What do you think?
Rate this book
Come Home, Indio
A Native American cartoonist shares his journey from childhood, through struggles with alcoholism, to a spiritual awakening at Standing Rock.
In this powerful graphic novel memoir by comics creator Jim Terry, the author shares the personal journey of discovering his spiritual home as a Native American. From a childhood in suburbia, disconnected from his identity as an Indigenous person, through an urban adulthood marked by a struggle with alcoholism and the death of his parents, to his life-altering experience at Standing Rock, we are privileged to travel this path with the author as he begins to find a new sense of self as a Native and as an American.
In this powerful graphic novel memoir by comics creator Jim Terry, the author shares the personal journey of discovering his spiritual home as a Native American. From a childhood in suburbia, disconnected from his identity as an Indigenous person, through an urban adulthood marked by a struggle with alcoholism and the death of his parents, to his life-altering experience at Standing Rock, we are privileged to travel this path with the author as he begins to find a new sense of self as a Native and as an American.
234 pages, Paperback
First published October 13, 2020
17 people are currently reading
562 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
August 1, 2021
A frustrating book. Parts were very relatable because the author and I must be about the same age, have similar interests based on the pop culture references, and were both raised partly in Wisconsin. And he really drew me in with the way we differ, giving his perspective on being the son of a Native American mother and an Irish American father, but just when things are getting interesting in how one might cope with that multiracial heritage, the book turns into yet another testimony about alcoholism, recovery, and sobriety.
"I'm getting the feeling that women don't like drunks as much as Bukowski says they do . . . " thinks Jim Terry at one point, and frankly this reader doesn't like them either. I detached from the standard descent to rock bottom and back narrative as it just went on and on for 100 pages. By the time he is able to deal with other things in his life, the book is practically over.
In the penultimate chapter, I really balked at the artistic choice of dealing with the huge impact participation at the Standing Rock Dakota Access Pipeline protest had on him by retreating from the traditional graphic novel format used in the rest of the book and making that chapter almost entirely text-based. What could have been one of the most visually striking passages in the book doesn't even average one spot illustration per page.
That chapter also highlights another problem with the book. Terry travels to the protest with Wetha, one of his "favorite people." A favorite person who has not previously been mentioned until now on page 200 and who is not distinguished at any point as either a friend, relative, or romantic partner. Wetha is just there until she is gone, leaving me to wonder why she was there at all. The focus is so narcissistic, that this is how most side characters are treated; we barely learn their names, much less anything about their personalities. He does a little better with his parents, but even they disappear for large periods of time and barely have the intervening years of their lives sketched out. Mom lies down on a sofa on page 84 and apparently stays there until she is needed for a big scene on page 192.
I'm on the borderline of rating this two-stars, but I find myself grateful for the many little nuggets that turned up while tunneling through Terry's life. And I liked the art, so I might seek out the Crow book he did with James O'Barr.
"I'm getting the feeling that women don't like drunks as much as Bukowski says they do . . . " thinks Jim Terry at one point, and frankly this reader doesn't like them either. I detached from the standard descent to rock bottom and back narrative as it just went on and on for 100 pages. By the time he is able to deal with other things in his life, the book is practically over.
In the penultimate chapter, I really balked at the artistic choice of dealing with the huge impact participation at the Standing Rock Dakota Access Pipeline protest had on him by retreating from the traditional graphic novel format used in the rest of the book and making that chapter almost entirely text-based. What could have been one of the most visually striking passages in the book doesn't even average one spot illustration per page.
That chapter also highlights another problem with the book. Terry travels to the protest with Wetha, one of his "favorite people." A favorite person who has not previously been mentioned until now on page 200 and who is not distinguished at any point as either a friend, relative, or romantic partner. Wetha is just there until she is gone, leaving me to wonder why she was there at all. The focus is so narcissistic, that this is how most side characters are treated; we barely learn their names, much less anything about their personalities. He does a little better with his parents, but even they disappear for large periods of time and barely have the intervening years of their lives sketched out. Mom lies down on a sofa on page 84 and apparently stays there until she is needed for a big scene on page 192.
I'm on the borderline of rating this two-stars, but I find myself grateful for the many little nuggets that turned up while tunneling through Terry's life. And I liked the art, so I might seek out the Crow book he did with James O'Barr.
November 9, 2021
Such an evocative depiction of lifelong trauma.
I think the part of this book that will stand out for me is how Terry describes how set he was against drinking because of what he experienced as a kid, and the chain of events that lead to his own alcoholism. It's vivid, heartbreaking, doesn't make sense, and makes so much sense, all at once.
I also appreciated the nuance in how he describes his relationship with his mother. She comes up (obviously) throughout the book, and is painted in a genuine, complicated, real way.
