A single dad and his baby daughter wander through a fantastic version of our world on a constant search for diapers, waffles and a place (and the free time!) to poop. While trying to live off his ability to write poetry scrolls, their obstacles include nightmares, judgmental parents, swaddling contests, and combative assassins. A personal allegory for the trials of being a new parent.
Tom Hart is a critically acclaimed Eisner-nominated cartoonist and the Executive Director of The Sequential Artists Workshop (SAW) in Gainesville, Florida.
He is the creator of Daddy Lightning, and the Hutch Owen series of graphic novels and books.
The Collected Hutch Owen was nominated for best graphic novel in 2000. He won a Xeric Grant for self-publishing cartoonists.
He teaches sequential art at SAW and at the University of Florida and taught at NYC's School of Visual Arts for 10 years.
It's hard not to think about the story of how this comic was created with this one. And with that, I become reluctant to judge the book too harshly. It's funny and sweet, even if the art is rather rough for my taste.
Honest. Difficult. Joyous. Heartbreaking. Daddy Lightning is a hard read for all the right reasons. The art is rough, which adds to the urgency of a father's single wish to be with his little girl again.