Imagine an obscure Hitchcock thriller adapted by a modern minimalist like Jim Jarmusch. That's the flavour of Jason's sixth graphic novel in four years for Fantagraphics. Since his 2001 North American debut, Jason has become one of Europe's successful crossovers. Why Are You Doing This? differs from his earlier work but displays the same laconic wit, stylized characters and elegant storytelling.
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The Norwegian French master of the noir graphic novel deploys a more-or-less full palette, albeit very tonally subdued (don't expect blood reds or sky blues), and several panels whose perspectives are as much as 30 degrees from the horizontal (hitherto a rarity in his work) to tell a story that an only slightly less gloomy David Goodis might have written. Alex is in seriously dumped condition. His friend Claude shows up to ask him to water the plants while he's out of town. He does and one time sees a man in the apartment across the street. When Claude gets back, Alex goes to see him, only to wind up framed for murder and on the run. A woman shopkeeper recognizes him, believes his story, and takes him to her place. The pair fall in love as Alex sleuths his own case. Things just might work out, but . . . Jason's tall, thin, expressionally limited, animal-headed figures seem downright Bogey-and-Baby-ish in this ever-so-satisfying, archetypal exercise in romantic fatalism. Ray Olson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
About the Author
Jason is from Oslo, Norway, and lives in Portland, Oregon.
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Amazon.com:
4.4 out of 5 stars
5 reviews
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another winner for Jason
July 18 2005
By Tom Knapp
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
Jason, a Norwegian writer and artist -- who, like Madonna, Cher, Bert and Ernie, goes by a single name -- supplies a bittersweet tale about being in the wrong place, making the wrong turn and being mistaken for the wrong man. Sure, it's in Jason's signature style, wherein all of his characters are anthropomorphic animals, but that doesn't lessen the impact of the price Alex (and his friend Claude) must pay for looking through the wrong window at precisely the wrong time.
Alex thinks nothing of it when he sees a man in a window across the street from his friend Claude's apartment, but the man doesn't want any witnesses to his activities there. So the stranger lies in wait and kills Claude when he returns, then frames Alex for the murder. Now Alex is on the run, and only the kindness of shopkeeper Geraldine keeps him beyond the reach of the law.
It's not a straightforward romance by any stretch, and yet a certain tenderness develops between Alex, Geraldine and Geraldine's young daughter. But the police haven't given up on Alex, and the stranger in the window is on his trail, too.
Jason's art is sparing of detail -- his characters' large, oval eyes lack even pupils -- but it communicates a full message regardless. Emotions are clear through a character's posture, the tilt of a head, a closeup of the lines above the eyes. Dialogue is also sparse at times, and yet the powerful story flows without a bump or hesitation.
Sometimes, bad things happen to good people, and justice is not a guarantee. This story -- Jason's first full-color graphic novel -- will tear a little at your heart.
Alex thinks nothing of it when he sees a man in a window across the street from his friend Claude's apartment, but the man doesn't want any witnesses to his activities there. So the stranger lies in wait and kills Claude when he returns, then frames Alex for the murder. Now Alex is on the run, and only the kindness of shopkeeper Geraldine keeps him beyond the reach of the law.
It's not a straightforward romance by any stretch, and yet a certain tenderness develops between Alex, Geraldine and Geraldine's young daughter. But the police haven't given up on Alex, and the stranger in the window is on his trail, too.
Jason's art is sparing of detail -- his characters' large, oval eyes lack even pupils -- but it communicates a full message regardless. Emotions are clear through a character's posture, the tilt of a head, a closeup of the lines above the eyes. Dialogue is also sparse at times, and yet the powerful story flows without a bump or hesitation.
Sometimes, bad things happen to good people, and justice is not a guarantee. This story -- Jason's first full-color graphic novel -- will tear a little at your heart.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Pretty Dope.
Dec 17 2011
By Because Its Real!
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
The story was dope. The art was dope. What else do you want? The book was like 10 bucks and it didn't even really cost me anything because I went to the CVS CoinStar and took this old Jason Kidd shoe I use as a piggy-bank full of shiny nickles and instead of just getting a cash voucher like I usually do. My hommie Danny Spit told me you can get a Amazon gift card and they don't tax you that 9.8 % like they do when you get that voucher. I was like "Fo reals?!" So boom I put in the coins got like 18 bucks printed out my receipt with the gift card code. Came home hopped on this computer and bought this dope a** book. It got here like in 3 days. I was like "Oh word?" Then I started reading it and after every page I would literally say out loud "Oh Spit!" That's how good it was. Jason is the illest comic noir writer ever. The only reason I gave it 4/5 stars is because it wasn't long enough. If you like reading dope stories and looking at dope art I recommend this book to you. As soon as I get that Jason Kidd shoe piggy-bank filled back up with coins you can best believe I'm hitting up CoinStar and getting another one of Jason's books. Holla! Because It's Real!
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Rear Window with furries!
Aug 10 2005
By Robert P. Beveridge
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
Jason, Why Are You Doing This? (Fantagraphics, 2004)
The newest short, punchy piece of artwork from single-named artist Jason is a twisted noir tale about a guy who, while taking care of a friend's apartment, sees a man in the window across the way, after which very bad things start happening to everyone around him. It's Rear Window without Jimmy Stewart (and the wheelchair). For a modern graphic novel, it's incredibly short (48 pp., almost the length of your basic comic book), but that better serves to deliver the incredible sense of despair that comes crushing down on our hero. Despite its brevity, the ending packs a serious punch. Good stuff; I'll definitely be checking out more of Jason's work in the future. ***
The newest short, punchy piece of artwork from single-named artist Jason is a twisted noir tale about a guy who, while taking care of a friend's apartment, sees a man in the window across the way, after which very bad things start happening to everyone around him. It's Rear Window without Jimmy Stewart (and the wheelchair). For a modern graphic novel, it's incredibly short (48 pp., almost the length of your basic comic book), but that better serves to deliver the incredible sense of despair that comes crushing down on our hero. Despite its brevity, the ending packs a serious punch. Good stuff; I'll definitely be checking out more of Jason's work in the future. ***
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4.4 out of 5 stars
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