True Stories Volume 1

True Stories #1

by Derf Backderf

Derf - creator of the graphic novels Trashed, Punk Rock & Trailer Parks and the international bestseller, My Friend Dahmer - presents the best of his True Stories from the long running The City comic strip, as seen in Best American Comics. It's like Humans of New York, but somewhat stranger. Pressure... Pressure... "True Stories manages to entertain and amuse you the entire time." - Dustin Cabeal.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Humor, Nonfiction

52 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2014

About the author

John Backderf is a Eisner-award-winning American comics creator, also known as Derf Backderf. He is most famous for his recent graphic novels, especially My Friend Dahmer, the international bestseller which won an Angoulême Prize, and earlier for his comic strip The City, which appeared in a number of alternative newspapers from 1990–2014.

Derf has been nominated for multiple Eisner, Harvey and Ignatz awards and a Rueben Award. In 2006, he won the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award for political cartooning. Backderf has been based in Cleveland, Ohio, for much of his career.

Reviews

[Sam Quixote · Rating 4 out of 5]

True Stories is a slice-of-life four-panel strip that ran in Derf Backderf’s comic The City. This first volume collects the strips from 2002 to 2008, and it’s really funny!

We get to see all the oddballs that occupy middle America: the rednecks and rightwingers, random crazy people on the street, the fat and the stupid, well-off self-serving dickheads and a weird guy at the Post Office who repeats “Pressure” (he’s on the cover)!

Most of the strips are amusing and entertaining. There’s a dude in a library crying at a public computer because his buttcrack hurts(!) and another one who orders a pizza then puts it on top of his baby carrier - with his baby in the carrier! And Derf’s exaggeratedly grotesque art style is well-suited to depicting the characters in these pages.

Some of the strips do feel mean-spirited and repetitive at times - several are just pointing and laughing at morbidly obese Americans - but True Stories Volume 1 is still a great little collection of comics that fans of Derf Backderf will definitely enjoy.

[Bailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love Derf Backderf's unnerving drawing style and he has a knack for the anecdotal form, but this collection of comics from 2002-2008 shows how acceptable fat-shaming was back then. An interesting time capsule.

[Canavan · Rating 4 out of 5]

✭✭✭½

[Václav · Rating 1 out of 5]

(1,5 of 5)
I don't know what to think of this. But it was terrible.

[Sherrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Humorous look at everyday happenings that leave you shaking your head. This was a quick and easy read that I enjoyed so much I purchased the next volume of True Stories. I also plan on checking some of the authors other books out as well including Trashed and My Friend Dahmer.

[Peacegal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Backderf hits another one out of the park. For all of you who have stepped back, observed the behavior of your fellow humans, and just shook your head in awe and confusion. Like a more vulgar (and far funnier) version of "Life in these United States."

[Brandy Fozo · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read his graphic novel My Friend Dahmer and quite enjoyed that. This series I didn’t care for much at all. Only a couple of the true stories were any good, the rest were quite meh. I personally would not recommend this series.

[Romane Pl · Rating 3 out of 5]

J'aime tellement le trait et ces histoires de dingues et de fous qui se traînent dans les USA des années 70-80. Je pourrais me plonger dans cet univers pour toujours. Mais je préfère quand même ses histoires plus sombres.

[Scott Eggerding · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read the other 3 first

I am a huge fan of Derf's, but this collection relies too much on fat jokes and Wal Mart memes His other books get more at the human condition without so much cynicism.

[Benjamin Kahn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Little snippets of everyday life, as observed by Backderf. Mildly interesting.

[Kirsti · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like slice-of-life stuff, but I did not enjoy the fat shaming. His other books are much better.

[مصطفي سليمان · Rating 3 out of 5]

سكتشات قصيرة لطيفة اسلوب الرسم غريب لكن يخليك تكمل لسبب ما ولكني حبيته فيه قصص تقدر ترتبط بيها وقصص بعيدة عنك
ولكن في المجمل القصص في العموم لطيفة وبسيطة وقصيرة

[Maritsa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Al William rose Beckenstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Classic

Irreverent deff at his finest. Don't expect something like danger though. This comic is more true to derfs usual style. It's simple grumpy person fun.

[Don · Rating 4 out of 5]

This as humorous, and it was really well done! Will read more of Derf.

[Jack · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
A fun collection of (hopefully) true-to-life oddities, but some are a bit too judgmental for my taste.

[Salty Swift · Rating 3 out of 5]

Derf Backderf delights with a slew of hilarious true life vignettes...can't wait to read the remaining volumes.

[Derek Royal · Rating 3 out of 5]

First in four volumes that will reprint The City bits. This is a wonderful collection of strips, although at times a few come across as a little nasty. Still, I love Backderf's grotesque renderings that reflect a grotesque cultural condition.

[Simon Sweetman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having read some of his longer works - moving into memoir/non-fiction - it was fun to go back to the strips/comics...that said, I think I prefer the longer works...Still, some good stuff here.

[Nick Nguyen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny, mean-spirited humor unintentionally directed at Trump supporters. Backderf milks some good yuks with his four panel pacing.

[Vikram Jairam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good illustration

Reality portrayed well with good humor. We need more like this. I finished the book in about 20 minutes. Good stuff, though.