Chewing on Tinfoil

by Joe Ollmann

New from Joe Ollmann, the creator of Wag! micro books and a monthly comic strip for Exclaim!, Chewing On Tinfoil is a wonderful first full-length book of graphic fiction. In these six beautifully illustrated stories Ollmann peers into the cracks of everyday life, finding inspiration in those slightly uncomfortable moments that make life ... well ... interesting. In experiences extraordinary and mundane, Ollmann catches his motley crew of characters with their pants from a chic couple challenging the Grim Reaper's fashion sense; to a childhood anecdote of a ghost story gone wrong; to characters who face the sexism and racism that lingers in our culture. Influenced by a variety of artists, such as Ben Katchor, Charles Schulz, Ralph Steadman and Edward Gorey, Ollmann draws the inhabitants of his world with remarkable craft and an eye for detail, making each character unforgettable. Chewing On Tinfoil is storytelling at its highly visual, understated yet wrapped in imagination, and filled with the truth and humour of the human condition.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics

156 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Joe Ollmann lives in Hamilton, the Riviera of Southern Ontario. He is the winner of the Doug Wright Award for Best Book in 2007 and loser of the same award another time.

Reviews

[Derek Royal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joe Ollmann is a master at comics-form short stories. Some of the stories here are collected in his new book, Happy Stories about a Well-Adjusted People, but most are not. I'm getting ready to interview Ollmann, so I need to get as much of his work as I can under my belt. And his comics are great stuff!

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a surprisingly-good collection of graphic short stories that randomly found its way into my clutches. The art style works well, though Ollmann does seem to recycle character art for totally different stories. The writing is generally interesting and good enough, though the narrative is sometimes broken between panels. I enjoy Ollmann's cynicism, particularly regarding police, and the last story in the book ('C.O.P.S.'), which is autobiographical and all true apparently, is disturbing. I also particularly enjoyed the stories 'Cake' (which I would recommend to all High School teachers to read), 'Like something akin to the Sistine Chapel, but with cows...' (which features rekindling romance and repugnant racism in Georgia), 'Fire Sale' (which is about used book stores and their owners [though the featured marriage is unbelievable]), and 'Fish Story' (which is an interesting #MeToo story years before #MeToo existed). Overall, perhaps the book could have used another pass and some more editing, but the rough-around-the-edges product just seems to work regardless.

3.9431 Stars

[Jane Mulkewich · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of short stories in graphic novel format; a comic whose portrayal of the human character often goes to dark, depraved places; a Hamiltonian who occasionally draws an image of a much-loved but offbeat Hamilton locale such as the Lionshead pub on John St., or threatens management at "Smelco" with going to the labour board.

[Hina · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enjoyable collection of short stories about regular people and their lives.

[Rick Larsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny and poignant, just like me!

[Tim Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun set of short stories.

I read it for a book club. I had been thinking I'd make a cake. I'm not so sure now...