Skip to the End

Skip To The End #1-4

by Jeremy Holt, Alex Diotto (Illustrator)

“A deeply intimate story . . . a slice-of-life comic, an adventure comic and a music comic all rolled into one, born out of a love for all three.” —Paste MagazineBassist-turned-junkie Jonny Wells is addicted to his past, and the only way to get there is through the music.The bassist of a breakout ’90s punk band, Jonny falls apart when his band mate and best friend Kirk commits suicide. Twenty years later he struggles with heroin addiction, lost in the songs they created and desperate to relive the past, when he discovers that he can—literally. With the aid of a mysterious guitar, Jonny begins to make trips back in time, searching for the roots of Kirk’s unraveling. At Nar-Anon meetings and in conversations with his sponsor Emily, he starts to cope with the events that led to Kirk’s death. But by the time Jonny realizes that his visits can’t change the present, he might be too addicted to stop.“Artistically, the book is a master class on beauty and style . . . From the initial title page to the end of the story, Artist Alex Diotto, Colorist Renzo Podesta, and Letterer Adam Wollet, prove themselves to be masters of their craft and the passion for their work is easily witnessed.” —Comic Crusaders“Writer of indie comics Pulp and Southern Dog, Jeremy Holt slays on the script for Skip to the End.” —Undercover Capes“A graphic novel worthy of spiritual preparation, deserving of one’s wholehearted attention where the finer details are meticulously observed.” —XS Noize

Genres: Comics

116 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 12, 2018

About the author

Jeremy Holt is a non-binary author whose works include Gatsby, Made in Korea, Virtually Yours, Before Houdini, After Houdini, and Skip to the End.

An original art page from After Houdini was acquired by The Houdini Museum of NYC, where it now hangs in its permanent collection. And Skip to the End was one of three works of fiction that The New York Times included in an in-depth expose titled Kurt Cobain: What to Read and Watch, 25 Years After the Nirvana Leader’s Death.

They have received high praise from Brian K. Vaughan (Y the Last Man, Saga, Paper Girls) and NYT crossword constructor David Kwong. Originally from no place in particular, they’ve lived in Italy, Singapore, England, Norway, Texas, Vermont, and Brooklyn, before settling in Kingston, New York.

Reviews

[Kristin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can barely contain my contempt for this barely there story about a barely disguised Nirvana featuring characters who barely act like human beings.

[Peter Lourie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story tackles some very real and serious issues, so kudos to the creative team on a job well done. A great introduction into non-superhero comic books!

[Michelle Morrell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Weird little comic about a time travelling member of a 90s mega band (a very thinly veiled Nirvana) trying to go back and fix the past, to stop the suicide of their lead singer "Kirk." Honestly it could have been a lot more robust and I would have given it two stars but got one more for the shout outs to Merchants Cafe, Satyricon and a couple other happy 90s memories.

[cass · Rating 1 out of 5]

Basically a weird “fanfiction” of the rise and fall of nirvana and their iconic front man Kurt Cobain (Kirk is this story, I mean, but close? Lol). I found this story kinda in poor taste, like this is peoples real life and I really don’t think the trauma and grief surrounding someone’s suicide and drug addiction is to be made into a weird comic for entertainment. Idk, I just didn’t like it honestly.

[Bob · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nice art but I thought it was pretty weak it was just a fanboy retelling of the Nirvana story (with plenty of fiction spun off from the real thing). It just seems like the story telling was lazy since it was just a fictionalized retelling.

[Trai · Rating 4 out of 5]

(book cws: addiction and drug use, suicide, depression)

May 27th, 2023: Skip to the End by Jeremy Holt (they/them), art bt Alex Diotto. I was looking at lists of queer AAPI creators for AAPI Heritage Month and Holt was named as one, so I grabbed this off Hoopla. (Coincidentally I've also been getting into listening Nirvana this year so that was an unintentional sidebar.)

Jonny was the bassist of a breakout '90s punk band, Samsara. When Kirk, his best friend and one of his band mates, commits suicide, he spirals into an addiction that lasts twenty years. Just as he starts to attend Nar-Anon and get his life together, he realizes a mysterious guitar can help him travel back in time whenever he plays Samsara's hit "Skip to the End." By the time he realizes his actions can't change the past, he might be too addicted to trying to stop.

So, about me only knowing the bare minimum about Nirvana: I realized about halfway through what the author was very clearly doing (I have no brain, what can I say) and the one text review on Storygraph calls this book gross and exploitative. Honestly, I can see why that would be the case, and I don't have enough knowledge of the real life facts yet to make my own judgment. Using real people as the basis for a thinly veiled fiction can be very tricky and as a reader that's up to everyone's individual feelings.

But for what it was, I did find this moving, and it made me cry at one point when Jonny desperately tries to reason with Kirk by telling him just one reality where he lives past 27 would be enough for him. I think the book gets across what it wants to say about mental health and addiction--Jonny ultimately needs to want to change and to accept that he can't make that decision for others. Standard stuff, obviously, but I felt the unusual time travel element made it stand out a bit. I was not in love with Diotto's art; it wasn't as nice to look at as I wanted it to be. But overall, I'm glad I borrowed this, though your mileage may vary given the real life context of the story.

[Shawn Ingle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the premise and the writing overall but the ending felt rushed and incomplete.