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Hollowspine

I'm Reading Comeeks

I dedicate this blog to comics in all forms, manga, autobio, superhero, art books, etc.  And of course, since I need a challenge, I've decided that I'll read and write (short) reviews for 365 comics during 2015.

Graphic Memoirs

Long Red Hair - Meags Fitzgerald Photobooth: A Biography - Fitzgerald Meags

These are two great examples of wonderfully illustrated graphic memoirs that not only tell a personal narrative, but explore universal themes of relationships, self-actualization and coming-of-age.  

 

Fitzgerald's art is beautiful, I was drawn especially to her depictions of photobooth pictures, she does an amazing job capturing the emotion in expressions.  

 

Long Red Hair was the more memoirish of the two, while Photobooth captures both Fitzgerald's personal history with photobooths, but also delves into the interesting history of the invention of the photobooth and the processes that go on inside them.

 

Each of these graphic novels were beautifully drawn and very well laid out.  Compelling reading.  It's always neat to read about someone's life whose path is so completely different from one's own and learn about obsessions and communities one would never even imagine existed.

 

I hadn't given much thought to the photobooths I very occasionally see, and to find out some of the background story to the film Amelie was very fun, as I really enjoyed that movie.  To know that there was a real person and real history influencing that character is not surprising, yet I hadn't ever considered it before.

 

I also really enjoyed reading these two works together, because one gave me insight into the other.  I'd recommend it!

 

For those who have enjoyed Calling Doctor Laura, Gabrielle Bell's graphic memoirs or books that combine personal history with non-fictional accounts, like Yo, Miss or any of Guy Delisle's travel chronicles.