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With the advent of film commentary tracks on DVDs, insight into creative decision-making is becoming a form of entertainment in itself. In this vein, Chris Ware's Acme Novelty Date Book acts as a kind of commentary on the cartoonist's work, such as his groundbreaking graphic novel Jimmy Corrigan and the recently released collection Quimby the Mouse. In the pages of the Date Book, which features art, ideas, and ephemera from the artist's sketchbooks between 1986 and 1995, the reader will find embryonic versions of characters and themes that appear fully formed in the pages of the Acme Novelty Library, the Ware-created comic published by Fantagraphics since 1993. Quimby, Corrigan, Big Tex, and other characters appear as sketches and in primitive versions of the published strips.
Throughout, and in crimped, crabbed handwriting, Ware also recounts dreams and memories that will inform his later work--nary a page goes by without a reference to loneliness, mortality, and casual cruelty, all popular tropes in the artist's stories. His self-doubt, another favourite theme, is apparent from the beginning as well: "God... this is awful... I should be ashamed of myself," says a cartoon version of Ware in his introduction. But for both the casual art lover interested in the creative process and fans of Ware's work, the meticulously designed Acme Novelty Date Book is a treasure trove of bleakly funny early strips, exceptionally drawn portraits and cityscapes (which reveal just how much Ware is influenced by R. Crumb), and glimpses into the artist's personality. In the latter category, a page devoted to drawings of toys from Ware's childhood, including a Batgirl doll, is worth noting. Besides referring to the doll as "my sexual totem," he notes that he remembers "once I thought I had lost 'her'.... Sat up at edge of my bed weeping piteous tears." Kind of pathetic, sure, but also hilarious, and we think no less of the artist upon learning of this. After all, as one self-affirmation in these pages goes, you have to "respect your obsessions." Whether this means a superheroine doll or comic strip characters like Nancy and Sluggo, who appear in heretofore unseen and obscene incarnations, so be it. Ware has respected his obsessions, and comics fans are all richer for it. --Shawn Conner
From Booklist
Prolific alternative-comics artist Ware follows his epic, Jimmy Corrigan (2000), and Quimby the Mouse [BKL S 1 03] with a collection of sketchbook pages. Ware owes his lofty reputation largely to his awesome command of the "grammar" of comics, and this handsome volume showcasing his drawing ability amounts to something of a new revelation. Ware's strips are so meticulous in their rigid perfection that they seem to indicate an obsessive character. Yet these hundreds of life drawings, cityscapes, doodles, preliminary sketches, and other drawings, rendered in an impressive variety of styles, contrarily display unexpected spontaneity and looseness. Particularly revelatory are a handful of actual strips in Ware's familiar multipanel approach, and featuring Jimmy, Quimby, and other characters from his long stories, that are rendered in a rougher, almost crude style. Ware's fans will find his marginal notes fascinating, too, for their revelations about his creative process. Besides showing off Ware's facility and variety, this beautifully designed book demonstrates just how much thought and planning go into his acclaimed graphic novels. Gordon Flagg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
PERIODIZE IT IN MATERIALLY TEXTUAL WAYS Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
PERIODIZE IT IN MATERIALLY TEXTUAL WAYS Read the first page
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Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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30% buy The Acme Novelty LibraryCDN$ 25.17 |
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23% buy the item featured on this page: The Acme Novelty Datebook CDN$ 37.77 |
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19% buy The Acme Novelty LibraryCDN$ 13.83 |
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18% buy The ACME Novelty Datebook: Volume Two, 1995 - 1999CDN$ 27.06 |
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