The illustrations are all in an alternative comix style that others can probably gene-map better than I can. Reminded me a little bit of Howard Cruse, but without the bubbles. All black and white, mostly bordered panels. Part 5 diverts significantly and tells the story of visiting Standing Rock in full-page spreads and paragraphs of text.
Affecting, real. Everything I want a memoir to be.
I think the part of this book that will stand out for me is how Terry describes how set he was against drinking because of what he experienced as a kid, and the chain of events that lead to his own alcoholism. It's vivid, heartbreaking, doesn't make sense, and makes so much sense, all at once.
I also appreciated the nuance in how he describes his relationship with his mother. She comes up (obviously) throughout the book, and is painted in a genuine, complicated, real way.
The illustrations are all in an alternative comix style that others can probably gene-map better than I can. Reminded me a little bit of Howard Cruse, but without the bubbles. All black and white, mostly bordered panels. Part 5 diverts significantly and tells the story of visiting Standing Rock in full-page spreads and paragraphs of text.
Affecting, real. Everything I want a memoir to be.
November 10, 2020
Come Home, Indio is a graphic novel written and illustrated by Jim Terry. Terry's graphic autobiography is a roller-coaster ride of doubt and discovery, addiction and recovery.
Jim Terry is a Chicago comic book and commercial artist and writer.
As a child, Terry grew up between households and cultures: his Irish American father's in the Chicago suburbs and his Native (Ho-Chunk) mother's in the Wisconsin Dells and gets told off by his father constantly about his indigenous culture. However, Terry never fully lets go of his youthful vulnerability.
Terry begins his chronicle of his lifelong search for belonging with stories of being raised by parents whose good intentions are undermined by alcoholism and anger, and continues through his euphoric discovery of drinking as a teen and subsequent grim, drawn-out battle with his own addiction, before ending with his activism and spiritual awakening on the campgrounds at the Dakota Access Pipeline.
Terry notes his attachment to Will Eisner and friendship with artist James O'Barr and their influence is evident in his expressive line drawings and distinctive shading. While he poignantly recalls his teenage girlfriend, he deliberately silhouettes adult romantic relationships, including a broken marriage. In a stylistic shift, the sections around his travels to the pipeline, in which he processes the inherited trauma of his Native ancestry, are elaborated in full pages of text with atmospheric landscape and portrait drawings.
Come Home, Indio is written and constructed extremely well – it is far from perfect, but it is rather close. Covering his entire life from childhood to the present day with dark and evocative art, Terry writes at a very fast clip, skimming over large sections of his adulthood with little explanation. What emerges is a portrait of an artist who was able to fully express himself only after getting sober and addressing his chaotic mental state. Conquering his addiction, Terry gained control of his craft and found ways to honor the sacrifices his ancestors made for him.
All in all, Come Home, Indio is an ambitious in scope that breaks ground for contemporary Native portrayals in nonfiction.
Jim Terry is a Chicago comic book and commercial artist and writer.
As a child, Terry grew up between households and cultures: his Irish American father's in the Chicago suburbs and his Native (Ho-Chunk) mother's in the Wisconsin Dells and gets told off by his father constantly about his indigenous culture. However, Terry never fully lets go of his youthful vulnerability.
Terry begins his chronicle of his lifelong search for belonging with stories of being raised by parents whose good intentions are undermined by alcoholism and anger, and continues through his euphoric discovery of drinking as a teen and subsequent grim, drawn-out battle with his own addiction, before ending with his activism and spiritual awakening on the campgrounds at the Dakota Access Pipeline.
Terry notes his attachment to Will Eisner and friendship with artist James O'Barr and their influence is evident in his expressive line drawings and distinctive shading. While he poignantly recalls his teenage girlfriend, he deliberately silhouettes adult romantic relationships, including a broken marriage. In a stylistic shift, the sections around his travels to the pipeline, in which he processes the inherited trauma of his Native ancestry, are elaborated in full pages of text with atmospheric landscape and portrait drawings.
Come Home, Indio is written and constructed extremely well – it is far from perfect, but it is rather close. Covering his entire life from childhood to the present day with dark and evocative art, Terry writes at a very fast clip, skimming over large sections of his adulthood with little explanation. What emerges is a portrait of an artist who was able to fully express himself only after getting sober and addressing his chaotic mental state. Conquering his addiction, Terry gained control of his craft and found ways to honor the sacrifices his ancestors made for him.
All in all, Come Home, Indio is an ambitious in scope that breaks ground for contemporary Native portrayals in nonfiction.
July 24, 2021
Content Notes for racism, homophobia, alcoholism, anti-protest violence, parent death, leukemia, lupus and AA.
While I was not aware of this book pre-publication, as soon as I saw it on my library's new acquisitions page I knew I had to read it ASAP.
A long time artist, now author "JIM TERRY is a comic book artist who has worked on THE CROW: SKINNING THE WOLVES, SUNDOWNERS, ALICE COOPER VS. CHAOS, VAMPIRELLA and more. He has self-published a number of titles and is currently working on the next one. He lives in Chicago with his 4 cats. That's right, 4 cats." As he describes himself on his website Wounded But Dangerous.
Keywords that came to mind reading this book were family, growing up, awkwardness and nerddome, developing artist, friendship, community, outsider, spirituality and abstinence.
When it comes to the art, as soon as I cracked this book open I immediately loved the art. I wasn't surprised to find out, as I read through, that Jim was highly influenced by Will Eisner. While certainly a very easy art style to parse, not super abstract, Jim manages to still imbue his work with a high level of expressiveness. Plus there's crosshatching, need I say more?
Writing wise, I found the way that Jim presented his life story to be very nuanced and engaging. His life has been hard and full of ups and downs, but the way he builds out the people around him offers a lot of nuance and perspective. It was also nice to see a page at the very end outlining the process of deciding who and what would be included.
Social constructs of race were certainly one of the stronger themes in the book. Throughout the book we follow Jim Terry as he moves back and forth between the colonizer world and the Ho-Chunk nation of Wisconsin. Sometimes more easily then other times, often feeling like an outsider all around.
While not necessarily clearly outlined or directly talked about, ramifications of class felt like they were tackled pretty head on. Paying bills, noisy apartments and precarious work are the reality for so many of us, it's always nice to see them represented in ways that feel more solidarity building rather then ew poor people.
Community was another strong theme of the book. And while memoirs are obviously largely focused on a singular person, I really liked how Jim Terry always talks about the people who supported him along the way. Especially when it came to platonic friendships. It was also a nice counter balance to the fact that otherwise this book was, understandably, a bit one note on the representation of sexuality and gender.
In ableism vs disability, while I'm not sure anyone in the story identifies as disabled, people's bodies falling short of society's assumptions around ability was a fairly persistent theme that came up a couple of times. Coming to terms with alcoholism and finding sobriety is one that takes up a large chunk of the book. Personally I'm not the biggest fan of the abstinence only process that Jim Terry goes through, but I'm really glad it works for him. I just wanted to take a moment to encourage my viewers who are unfamiliar with the philosophy to do some web searching on Harm Reduction - a slightly different way of approaching people's struggles with substance use.
To conclude, if you hadn't already guessed it, I found this book to be extremely fulfilling reading experience. And one that I will be recommending to many people in my real life, and obviously am highlighting here with a lot of positive feels. Ultimately I'm landing on a four out of five star rating.
While I was not aware of this book pre-publication, as soon as I saw it on my library's new acquisitions page I knew I had to read it ASAP.
A long time artist, now author "JIM TERRY is a comic book artist who has worked on THE CROW: SKINNING THE WOLVES, SUNDOWNERS, ALICE COOPER VS. CHAOS, VAMPIRELLA and more. He has self-published a number of titles and is currently working on the next one. He lives in Chicago with his 4 cats. That's right, 4 cats." As he describes himself on his website Wounded But Dangerous.
Keywords that came to mind reading this book were family, growing up, awkwardness and nerddome, developing artist, friendship, community, outsider, spirituality and abstinence.
When it comes to the art, as soon as I cracked this book open I immediately loved the art. I wasn't surprised to find out, as I read through, that Jim was highly influenced by Will Eisner. While certainly a very easy art style to parse, not super abstract, Jim manages to still imbue his work with a high level of expressiveness. Plus there's crosshatching, need I say more?
Writing wise, I found the way that Jim presented his life story to be very nuanced and engaging. His life has been hard and full of ups and downs, but the way he builds out the people around him offers a lot of nuance and perspective. It was also nice to see a page at the very end outlining the process of deciding who and what would be included.
Social constructs of race were certainly one of the stronger themes in the book. Throughout the book we follow Jim Terry as he moves back and forth between the colonizer world and the Ho-Chunk nation of Wisconsin. Sometimes more easily then other times, often feeling like an outsider all around.
While not necessarily clearly outlined or directly talked about, ramifications of class felt like they were tackled pretty head on. Paying bills, noisy apartments and precarious work are the reality for so many of us, it's always nice to see them represented in ways that feel more solidarity building rather then ew poor people.
Community was another strong theme of the book. And while memoirs are obviously largely focused on a singular person, I really liked how Jim Terry always talks about the people who supported him along the way. Especially when it came to platonic friendships. It was also a nice counter balance to the fact that otherwise this book was, understandably, a bit one note on the representation of sexuality and gender.
