Chapter 17
Canadian comics publisher Drawn & Quarterly has distinguished itself during its four years of publishing by releasing a wonderfully idiosyncratic series of comic book serials notable for an emphasis on autobiographical stories, loose expressive drawing styles and characters either stuck on or passing through the social margins. This beautifully produced trade paperback collects work from D&Q's equally quirky, eponymous quarterly anthology and presents shorter pieces by some of the best young comic artists of the moment. Michael Dougan ( I Can't Tell You Anything ) contributes ``Black Cherry,'' another of his ``dumb job'' stories that recreates the parade of oddballs and crazies that frequent an ice cream parlour where he used to work. Maurice Vellekoops (who contributed the richly colored, ``scandalously'' funny cover art) presents ``The 8 pillars of Gay Culture'' and ``Homoman,'' both of which happily exploit gay sterotypes (`` `did you hire a decorator?' `Of course not; I'm a homosexual.' '') with mischievous, politically incorrect wit. Also note Debbie Drechsler's disturbing (and nicely drawn) ``Visitors in the Night'' on child sexual exploitation; and Joe Matt, Mr. Peep Show himself, who would like to share his darkest secret with us--it's crude and very funny--whether we want to know it or not. Also includes Carol Tyler, Roberta Gregory, David Mazzucchelli, Mary Fleener and others.
Chapter 3
As the Great War dragged on and its catastrophic death toll mounted, a new artistic movement found its feet in the United Kingdom. The Trench Poets, as they came to be called, were soldier-poets dispatching their verse from the front lines. Known for its rejection of war as a romantic or noble enterprise, and its plainspoken condemnation of the senseless bloodshed of war, Trench Poetry soon became one of the most significant literary moments of its decade. The marriage of poetry and comics is a deeply fruitful combination, as evidenced by this collection. In stark black and white, the words of the Trench Poets find dramatic expression and reinterpretation through the minds and pens of some of the greatest cartoonists working today. With New York Times bestselling editor Chris Duffy (Nursery Rhyme Comics, Fairy Tale Comics) at the helm, Above the Dreamless Dead is a moving and illuminating tribute to those who fought and died in World War I. Twenty poems are interpreted in comics form by twenty of today's leading cartoonists, including Eddie Campbell, Kevin Huizenga, George Pratt, and many others.