Comic-Con 2009 is just around the corner, so I started thinking about all the dorky fodder that kept me going when I was little. Of course there was my love of amphibians, terrariums, The Hardy Boys, fishing, and my DC and Marvel comics . But there's another side of animation that I didn't stumble upon until later in life. Ghostworld, the 2001 film based on the Daniel Clowes graphic novel, introduced me to a whole new grown up world of comics. Clowes remains one of my favorites, but Jeffrey Brown, a Grand Rapids, MI native and Chicago resident has continued to churn out some amazing stuff over the years. His exploration of relationships, and human emotion goes deep - deeper than most people new to graphic novels would expect. Brown, along with another favorite of mine Adrian Tomine, constantly toe the line between romantic or creepy, hopeful or pathetic, and heartbreaking or hilarious. It takes a certain kind of man to write books with titles like 'Clumsy,' 'Every Girl is the End of the World for Me,' and 'Be A Man.' So put away those comic strips and pick up a graphic novel - one more way to drape your dorkiness with a layer of cool.
Note: Images courtesy of Jeffrey Brown.
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