Invincible Days

by Patrick Atangan

This collection of short stories forms a singular narrative that reveals the tiny moments when you realize you are at the precious end-days of youth. Calling on memories from his own childhood as well as those gathered from friends and family, author and artist Patrick Atangan’s work blends stories with strong psychological elements and insight with simple artwork evocative of youth. Bittersweet, joyful and reflective, these are the type of marking moments that best define us as adults.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Nonfiction

128 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[Peter Derk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't read this if you're contemplating your own death.

But maybe you're like me and kind of think about that all the time anyway since you were like 5, so I guess you'll just have to read it on a day when you're feeling pretty alright.

It's a really great book, and I like how it mixes personal and other peoples' stories. Also, adorable animals in place of people really provides an interesting answer to the oft-discussed issues of representation in comics.

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Filipino American artist Atangan has done a lot to advance Western understanding of Asian worlds, including Chinese, Japanese, and Indian, work on myth and history, all collected in a series called Songs of Our Ancestors, all done with a meticulous classical Asian style, informed by his own personal touch. This volume of short stories are based in Atangan's own life and drawn about stories friends have told him, but not done in any classical format but instead with cute little animals representing him and his family, in a kind of almost deliberately stilted, simplistic Lego format. The main focus is slice of life, quiet, seemingly unremarkable moments that he sees as worth remarking on. These stories are about church and pets and food and family, and also about the alienation and isolation due to racism that he and his friends have experienced. Not that he and his friends are angry about this, though! The tone is quiet, subdued, not enraged.

The central and longest series of stories is one that also seems familiar, about his aged and beloved Grandma's debilitating stroke… These are quietly touching stories, told with little simple icons, animals that everyone can relate to (says Scott McCloud, in Understanding Comics), mainly because they are so simple and iconic instead of specific or realistically mapped to a particular culture. Today in preparing for my graphic novels class I read some of American Splendor; Harvey Pekar paved the way for an appreciation of such slice of life, every day working class tales.

I was also this morning reading something far different that I also was enjoying, the sixth volume of Sandman which, given its fantasy/horror dimensions, would seem far afield from Pekar's and Atangan's stories, grounded as they are in the every day. But Gaiman's women in Fables and Reflections are real and working class, too, and though they are more "urban" and punk and "alternative" than Atangan and his friends, the things they care about don't seem to me so dramatically different. Barbie's dreams are rooted in her girlhood world of stuffed animals; Atangan's friends are Lego creations. Both childhood occupations function usefully as fantasy and pleasure and not merely as escapism.

I liked Invincible Days for validating simple every day experiences. As an ex-Calvinist who, like Atangan, was pretty bored with his forced attendance at church, who like him spent a lot of time reading and playing games by myself in my room, never feeling sorry for myself, never feeling lonely when I was there, it reminded me of my childhood when I too felt kind of invincible and sheltered and secure by my family. And then, when the deaths started to come, as with Atangan, feeling less secure and invincible, of course… but there's a kind of nostalgia in these stories I appreciate.

[Kerri · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were darker undertones than I was expecting. This book talks a lot about loneliness/lonely childhoods and death mixed with some simple stories of life, all illustrated with bright, cute pictures. It ends on a particularly dark suggestion.

There is one drop of "the f-bomb", but no other swearing that I remember.

[Robin Gustafson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful and bittersweet...the stories about his grandmother especially resonated with me.

[Rex Hurst · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection of short stories from the author's youth in the 1980s. As usual with this author, the art is impeccable and the stories are well thought out and presented. Page design consistently follows a nine panel grid layout. Flat expressionless animal faces mask the emotionally laden themes throughout the collection. These characters serve as a voice for a shy Fillipino boy baffled by Western culture and alone in a house full of sisters.

[Nitoy Gonzales · Rating 5 out of 5]

A exceptional memoir done in sequential art form. Enjoyed every emotion that this book shows in every stories from the author (his friends and family). Atangan tells stories from his childhood but the book grapples about the topic of death, most specially her grandmother's passing away. This is the highlight of this book and the most memorable too.

[Emilia P · Rating 2 out of 5]

Execution didn't match super-well to concept. Concept was cute stuffed animals etc telling hard tales, tale-telling was not quite as richly emotional as it needed to be. Maybe that was the point, but it didn't strike me.

[Michelle Nakagawa · Rating 5 out of 5]

With some of the most adorable illustrations I've seen, these short little stories of childhood in comic strip form, were an absolute joy to read.

[Andi_banandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought it was interesting how it told stories from people's childhoods and happened that the characters were animals. It was interesting contrast.

[Andrea Mullarkey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best thing I have read in a very, very long time. I was attracted to it immediately for its sweet Sanrio-style drawings with a pastel color palette and infantilized animal protagonists. I picked it up off my colleague's desk wondering what a teen librarian was doing with a little kid's book. But then she told me a bit about it: a book she had ordered for teen but decided was far too mature and so it was getting reclassified into the adult section. She described it as "sad" or "dark" or something else surprising given the cover and it made me ask her if I could borrow it before she sent it to cataloging (something I never do). Then I took it home and fell deeply in love with Atangan's short story comic strips about his childhood and coming of age.

The subject matter is a stark juxtaposition from the art. The tone of each story ranges from melancholy to bleak with a fair dose of ennui thrown in for good measure. Themes of death and loss, disappointment and isolation are pervasive as he covers the topics of his Filipino family upbringing, his grandmother's stroke, the death of multiple family pets and more. The art is sweetly beautiful with a soothing repetition in the panel shapes and elements and it led my brain to a "happily ever after" zone which never arrived. All of the stories (most are of his childhood but some are borrowed from others) are deeply human and calmly emotional and would make interesting vignettes on their own. But the contrast between visuals and narrative just filled my heart right up and left me so, so satisfied. It's hard to know who to recommend this book to. My bleak literary fiction friends seem put off by the art. My sweet comic book friends aren't particularly interested in the weight of his stories. It's a weird mashup and I guess that's the best I can say to recommend it. Does it sound interesting to you? Then please go read it...it's as odd and touching as I could ever hope for.

[Nikki in Niagara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely collection of vignettes by the author of his memories, mostly of his childhood in the eighties. Though the author presents as a Catholic Asian immigrant, the tales can, for the most part, be nostalgic to anyone who remembers the complexities of being a child. These vignettes are often bittersweet and there is a morose air throughout the book especially when midway the topics start to focus on the stroke and eventual death of his 97 year old grandmother. In fact death is a main theme throughout as there are many episodes which involve pets and eventually each ones death and the author's response. Most of the memories come from the author, however, a number have been passed on to him by friends and family and are noted as such. The artwork is adorable and cute reminding me of Japanese children's illustration (not manga, but picture book illustration). Various animals represent the human in each tale and this cuteness balances the melancholy mood of the book's theme which presents moments in childhood which seem pivotal as an adult looking back. This would make a wonderful gift book for any adult but will be especially enjoyed by those who fit one or more of the demographics: Catholic, Asian and/or immigrant.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

An odd combination of childish and mature, Atangan tells the story of his childhood and the loss of childhood through animal characters and situations that his friends shared and he remembers. I admit it's not the easiest to follow at times with a tiny font size and light pastels for colors, but the idea of the story is a bit dark though explores life in a 'thinking out loud' sort of way.

Thoughtful but odd.

[Jason]

I can't remember if this is a collection of stories that were previously published or not. It might be that some of the repetition of certain themes leaves the impression that each story was meant to stand on its own as opposed to as part of a whole. I enjoyed its originality (the use of different cute animals was interesting) and it dealt honestly with serious subjects and was enlightening in how it portrayed being a child from another culture in America.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute animals are used to write about some realistic stories, mostly about the experiences of the author, of Filipino descent, and of others of diverse backgrounds. Some of the topics aren't pretty, but they are definitely realistic.

[Ava · Rating 4 out of 5]

Melancholy and beautiful. Not what I had expected.

[Cristen · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were some poignant bits, and the art was well done, but overall it felt more like a collection of comic strips than a fluid grahpic novel.