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Archetypes: Social Animals in Our Midst
A wonderfully illustrated, biting send-up of the inhabitants of our everyday urban world.
Whether at the office, in the street, on the subway, or in your bedroom — you know you’ve seen them someplace before. Love them or hate them, you recognize them — they are the new Archetypes, and now they’ve been identified.
Combining minutely observed, caustic commentary with brilliant artwork, the Archetypes happily illuminate and eviscerate the denizens of the contemporary urban world. From that Young Literary Guy who “has just had a novel published, half of which is comprised of footnotes” to the Nouveau Hypochondriac who “has cut out all dairy, wheat, fruit, sugar, caffeine, alcohol, vinegar and fermented products and anything packaged or processed,” these are laugh-out-loud portraits of the social animals in our midst.
Surely you recognize Every Mother’s Worst Nightmare, whose mom has been “particularly nosy since finding that cute thong purchased at Urban Outfitters (‘so what if it says “pussy” on the front, Mom? There’s a picture of a cat under the word’).” Or how about Aging G, a hip hop fan past the bloom of youth who “recently stopped wearing a baseball cap and long basketball shorts when his son asked, ‘Daddy, does Mom dress you too?’”
Silcoff and McLeod have an eye for what makes people tick — and drives the rest of us crazy.
Be careful — you may find yourself in these pages.
Whether at the office, in the street, on the subway, or in your bedroom — you know you’ve seen them someplace before. Love them or hate them, you recognize them — they are the new Archetypes, and now they’ve been identified.
Combining minutely observed, caustic commentary with brilliant artwork, the Archetypes happily illuminate and eviscerate the denizens of the contemporary urban world. From that Young Literary Guy who “has just had a novel published, half of which is comprised of footnotes” to the Nouveau Hypochondriac who “has cut out all dairy, wheat, fruit, sugar, caffeine, alcohol, vinegar and fermented products and anything packaged or processed,” these are laugh-out-loud portraits of the social animals in our midst.
Surely you recognize Every Mother’s Worst Nightmare, whose mom has been “particularly nosy since finding that cute thong purchased at Urban Outfitters (‘so what if it says “pussy” on the front, Mom? There’s a picture of a cat under the word’).” Or how about Aging G, a hip hop fan past the bloom of youth who “recently stopped wearing a baseball cap and long basketball shorts when his son asked, ‘Daddy, does Mom dress you too?’”
Silcoff and McLeod have an eye for what makes people tick — and drives the rest of us crazy.
Be careful — you may find yourself in these pages.
149 pages, Hardcover
First published October 17, 2006
9 people want to read
About the author
Mireille Silcoff
10 books12 followersMireille Silcoff is a columnist with Canada's National Post. She writes for publications including The New York Times Magazine and The Walrus. She is the founding editor of Guilt & Pleasure Quarterly, a quarterly magazine of new Jewish writing and ideas. She has been a senior editor with the National Post, Saturday Night Magazine, and various other publications. She is also the founder of a string of Jewish discussion salons active in several American and Canadian cities.
Mireille is the recipient of several journalism awards, including National Magazine Awards. Mireille is the author of three books. Her first two are about drug and nightclub culture. She has been called "an ecstasy guru" on television in broad daylight. Her most recent book is Archetypes (McClelland & Stewart; the book is called Urban Animals in the US), a collection of her (now defunct) illustrated National Post column of the same name. Mireille lives in Montreal, where she is currently writing her second collection of short stories. Her first, CHEZ L'ARABE, will be published by the House of Anansi press in Fall 2014.
Mireille is the recipient of several journalism awards, including National Magazine Awards. Mireille is the author of three books. Her first two are about drug and nightclub culture. She has been called "an ecstasy guru" on television in broad daylight. Her most recent book is Archetypes (McClelland & Stewart; the book is called Urban Animals in the US), a collection of her (now defunct) illustrated National Post column of the same name. Mireille lives in Montreal, where she is currently writing her second collection of short stories. Her first, CHEZ L'ARABE, will be published by the House of Anansi press in Fall 2014.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
October 27, 2008
Clever and hilarious. Fab illustrations.
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