Americana

Americana #1-2

by James Sturm

Tre storie americane, tre storie di uomini, raccolte in un unico volume: The Revival, Decine di metri sottoterra, Il colpo mitico del Golem. Uscite separatamente nel corso degli ultimi sei anni, queste tre piccole perle narrative sembrano voler rileggere la Storia del continente americano attraverso i suoi eroi minori. Sturm è maestro di ritmo, il suo segno e la sua scansione narrativa raccontano sottovoce brandelli di vita in una ricerca continua di sintesi.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Jewish, Graphic Novels Comics, Americana

190 pages, Paperback

First published October 2, 2007

About the author

James Sturm is the author of several award-winning graphic novels for children and adults, including James Sturm’s America, Market Day, The Golem’s Mighty Swing and Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow. He is also the founder of the Center for Cartoon Studies and the National Association for Comics Art Educators. He created Adventures in Cartooning with collaborators Alexis Frederic-Frost and Andrew Arnold. Sturm, his wife, and two daughters live in White River Junction, Vermont.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/jamess...

Reviews

[Sam Quixote · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a collected edition of three books James Sturm has written/drawn - "The Revival", "Hundreds of Feet Below Daylight", and "The Golem's Mighty Swing". All of the stories are fictional but have a basis of historical record.

"The Revival" is the shortest of the three and is set in late 18th century America. A couple are walking through the woods on their way to hear a preacher's sermon. They devoutly believe in God and talk vaguely about a miracle. I won't spoil the surprise but it's a dark, dark story. Sturm does a great job of recreating the hard life these pioneers lived where it seemed like an endless camping trip. "The Revival" itself is a carnival-like atmosphere mixed in with desperate people praying to anyone for an easier life.

"Hundreds of Feet Below Daylight" takes place in the late 19th century where the gold rush has captured the imaginations of thousands, and a handful of men have gone to live in a small settlement with a mine to look for gold in the bowels of the earth. The mine however doesn't yield up any gold which soon leads to the workers' dissatisfaction with the man running the mine who promised them riches. Throw into this mix a deeply troubled worker, old and skinny, who loses his mind, and the family who take care of him and you get a surprise turnaround of events in the end. Again, Sturm does a tremendous job of creating an atmosphere that you feel might be close to how it felt at the time. The darkness and cold is so vivid it almost reaches out to reader.

"The Golem's Mighty Swing" is yet another fantastic story. We're now in the early 20th century and a travelling baseball team of Jews calling themselves "the Stars of David" are going from town to town playing the local baseball teams. They soon encounter darker prejudices in some of the towns as well as the rise of their sport as entertainment. By far the longest story in the book, it's almost Sturm's most accomplished, showing how he's grown as a cartoonist with longer passages without words, multi-layering, and excellent character development.

Sturm's style reminded me of Seth and Chester Brown's both in their line drawings and themes of "the olden days", but Sturm is definitely an artist in his own right. All of the stories convey complexity within the deceptively simple panels, and all of the pages look appealing.

As for the book itself? If you're a comics fan who enjoys what Drawn and Quarterly and Fantagraphics put out, you'll love this. A definite masterpiece and a jewel waiting to be discovered by any and all comics fans, "God, Gold and Golems" is all gold.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read James Sturm, and really liked his work- so I tracked down this book through an inter library loan- and I was not dissapointed!

This is a three-story volume, containing one that I had already read ("The Golem's Mighty Swing") and two more that I had not. ("The Revival" and "Hundred of Feet Below Daylight")

The facinating thing about this book, is how it is, in essence, a perfect picture of american history... and yet told in scrawls and sketches, ink and paint... you see it through the artist's eyes, and you see a tiny SLIVER of it, through the specific characters he has created.

I am rapidly becoming a huge fan of his work- it has a certain something... realism, and yet artistic. I truly appreciate it.

This is one of those rare books I would reccomend owning. I certainly would! A great addition to one's library!

[sweet pea · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is an interesting collection with beautiful illustrations. of the stories, the first - about the revival - appealed to me the most. each story is a snapshot of a period of time. the story and illustrations combine to transport one back in time. both the second and third stories end kind of abruptly and make me wish there was a little more. i haven't seen anyone do historical snapshots in the graphic form exactly like this. in that way, it reminds me a bit of Eisner. definitely views history in an interesting way.

[StrictlySequential · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoy these 3 stories from mostly unaccounted for times in American history as much as I did!

-Wilderness meeting of religious fanaticism
-Obsessed and evil coal miners getting what they had coming to them
-Jewish baseball team (with a surprise player Gentile who is tremendously exciting!) constantly on the road making it work Against All Odds!

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of three previously published graphic novels offer a clever look at leser-known episodes of America's past.

[wildct2003 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good historical fiction graphic novel stories.

[Dudley Starks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tre racconti uniti da un unico filo conduttore, quello di James Sturm è un viaggio doloroso nell’America del secolo scorso (ma anche prima, The Revival è ambientato nel 1800) tra razzismo, fanatismo religioso e caccia all’oro.
Una squadra di baseball composta da soli giocatori ebrei e da un bestione nero che si “trasformerà” in Golem girà il paese sfidando le squadre del posto, la presenza delle Stelle di David genera quasi sempre la curiosità degli abitanti ma anche la violenza di chi alimenta l’intolleranza e il razzismo.
Sarà un pubblicitario a sfruttare la situazione nel modo migliore (almeno dal suo punto di vista), giocando con la mitica figura del Golem darà ancora più visibilità all’avvenimento sportivo riempiendo gli stadi ma mettendo anche in pericolo la vita dei giocatori.
È il racconto più lungo dei tre che compongono il libro, Sturm gioca con il Mito e usa la metafora sportiva (il baseball è l’America dice uno dei personaggi) per fotografare l’uomo e le sue paure, paure per il diverso visto sempre come nemico da combattere.
The Revival racconta il viaggio di due coloni (moglie e marito) verso Cane Ridge, è in questa sperduta foresta situata nel Kentucky che avrà luogo uno dei più imponenti raduni religiosi della storia, predicatori senza scrupoli inneggiano ad una forza divina che tutto può, anche ridare la vita ai morti purché si abbia fede.
L’ultimo racconto (Decine di metri sotto terra), ci porta a Solomon’s Gulch cittadina mineraria in procinto di scomparire a causa dell’esaurimento della miniera, gli abitanti del posto vendono la licenza ad un gruppo di cinesi che invece trova un nuovo filone.
A questo punto se la riprendono con la violenza ma per loro sarà solo l’inizio di una inevitabile discesa nell’abisso della follia e dell’autodistruzione.
Il tratto grafico di Sturm è essenziale ma dal punto di vista narrativo molto efficace, ovviamente siamo lontanissimi dalle meraviglie di autori più conosciuti e commerciali, d’altro canto Sturm è stato allievo di Spiegelman e la sua produzione è sicuramente lontana, sia per quanto riguarda i testi che i disegni, da quella delle grosse major.
Impeccabile come al solito l’edizione Coconino.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

.....Damn.

Three stories depicting three of America's defining elements. Desperation saturates these stories, deepened by the flawed existence of humanity that seemingly strives to destroy itself while simultaneously seeking prosperity.

This is a work that's deserving of some time to really analyze. Initially I was so thrown off by the caricature-like style of art and the overt brutality in the first two stories before I considered why Sturm chose to depict both people and events in this manner. This would be a really interesting read for a US History class (you know, if you actually had time to read and discuss anything longer than a NYT article. And, you know, if you had students able to read and discuss anything longer than a NYT article.)

I would have liked more information in the afterword regarding Sturm's research process and sources. He gives a lot of information about the first story (The Revival) but very little on the other two. I would've been interested in checking out his sources to learn more about each of these histories.

[Vinayak Hegde · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably 3.5 stars. James Strum's America is a work of historical fiction drawn as a graphic novel. His characters are evocative and thoughtful. The first story focusses on the early inhabitation of America by religious missionaries and migrant homesteaders. The second story is about a small Mining town of Solomon's Gulch as it's luck (and gold) runs out against the backdrop of the hard life of miners. The last and the longest story is about the treatment of Jews and black people travelling as a baseball team. The biases and the doubt pervade the team against the dominant white majority as they tour the cities (and beat teams) for money.

The artwork is fantastic and the monochrome palette is used to good effect. His drawing is historically accurate and takes us back to the time when the US was still getting its identity and being settled as a continent. A good slice of life from America from the late 1700s to the mid-1900s.

[Tyrone_Slothrop (ex-MB) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The terror

Due storie terrificanti che provengono dalla preistoria americana, dai più diseredati e infimi della terra USA che combattono per la sopravvivenza.
Che sia un viaggio irrazionale per sconfiggere una morte o una battaglia spietata ed inumana all’ombra della miniera, Sturm comunica sempre un brivido di oscuro ed atavico terrore nelle vene del lettore, anche con un disegno inquietante ed un chiaroscuro disperato.

