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Drawn & Quarterly Showcase #4
Drawn & Quarterly Showcase: Book Four: Book Four
The annual comics anthology of emerging cartoonists The Drawn & Quarterly Showcase new talent series stands out among other anthologies on the shelf, as it is the only anthology to have the focused editorial vision of D+Q editor in chief Chris Oliveros, who is responsible for launching the careers of Adrian Tomine, Seth, Julie Doucet, and more. Five years ago, Oliveros was impressed by the talent and vitality of the new generation of cartoonists. Each volume has been lauded for its short stories, and by selecting the best cartoonists
every year, Oliveros gives each artist more than twenty-five pages in the Showcase to spotlight their storytelling and artistic abilities. The D+Q Showcase is where you find tomorrow's critically acclaimed graphic novelists today. Book Four features three North American Dan Zettwoch ( The Ghost of Dragon Canoe ) of St. Louis, Gabrielle Bell ( When I'm Old ) of Brooklyn, and Martin Cendreda ( Dang! ) of Los Angeles. Zettwoch and Bell have both contributed to the award-winning anthology Kramer's Ergot . Cendreda is a frequent contributor to Giant Robot magazine.
every year, Oliveros gives each artist more than twenty-five pages in the Showcase to spotlight their storytelling and artistic abilities. The D+Q Showcase is where you find tomorrow's critically acclaimed graphic novelists today. Book Four features three North American Dan Zettwoch ( The Ghost of Dragon Canoe ) of St. Louis, Gabrielle Bell ( When I'm Old ) of Brooklyn, and Martin Cendreda ( Dang! ) of Los Angeles. Zettwoch and Bell have both contributed to the award-winning anthology Kramer's Ergot . Cendreda is a frequent contributor to Giant Robot magazine.
96 pages, Paperback
First published June 15, 2006
28 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 5, 2018
Wow. This book lived up to it's name. 3 really fantastic novella length stories.
Gabrielle Bell presents probably my favorite story I've read from her. I don't think I've read much of her fiction, but I think this combines all the things I like about her stories and it includes some really beautiful water color, which I think is a great improvement over her typical inky b+w artwork.
I haven't read much by Martin Cendreda, and Goodreads suggests he's never published his own volume of work. I thought the artwork was fantastic and was really involved with the story.
But perhaps the greatest surprise was Dan Zettwoch. Having just read his book Birdeye Bristletoe, I was not looking forward to reading more. I thought that book was boring with busy, sloppy artwork and a lack of story - although showed potential. This book demonstrates that potential. The story was about a flood in the early 20th century from the pov of a high school student. All the detours in the narrative that I found annoying in his other book were welcome here. I wanted to see more of this city during the flood.
Gabrielle Bell presents probably my favorite story I've read from her. I don't think I've read much of her fiction, but I think this combines all the things I like about her stories and it includes some really beautiful water color, which I think is a great improvement over her typical inky b+w artwork.
I haven't read much by Martin Cendreda, and Goodreads suggests he's never published his own volume of work. I thought the artwork was fantastic and was really involved with the story.
But perhaps the greatest surprise was Dan Zettwoch. Having just read his book Birdeye Bristletoe, I was not looking forward to reading more. I thought that book was boring with busy, sloppy artwork and a lack of story - although showed potential. This book demonstrates that potential. The story was about a flood in the early 20th century from the pov of a high school student. All the detours in the narrative that I found annoying in his other book were welcome here. I wanted to see more of this city during the flood.
October 3, 2015
This book contains a trio of novella-length graphic novels, which seem to build up in intensity, as the final story is truly impressive.
The first story dealt with the bitter-sweet development of a relationship between an established artist and a much younger artist - it's told in a matter-of-fact way, echoed in the straightforward, almost schematic drawings. The ending is touching and surprising - as the most important relationship isn't between the two who have hooked up at all.
The second story was wonderful - a look at the Filipino community in Los Angeles, and a myth that has a strange power over a group of community members, young and old. I loved the restrained, drawings and the limited color palette. The old man has hardly any hair left, but he still goes for haircuts, since it's a way to stay in touch, exchange gossip with the barber etc. The tightness of the community, the kids playing in the street - obviously, this is the world before the advent of smartphones. In fact, it's set in an earlier, simpler era.
