Quimby the Mouse (ACME Novelty Library)

Rating:
Summary: Heartbreakingly funny and touching
Review: This book showcases works mainly published in the author's college newspaper, and as he points out with humor and apologies in tiny print, are mainly a request of his publisher after the success of "Jimmy Corrigan". The scenes in his comics are each different, each experimental in a way. And if you take the time (and I highly suggest you do) to read all the fine print scattered throughout the book, you will find that he drops the shield of humor and sarcasm in parts, to tell an autobiographical account of his life at the time he was creating the "Quimby" strips. After reading this, it is apparent that all of them carry a deep personal meaning for the author, and even without that knowledge - they would be fantastic. With it though, they are sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes thoughtful, many times amusing. Chris Ware has a gift.

Rating:
Summary: Heartbreakingly funny and touching
Review: This book showcases works mainly published in the author's college newspaper, and as he points out with humor and apologies in tiny print, are mainly a request of his publisher after the success of "Jimmy Corrigan". The scenes in his comics are each different, each experimental in a way. And if you take the time (and I highly suggest you do) to read all the fine print scattered throughout the book, you will find that he drops the shield of humor and sarcasm in parts, to tell an autobiographical account of his life at the time he was creating the "Quimby" strips. After reading this, it is apparent that all of them carry a deep personal meaning for the author, and even without that knowledge - they would be fantastic. With it though, they are sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes thoughtful, many times amusing. Chris Ware has a gift.

Rating:
Summary: A word on brilliance
Review: To appreciate C. Ware's work is simple: his genius is hard to miss. From the palate he uses to construct seasons to the grotesques of characters reminiscent of certain 19th century tracts, the man is a master of his craft.
Oddly enough I have found not one mention of the man's ability to panel well. The way he (literally) lays out his pictoral narrative is nothing short of amazing and nowhere is this seen more clearly than in Quimby Mouse. What essentially boil down to rotoscopic images more fit for a flip-book than a strip of celluloid transparencies, Ware's frames are set down in a fashion that is entertaining _to work through_. And rest assured, you will be working: often times a single page can and will take you a good 20 minutes to read thouroughly. This is material not for the casual reader of comics, but for the artisan or art critic who needs stimulation that runs beyond the visceral.

Rating:
Summary: A word on brilliance
Review: To appreciate C. Ware's work is simple: his genius is hard to miss. From the palate he uses to construct seasons to the grotesques of characters reminiscent of certain 19th century tracts, the man is a master of his craft.
Oddly enough I have found not one mention of the man's ability to panel well. The way he (literally) lays out his pictoral narrative is nothing short of amazing and nowhere is this seen more clearly than in Quimby Mouse. What essentially boil down to rotoscopic images more fit for a flip-book than a strip of celluloid transparencies, Ware's frames are set down in a fashion that is entertaining _to work through_. And rest assured, you will be working: often times a single page can and will take you a good 20 minutes to read thouroughly. This is material not for the casual reader of comics, but for the artisan or art critic who needs stimulation that runs beyond the visceral.