Interesting to see how 2026 (or so) will look, in the vision of a European of the 1990s. The cities are so crappy, but have beat-up-looking flying carInteresting to see how 2026 (or so) will look, in the vision of a European of the 1990s. The cities are so crappy, but have beat-up-looking flying cars......more
A serious topic loaded with statistics, lightened by being a graphic-non-fiction book drawn by Saturday Morning Breakfast Comic's Zach Weinersmith. TrA serious topic loaded with statistics, lightened by being a graphic-non-fiction book drawn by Saturday Morning Breakfast Comic's Zach Weinersmith. Truly excellent: clear, well-argued, thought-provoking, rational self-interest in favour of massively increased population movement around the world....more
Although the story presents nice little pictures of several young people in the throes of looking for meaning in their lives, it offers neither claritAlthough the story presents nice little pictures of several young people in the throes of looking for meaning in their lives, it offers neither clarity of options, practical solutions, or resolution of any of the multiple storylines. In this sense it is more of a graphic short story than a graphic novel, with interesting bits to it, but no sense of completion.
It also suffers from a lack of clarity in defining the various characters. (And this may be my fault as an older novel-reader and -writer, not a member of any recent generation; but otoh I was brought up on comics - I'm not unfamiliar with or disturbed by them as a medium for storytelling.) If you don't know the names of the characters, if some of them are drawn too similarly to each other that you don't know who it is, if you don't know who lives where or what the family relationships are... then you may have a real-life situation, but you don't have a useful story.
An interesting read, pointing out directions that a more competent piece could follow through with.
Note: on rereading it 6 years later, I didn't find it any different, or memorable....more
Not really a graphic novel, 'The Last Resort' is a series of 78 pictures (varying in size from minor item to double-page spread) in which artist RoberNot really a graphic novel, 'The Last Resort' is a series of 78 pictures (varying in size from minor item to double-page spread) in which artist Roberto Innocenti recounts his search for his lost sense of imagination. His story is of a journey to a seaside guest house, whose other residents include characters from fiction such as Inspector Maigret, Huckleberry Finn and the Little Mermaid, as well as authors Antoine de Saint-Exupery and Emily Dickinson, and actor Peter Lorre.
Rather than the text being fleshed out with illustrations, here the pictures are given a playful and useful narrative text by J. Patrick Lewis (who deservedly gets second-place billing).
The book is a wonderfully illustrated and interesting depiction of itself, which is the search for creative inspiration through both travel and literature....more
The opening panel has the protagonist Fone Bone and two cousins lost in the desert, two weeks after having been chased out of Boneville. Fone Bone's oThe opening panel has the protagonist Fone Bone and two cousins lost in the desert, two weeks after having been chased out of Boneville. Fone Bone's opening words are "Still no sign of the townspeople." Jeff Smith is quite comfortable opening in the middle of the action, with no representation of Boneville or the townspeople anywhere in the entire volume. In fact I initially assumed I was beginning in a later volume, not the first in the series.
The story leaps into whatever it feels important, and skips irrelevant bits (like six months of winter with no food) for the sake of meandering around in pleasant incidents. The eccentric pacing of the story is a wonderful antidote to the idea that everything has to be logical, consistent, spelled out in detail, if the story is to be engaging.
Fone Bone himself is no classic hero, but will appeal on the basis of being good-hearted, loyal, fair, naive, and falling in love with a beautiful girl - regardless of whether she is interested in him (she isn't particularly) or how inappropriate he appears beside her (very).
The story is full of rich and enjoyable characters, living out dramatic and ludicrous lives with an apparently endless depth of back stories that are revealed in random scraps.
Inspired by both Pogo and Lil Abner (with a certain hobbit-like sensibility), Jeff Smith's Bone touches powerful emotional chords in what is, of course, a cartoon-like way....more
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