The final story is a blockbuster graphic novella.. rather than reveal what happens in the course of the story, I'll only say that the drawing style was excellent, suited somehow to the era (the 30s) with a pleasantly restricted color palette. You really get a sense of how important things were in an era of scarcity, how everything was appreciated, in a time when probably few things were tossed. I've heard that once even flour sacks were turned into dresses, and the flour merchants would obligingly print the sacks with nice patterns since they knew the sacks were being recycled into clothing. I can't praise story #3 enough - and would recommend the entire volume. Each story is charming, thought-provoking.
The first story dealt with the bitter-sweet development of a relationship between an established artist and a much younger artist - it's told in a matter-of-fact way, echoed in the straightforward, almost schematic drawings. The ending is touching and surprising - as the most important relationship isn't between the two who have hooked up at all.
The second story was wonderful - a look at the Filipino community in Los Angeles, and a myth that has a strange power over a group of community members, young and old. I loved the restrained, drawings and the limited color palette. The old man has hardly any hair left, but he still goes for haircuts, since it's a way to stay in touch, exchange gossip with the barber etc. The tightness of the community, the kids playing in the street - obviously, this is the world before the advent of smartphones. In fact, it's set in an earlier, simpler era.
The final story is a blockbuster graphic novella.. rather than reveal what happens in the course of the story, I'll only say that the drawing style was excellent, suited somehow to the era (the 30s) with a pleasantly restricted color palette. You really get a sense of how important things were in an era of scarcity, how everything was appreciated, in a time when probably few things were tossed. I've heard that once even flour sacks were turned into dresses, and the flour merchants would obligingly print the sacks with nice patterns since they knew the sacks were being recycled into clothing. I can't praise story #3 enough - and would recommend the entire volume. Each story is charming, thought-provoking.
April 27, 2020
All three were pseudo-bio works starring either themselves, family and friends. The table of contents doesn't feature the titles- maybe because Bell's lacked one entirely.
Bell showed up for "Showcase"- the difference between this well written and fully sequential story and her photo-album-with-notes work in "Mome" is drastic! I'm glad GarGoRoth got stuck with her backwash* and Christos got the dramatic short story. I really look forward to more from her.
Cendreda went with childhood in Los Angeles during a serial-killing spree that examined how all different age groups and ethnicities dealt with such ominous fear. An interesting ghost from the Philippines that was obviously passed to him by his first generation U.S. elders got a starring role.
Zettwoch did a enchanting voyage through the past that was so well prepared that he must have had it done already because I that kind of detail probably doesn't jive with deadlines. I can only imagine the amount of HEAVY research and a diligent drafting it took to make his character's (grandpa) paddle-boat journey through many neighborhoods during the 1937 St. Louis flood look and even feel so authentic.
*The classic "cartoonist struggling with the writing process" desperation submission was even involved.
Bell showed up for "Showcase"- the difference between this well written and fully sequential story and her photo-album-with-notes work in "Mome" is drastic! I'm glad GarGoRoth got stuck with her backwash* and Christos got the dramatic short story. I really look forward to more from her.
Cendreda went with childhood in Los Angeles during a serial-killing spree that examined how all different age groups and ethnicities dealt with such ominous fear. An interesting ghost from the Philippines that was obviously passed to him by his first generation U.S. elders got a starring role.
Zettwoch did a enchanting voyage through the past that was so well prepared that he must have had it done already because I that kind of detail probably doesn't jive with deadlines. I can only imagine the amount of HEAVY research and a diligent drafting it took to make his character's (grandpa) paddle-boat journey through many neighborhoods during the 1937 St. Louis flood look and even feel so authentic.
*The classic "cartoonist struggling with the writing process" desperation submission was even involved.
January 2, 2023
First read of the year - picked this up in the used section on a whim and rather enjoyed it. My favorite story in the collection is by Martin Cendreda so I’ll have to look him up and see what else has out there. Happy New Year.
January 7, 2018
Features an excellent Gabrielle Bell full-colour story which is worth the price of admission. The Centreda and Zettwoch stories are very good too.
January 11, 2008
I especially enjoyed Martin Cendreda's work...love the grandfather's characterization...hilarious and so true to those of us with superstitious immigrant grandfathers!
September 29, 2011
They were all solid stories. I enjoyed the first one the most. The third on reminded me of Zeitoun by Dave Eggers
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews