Brian Blomerth's Bicycle Day

by Brian Blomerth, Dennis McKenna (Foreword)

Illustrator, musician and self-described “comic stripper” Brian Blomerth has spent years combining classic underground art styles with his bitingly irreverent visual wit in zines, comics, and album covers. With Brian Blomerth’s Bicycle Day, the artist has produced his most ambitious work to a historical account of the events of April 19, 1943, when Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann ingested an experimental dose of a new compound known as lysergic acid diethylamide and embarked on the world’s first acid trip. Combining an extraordinary true story told in journalistic detail with the artist’s gritty, timelessly Technicolor comix style,  Brian Blomerth’s Bicycle Day  is a testament to mind expansion and a stunningly original visual history.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Art, History, Nonfiction, Science, Graphic Novels Comics

192 pages, Paperback

First published June 21, 2019

Reviews

[Fin Moorhouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has the brightest colours I've ever seen on paper

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully drawn in a style reminiscent of the animation that was popular at the time, this graphic novel presents an artistic retelling of Albert Hoffman's historic bicycle "trip."

The forward, written by Terrence McKenna's brother Dennis, was also very good. It pointed out that bicycle day was the same day as the beginning of the siege of the Warsaw Ghetto, and the eve of Passover in 1943. Due to my religious background, this is a powerful juxtaposition which Dennis ventures that the lesson of this may be "As a species, we are capable of the greatest good and the greatest evil." And that "LSD, and other psychedelics, may be the antidote to the sickness that poisons the western mind." And I would add, it sure as hell isn't making it worse.

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've admired Blomerth's comics for a long time but this is definitely the longest I've spent with them. He's not a particularly great storyteller (though, to be fair, it's also a pretty simple and familiar story) but his drawing style is wholly his own. Colorful and drippy with a strong picturebook vibe. This could be a kids book... if you felt like having an interesting talk with the kid after.

[Ed Erwin]

(I haven't read this yet, but I flipped through a friend's copy. The art is fantastically psychedelic.)

[Hugo Lester · Rating 5 out of 5]

So chat

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

My sweetie got both of Blomerth's recent books on psychedelic drugs, this one and the one about the family that popularized shrooms in the West. This book was about the invention/discovery of LSD by Albert Hofmann. Apparently people who take LSD trips know about "Bicycle Day." The book contextualizes this moment in two ways: in the introduction, the essayist reminds us that April 19, 1943 was also the day the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising began. Also, Sandoz Labs, where Hofmann did his work, was also where another chemist invented DDT. Hofmann, and Bloomerth, and many people, believe in the liberatory power of hallucinogens. The art in the book is suitably trippy and captures the terror that Hofmann surely experienced on this unexpectedly powerful acid trip. Both books gave me a great impression of Bloomerth, and were, coincidentally, little advertisements for happy marriage and the nuclear family. Neither made me want to take a trip though.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a lot of fun. It's been special to see Brian's profile rise over the last few years. These made me dig out some old zines and cassettes by him, which definitely always had a psychedelic vibe and great idiosyncratic art. But with this pair of books on psychedelic history he's also become a master at telling a compelling story.

[Eric T. Voigt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely fun. The drawings are sometimes gorgeous, sometimes adorable, often times both. After years of hearing short versions of the Bicycle Day story it was way cool to get a fuller historical perspective. Huzzah, scientific discovery.

[Aaron Esthelm · Rating 5 out of 5]

now this was a delight. what a fantastic way to tell a story. this art was killer. top notch book!

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

DRUGS!

[Katrina Rigsbee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This was fantastic. Such great colors, style, and layout. I can't wait to own this for myself. Highly recommend.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an absolutely gorgeous book. The illustrations are creative and beautiful. Snag a copy of this book while they're cheap.

[Estibaliz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet and short.

Here for the art, not for the chemistry.

I find the introduction is very useful on this one, as I didn't have the slightest idea what Bicycle Day actually was (now I do).

Quite educational when it comes to the 'good' uses of LSD (=research).

I was wondering how Blomerth was going to be able to depict the LSD experience when his art is always so psychedelic even in a 'normal' setting, but the use of neon green and pink did the trick just fine.

[Julen B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una joyita preciosa. Mucho tacto y cariño para un viaje tan ajetreado.

[Martin Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the most beautiful books I’ve ever held in my hands. The transcendental artwork really brings the story to life in a magical way!

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

BEAUTIFUL art that matches the subject matter perfectly. quick read, very fun

[Benny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just love love love love love these illustrations. I'm assuming this is risograph-printed? And the colours are edible. STUNNING

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Guaranteed contact high --- Well... you are not dying... the only abnormality is dilated pupils...

[Ryan Werner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredible, trippy art — why is everyone a dog!? — with a story that is just enough there to not get in the way of all the incredible visuals. The intro covers the majority of the narrative, so if you just flip through for the art, you won’t miss anything except some funny lines here and there. (“Nobody’s ever won a Nobel Prize for Tightest Pussy!”)

Acid seems awful and fun, like a four gallon Icee or being 23. Good book, though.

[Rachel Havrilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

If a silent film could be made into a book than it would be this book. The art and the story were good from start to finish which came quickly because I couldn't put it down. Blomerth clearly enjoys this topic and I'm happy he decided to make a book about it.

Honestly was this book screen printed or did I also accidentally ingest the LSD-25? I don't know how they made these colors jump off the page but DANG

[Vanni Santoni]

La più bella storia svizzera mai avvenuta & raccontata (e ora anche disegnata). Con mia prefazione.

[Jeff B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I write this on April 19th, 2024. 81 years ago today, on April 19th, 1943, chemist Albert Hofmann took the very first intentional LSD trip and bicycled home under the influence. This day has gone down in history, at least in certain circles, as Bicycle Day. This beautiful graphic novel tells the story of that day.

It starts with a very nice introduction by psychonaut Dennis J. McKenna, brother of the great Terence McKenna. He talks about the historical significance of the Nazi atrocities happening at the same time this miracle was coming to light. He also talks about how Hoffman's invention/discovery having the potential of being one of the greatest to change the course of human history.

The graphic novel begins with Albert Hoffman living in Switzerland and working for Sandoz Labs, trying to come up with some kind of useful chemical or drug from natural remedies. One of his colleagues had come up with a new miracle insecticide that poses no danger to non-insects called DDT (womp womp) so the pressure was on. Well, he goes back to one of his old duds, LSD-25, and re-creates a batch and accidentally gets a little dosed. He decides it must have been the LSD and gives himself what he thinks is a small dose (but which is actually a pretty large dose) of 250 micrograms. He then proceeds to trip balls and even thinks he is going to die at some point.

It's not a short book, but it's a quick read. The psychedelic art is absolutely gorgeous and they must have used special inks printing this one because the colors absolutely pop. It's beautiful. There's lots of test tubes and chemistry, but it's made for the layman. Actually, the author specifically states not to use this book to try any at-home chemistry experiments. It covers only a brief segment of the events as the visual medium is often constrained to do. I think next year for Bicycle Day, I will read LSD: My Problem Child – Reflections on Sacred Drugs, Mysticism and Science which is Albert Hofmann's memoir that (presumably) extensively covers those days, as well as the rest of his life.

HAPPY BICYCLE DAY!!!

[Ayla Marika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bicycle Day conveys the story of Albert Hofmann’s invention of and first trips on LSD, told through a flow of illustrations and visual designs. Don’t expect an in-depth written account in this graphic non-fiction piece; the strength of this book lies squarely in the visuals.

The illustration in this book is honestly jaw-dropping. As a psychedelic-inspired illustrator myself, this is one of those rare instances where you wonder whether you should drop your pen and find another profession when there are illustrators this advanced living in our current day and age. Blomerth’s ability to capture the ephemeral, nostalgic and deeply emotive quality of visuals from the psychedelic-enhanced mindstate is admirable.

There is definitely enough overt weirdness to keep the tripper amused for hours, but for me the greatest beauty of the illustration lay in the more subtle use of colour, design and texture. The book commences with a few pages of beautifully composed landscapes that feel heart-achingly reminiscent of Hokusai’s woodblock prints, later collapsing into nonsensical neon madness as Hofmann dives through his first LSD trips.

The illustration is never predictable or boring. Just as you start to get a feel for Blomerth’s visual style, he switches it up and takes his designs down a different path, making for a wild read from start to end. For the artist, there is a lot to absorb and learn from this work. Bicycle Day has become a valued addition to my library of art books, and Blomerth himself has now become my newest artistic influence. This is a book I believe I will treasure for life, and will continue to share with friends who can appreciate the brilliance of this work.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book outlines the discovery of LSD by Albert Hoffman, from when he first synthesized it to five years later when he discovered its mind-changing properties. On the day he deliberately dosed himself, when he started feeing odd, he got on his bicycle and pedaled home. Luckily, he had his assistant accompany him on her bike, because by the time he got home, he was tripping heavily.

The psychedelic experience definitely comes through the art, which is in a Peter Max-type style. I very much enjoyed the art showing the laboratory, with beakers, experiments, chemical formulas, etc. But I am not a fan of humans shown as animals (Maus is the only exception I can think of), which detracted from my experience. I'm also not sure why Hoffman's wife is usually drawn wearing pants; I think this was unusual at the time, but maybe the author knows something. The wild psychedelia of Hoffman's trip is a bit too day-glo for me, and it doesn't show any of the typical LSD geometric patterns.

I enjoyed the book, but...not all that much.

[B. Rule · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cool blending of medium and message that effectively depicts Hofmann's discovery of LSD-25 through a kaleidoscopic and cartoony psychedelia reminiscent of 60's underground comix. Blomerth gives your eye ample room to wander even as he walks you through pretty technical chemistry stuff. I thought the printing constrained some of the visual pop, with muted colors and limited palette most evident in the many rainbows festooning the pages. Things lean more chaotic than geometric in the heart of the trip, but Blomerth keeps things fresh by cycling through a few styles of psychedelia. The narrative hews pretty closely to the days of discovery and doesn't venture to show the drug's reception (other than an insightful comparison to DDT through a fictionalized encounter with Pauly Mueller), although the introduction by Dennis McKenna contextualizes it nicely. A neat project and worth a read.

[Amelia · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Chemistry is perfect but chemists are not!"

When Hoffman takes LSD-25, he doesn't know at the time that it's the highest dosage anyone has ever taken...and come back from. By all accounts, his psychedelic ride shouldn't have ended as well as it did, but it made for not only an interesting account of drug use, but the first record ever of LSD usage!

Brian Blomerth created drug-inspired illustrations, using 1940's style illustrations and morphing them into something totally out of this world with highlighter-esque colors and linework that defies anything I've ever known. Blomerth injects facts about chemistry and the set-up chemists may have had back in the 40's as well as information regarding the beginning of WWII, especially as Hoffman's colleague Muller created DDT. Together, this makes for a totally unexpected historical nonfiction account, and one that is quick, entertaining, and totally cool ride, dude.

[Rick Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

True to its subject matter, Brian Blomerth's Bicycle Day is a vibrant and psychedelic odyssey depicting the birth and emergence of LSD. A graphic biography on the life of Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann and his fortuitous discovery of LSD, Bicycle Day provides a whimsical retelling of the events. Blomerth's influences from classic undergrounds is prevalent throughout, and brilliantly juxtaposed against the naïveté of a children's fable. And yet, the narration is steeped in historical fact that despite the fantastical retelling in an almost Alice in Wonderland-styled method, works well to educate the reader on the significance of Hofmann's serendipitous findings. There are times where Bicycle Day feels a little caught up on the minutiae, but overall I found Blomerth's exposition to be light and easy to follow. And despite the heavily stylized and bold artwork, everything is easy enough to follow visually due to a natural storytelling rhythm that Blomerth cultivates.

[mars (cringe failwife) · Rating 4 out of 5]

a very short read that should have taken me more time given the absolutely phenomenal illustrations and use of color. it’s so clear that this was made by someone who had a lot of love for the practice of psychedelia. a few years ago, i knew i wanted to read this book when i began the same practice, and now that it’s been over a year since my last psychedelic experience, i’m able to see the joy and awe coming out of this comic’s pages and rejoice in the fact that i was once there too. i am lucky to say i feel no need to be there again in the foreseeable future.
one thing is for sure; i need to own this book so bad so i can use it as reference for my art. so in love with blonerth’s work and am so excited to see more of his stuff!!!!

[Salomão Diniz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ele transita entre o 3 e 4 estrelas. A palheta de cores é o grande lance aqui. A história trás pouca novidade ao que já figura no imaginário coletivo sobre Hofmann e o seu "filho problema". A história tem um pano de fundo interessante mas pouco relevante aqui, que é a segunda guerra e a tomada Nazista a Tchecoslováquia uma semana antes. As ilustração são charmosas ao melhor estilo Cartoon 30's, como Betty Boop.
Pra fechar, se você tem interesse em psicodelia e cores é um prato cheio. Eu nasci no Bicycle Day, dia 19 de abril e minha filha chama Anita, mesmo nome da esposa de Albert, coincidências?

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to love this tale of the first acid trip but the story was pretty mundane, as was the storytelling, at least the verbal aspect. But the art was really cool and the coloring was amazing. Tho I found it unnecessary and distracting that the humans had dog heads - like, is he tripping already, or do all the people just have dog heads? Oh, they just have dog heads. So then when he is tripping, and all the people still have dog heads...suffice to say I spent way too much time thinking about the dog heads when I really didn't need or want to. But it was very colorful.