[Chris Browning · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful storytelling and even better art. A collection that will no doubt be reread many times and appreciated more and more. You can see Sturm grow as a writer and artist from the slightly clumsy Revival to the brilliance of Golem

[Mylesgorton · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting set of stories of American Social history. Being from the UK I don't know enough about Baseball to pick up the nuances of the last story, "The Golem's Mighty Swing", but I'm sure this knowledge would have helped my enjoyment. Overall, not quite as good as I'd hoped it would be.

[Don Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 period sensitive graphic novels immersing the reader into the fears, desires, and depravations of the 19th to early 20th century mid America.

[Deepika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three immersive stories set in olden days (18th, 19th centuries) of USA.
They felt genuine and it felt like I visited those days and got a little glimpse.

[Benji Tomlinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sturm is always awesome

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I saw this volume in the Library the main thing that drew me to it was the fact that it had "The Golem's Mighty Swing" story in it. This is a graphic novel I've wanted to read for a couple years now. I enjoy baseball and love the stories behind the game. This story was no exception. It was a beautifully drawn story and a great baseball story. There are not that many baseball comics in America. This is one of the great stories. James Sturm knows how to draw baseball comics. This is the second one I've read by him. He has study manga styles and American style of baseball comics to build his style. The real story behind this baseball story is how people viewed the Jewish culture during the 1920's. It's a very interesting context to see how the "average American" in the 20's treated the Jews. Some people were nice where many were vile and mean. The devision of social classes is a great story to build on. I would recommend this story to anyone who wants a good story about baseball and prejudiced.

The other two stories in this collection were also done by James Sturm. They are drawn beautifully too. The first story is "The Revival" This is an amazing look at the 1800's and the religious uprising happening at the time. To see how people would travel great distances to go to these revivals and be saved. In this story we see one family's trail of getting there and what whats when there. A good short story.

The third story in the collection is "Hundreds of Feet Below Daylight." This story is about a mining city in Idaho during the 1886. The story is about a mine that isn't producing like so many at the time. This community relays on this mine for all it's profits and when it's not producing horrible things happen. This is my least favorite story in the collection, but still a good story.

Sturm knows his America and how to portray it. If you love America and want a true collection of what it was like then this is your book.

[Tyler Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are some books that you search out, and other books that -through fate or circumstance- seem to find you. This book definitely fell into the later category for me. And, I'm really happy it did. I'd never encountered Sturm's work before, but when someone in my illustration group brought in an old copy to give away, I grabbed it, hoping it would satisfy my budding interest in all things early Americana.

This book is actually an anthology of three short stories. The first, involves a family attending a mid-19th Century religious revival. And, while the characters initially seem a bit broad, it features one of the most haunting series of panels I've encountered in 20+ years of comics reading. The second story, about a turn of the century mining community is a compelling, if unmemorable, read with a nice twist ending.

But, it's the third story, about an early 20th Century Jewish minor league baseball team that begins to field a "Golem" in their games, where this book truly rises to greatness. Amazingly, it manages to pain a sepia-toned picture of the period, and of minor league baseball specifically, while also casting the politics and prejudices of the period in an harsh and realistic light. All while telling a singular story. I'm not particularly well verse in sports tales, but this is easily one of the best I've read.

With so many books that I plan to read, its great to also occasionally stumble across an unexpected surprise like this.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a collection of three separate stories, each looking at a glimpse of a time and place in American History. The third, "The Golem's Mighty Swing," was recommended for thinking about GN narrative flow.

In the first story, "The Revival (1801)," we encounter a couple attending a camp meeting in Kentucky, complete with revival, dynamic "miracle-working" preachers, and a startling twist at the end.

"Hundreds of Feet Below Daylight (1886)" chronicles the people and problems in a mining town in Idaho, from forcing out the (rightful) Chinese owners of the mine, to problems with lack of funds, worker unrest, a surprising rich man, murder, and intrigue.

The last story, "The Golem's Mighty Swing (Early 1920s)" follows a traveling Jewish baseball team as they go around playing other teams with varying levels of welcome, success, and financial gain. They also encounter an advertising man with an interesting idea for promotion of the team...

All the stories were interesting and really did provide a "slice of life" into what each of the topics in the historical period was like. The illustration, for the most part, are simple and easy to follow, while also bringing to life the trials, tribulations, and celebrations of the people. It would be great for fans of historical fiction, short stories, and Americana.

[Marion · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is comprised of three unrelated stories. I liked the first one - it was eerie and memorably weird - but didn't care much for the other two.

If I ever write a book and ambitiously call it "America," I'll make sure to put some immigrants, black people, and women (who aren't either dead or crazy) in it.

Yes, violence against women, children and non-whites has been real in American history. But I feel like there are more intriguing and empowering ways to tell these stories than to just show, as in the second story, a bunch of violent men killing Chinese miners, making light of the rape/murder of a child, and killing a woman. Yes, that may be what history looked like. But might there be ways to show, even in a graphic novel, that it is now 2012 and we have some critical distance to that history? One way, I think, would be to give these characters more of a speaking role. I'd much rather have read that story from the perspective of the women in town, or the Chinese miners. Just because white men ruled back then doesn't mean we still have to only tell their story - that story has already been told so many times.

I only realized how much this was bothering me when I read on to the third story and it was all dudes on a baseball field for pages and pages and, oh, the entire second half of the book. Yawn.

Nothing new here.

[Bob Redmond · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sturm's book addresses some of my favorite territory: American history and baseball. I found those themes, as well as his drawing style, irresistable. It's impossible for such a captivating book to earn less than 4 stars here, although I was disappointed in the sketchy nature of the narratives.

There are three short stories in this book: other than the loose theme of Americana, there is no connection at all between them. They are presented chronologically: a religious revival in Kentucky (from 1801); a drama on the frontier (1886), and a baseball tale, the longest piece in the book, set in the early 1920's.

I want more from each of these stories; despite (or because of) their gutty substance, they all end too soon or with an odd ambivalence. Sturm comes close to clobbering a home run: like a lesser Orson Welles film, or the Babe on a bad day, this is still worth recommending.

*

WHY I READ THIS BOOK: Introduced to Sturm in Ivan Brunetti's first Anthology of comix.

[Rocco Versaci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sturm's specialty is to unearth those rich yet obscure footnotes of American history that shed light on our country and its people. in his book, "James Sturm's America," he collects three previously-published works: "The Revival" (a Hawthornesque story about a pioneer family at a religous revival), "Hundreds of Feet Below Daylight" (a tragedy set in a small mining town), and "The Golem's Mighty Swing" (a longer piece--previously published as a graphic novel--about the Stars of David, a traveling Jewish baseball team from the 1920s). Together, these stories provide an interesting and pointed glimpse of our country's past...and present. Sturm's artwork is deceptively simple in this challenging and thoroughly engaging work.

[Turrean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three unconnected--other than thematically--stories set in the 1800s and early 1900s. The stories focus on the power of faith, the power of greed, and the power of intolerance. I thought the stories ended abruptly, particularly the last one. The frame-by-frame baseball game was hard for a non-sports-fan to follow with interest. I was baffled by the build up to the game, followed by "it started to rain so we left and drifted apart." There was no actual conclusion. Yet I loved Satchel Paige Striking Out Jim Crow so go figure...

The most powerful story, for me, was the first. Pathos and horrified fascination in equal measure.

[Shauna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic GN. As the title gives away, it tells bits of American history in 3 parts: "God," about religious life in the form of a camp revival in 1801 Kentucky; "Gold," about late nineteenth-century gold-mining, and "Golems," about a Jewish baseball team. I don't consider myself a baseball fan, but "Golems" was intriguing, fascinating and it really drew me in.
There's a lot of emotion, history and thought-provoking ideas in these three bits of historic American life.

[Ari · Rating 3 out of 5]

First two stories are interesting but not great. 'Golems' worth a read though. Story of a Jewish baseball team mid-20th century who 'create' a Golem to help their team. As with all Golem stories, things don't turn out as planned. Art is solid throughout all three stories, but the book is mediocre overall.

[Christina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Illustrations felt crude to me, but then again, he was writing about not beautiful periods in American history-religious fervor in the mid 1800s, gold mining (and racism against the chinese), and baseball in the 40s and 50s, but again with a racist perspective-the stars of david (incl a black player), who couldn't get gigs anywhere else. Very interesting, but I wouldn't say I enjoyed it.

[Jacob · Rating 5 out of 5]

This HC has 3 different stories, I've already read The Golem's Mighty Swing--and that story is excellent--but the other two stories will be new to me...and now that I finished those two it's no surprise as they too were excellent.

[Molly · Rating 2 out of 5]

A compilation of three works, each representing god, gold, and golems, and as a whole, James Sturm's picture of America. It's all there in the title. :) It was a provocative piece, and the third story, The Golem's Mighty Swing, was both what drew me to this work and what made it worth my time.

[Lisa K · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three stories set in the past: one during a massive early 19th century camp meeting, one in a mining town, and one follows the 1920s barnstorming / novelty baseball team the House of David. The last was my favorite, both for illustrations (the rain out!) and nuanced story.

[Emilia P · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really love how Sturm is able to get really into a time period and mindset without beating you over the head about how history is cool. Right on, dude.

[Seth · Rating 3 out of 5]

God: A
Gold: C
Golem: B