Drawn Out

by Don Nace

A collection of raw and lyrical drawings that illustrate the story of a man's life, from a childhood dominated by the tragic loss of a father, through the agonizing and euphoric process of self-discovery to love, marriage, and fatherhood.

"I wanted more than salvation. I wanted to be in the belly of the whale," Don Nace states in Drawn Out . If the skyscrapers and cathedrals of New York were dumped into the Canyonlands of Utah the resulting chaos would resemble Nace’s human figures. Drawn Out simultaneously captures the landscapes of New York City and the American southwest, animating the limbs of his characters with the crowded frenzy of New York's gray canyon streets while showcasing the wide plains and big sky of the desert in his black and white scrawls. Within a sheet of paper, Nace's work relates the wide-open expanses of loneliness and the tight wire coils of alienation that expand and constrict the hearts of everyone. The lines bind together fear and joy into the cloth that lets the artist dress after being stripped naked by the daily events of being alive.

Genres: Graphic Novels

224 pages, Paperback

First published May 10, 2005

Reviews

[Richard]

"I wanted more than salvation. I wanted to be in the belly of the whale," Don Nace states in Drawn Out, a collection of raw and lyrical drawings that illustrate the story of Nace’s life, from a childhood dominated by the tragic loss of a father, through the agonizing and euphoric process of self-discovery to love, marriage, and fatherhood. Drawn Out simultaneously captures the landscapes of New York City and the American southwest, animating the limbs of his characters with the crowded frenzy of New York’s gray canyon streets while showcasing the wide plains and big sky of the desert in his black and white scrawls. The lines bind together fear and joy into the cloth that lets the artist dress after being stripped naked by the daily events of being alive.

[Erin Tuzuner · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you pick up something such as this by chance, with all the darkness inherent in loss, desire, and paralyzing failure, you can start to question the humour of libraries and the forgiveness of wallowing .

[Nathan Mahlberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

this made my life worth living!

[Josh C]

Stunning drawings, stunning story, but they were more at odds with each other than in compliment. As I understand it, the drawings were done first, and then they were curated and compiled for the book, which totally makes sense. It's just jumbled. Totally worth the read, though.

[CeCe Y · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haunting. For anyone who has struggled with the dark, or loves someone who does.