Diminished Responsibility") and Quinch. You could describe it as a satire on US teen culture played out by aliens, but really it's just Moore playing for laughs and having fun with everything from Vietnam to Marlon Brando. There are worse introductions to his work, and it's laugh-out-loud funny. You can pick up the complete stories from Amazon for 8 quid.
I just got Skizz. What was
I just got Skizz.
What was to a young kid an exciting and interesting story is now a profound reflection on early 80s Britain and the power of the people.