In ableism vs disability, while I'm not sure anyone in the story identifies as disabled, people's bodies falling short of society's assumptions around ability was a fairly persistent theme that came up a couple of times. Coming to terms with alcoholism and finding sobriety is one that takes up a large chunk of the book. Personally I'm not the biggest fan of the abstinence only process that Jim Terry goes through, but I'm really glad it works for him. I just wanted to take a moment to encourage my viewers who are unfamiliar with the philosophy to do some web searching on Harm Reduction - a slightly different way of approaching people's struggles with substance use.
To conclude, if you hadn't already guessed it, I found this book to be extremely fulfilling reading experience. And one that I will be recommending to many people in my real life, and obviously am highlighting here with a lot of positive feels. Ultimately I'm landing on a four out of five star rating.
August 30, 2021
Very deep. Covers so many different topics like depression, addiction, self doubt, environmental issues, history. I enjoyed even though I found it very wordy. Jim Terry had a great way of showing his emotions with words even though there's a picture to go with his story.
March 3, 2021
Courageous accounting of author and artist Jim Terry’s life. Thanks for sharing your journey.
November 26, 2023
The first graphic novel I've ever read! And what an interesting one to start with. Come Home, Indio pulls no punches and is a raw, honest work. The art style matches that tone perfectly and I found myself enjoying it quite a bit - I did sometimes miss a bit of colour, but the black and white only worked well for the general theme and tone of the text, so it makes perfect sense. However, I found myself a bit confused by the many names and people introduced at varying points and sometimes struggled to figure out who everyone was. In the end, though, this is a very solid work and I'm glad to have read it. 3.5 stars, rounded down for the font used here: I found longer chunks of text a bit difficult to read.
July 16, 2022
I quite enjoyed this.
This book chronicles complicated parental relationships, alcoholism, multiracial crises, and much more. To me every one of those felt tied up with a bow by the end. Perhaps that's not how a memoir should end but it had a very nice effect. Everything made sense. Terry has a really nuanced and changed outlook by the end of this and to me it's worth reading for that alone.
The art was versatile and served the purposes Terry wanted it to. I'm not very well-versed with graphic novels but it definitely served to enhance the story being told, especially when combined with devices like callbacks.
Enjoyable book. Check it out for a quick redemption story.
This book chronicles complicated parental relationships, alcoholism, multiracial crises, and much more. To me every one of those felt tied up with a bow by the end. Perhaps that's not how a memoir should end but it had a very nice effect. Everything made sense. Terry has a really nuanced and changed outlook by the end of this and to me it's worth reading for that alone.
The art was versatile and served the purposes Terry wanted it to. I'm not very well-versed with graphic novels but it definitely served to enhance the story being told, especially when combined with devices like callbacks.
Enjoyable book. Check it out for a quick redemption story.
Read
January 24, 2025Coming of age memoir written by someone who is half native and half white. Covers topics on identity, family, (failed) romances, alcoholism/sobriety, Chicago living, healing/spirituality... Terry is a fan of Will Eisner and it shows (so many words, brush work). Some bits could have been moved around, edited, or omitted to flow better, but still very good. I read this per the recommendation of a friend. This is not something I would have typically picked up on my own but I'm glad I read it.
January 14, 2021
Every time I read a graphic novel I am surprised by how much I enjoy them. This is a heartfelt story of a young mans quest to find his place in the world, beautifully drawn; the illustrations adding much nuance. Note to self—- read more graphic novels.
dnf
October 31, 2023I liked the content of this memoir - tough as it is - but the text is really busy on the page. My eyes couldn't process one panel at a time. For this reason alone I am abandoning it. I wish I could have made it through, but it was really tough on my eyes.
January 11, 2021
An open, and deeply observed memoir that comes to life through a masterly use of drawing and text.
April 11, 2024
4.5 stars
Read
November 14, 2025Another important story worth the read
December 28, 2022
Moving graphic memoir that covers so many aspects of a complicated life: native identity, living in between cultures, abuse, addiction, recovery, even a chapter on Standing Rock. Really beautiful and painful and real. I’d love to see more from him.
Read
February 20, 2023Interesting and intense. The art was good, but I almost wish for a words-memoir; it seemed there was a whole lot more he could say!
November 14, 2022
Worth the read, but has a few issues that may be due to a seeming rush to publication. Based on the description, I expected the author's experience at Standing Rock to have more of presence in this graphic memoir. Instead, the first 100 pages focus on the author's upbringing as a biracial Ho-Chunk and Irish American, the next 100 pages follow the author's alcoholism as an adult and his struggle to sobriety, and the last 40 pages focus on Standing Rock and the author's re-engagement with his Indigenous identity. While the section about the author's alcoholism is well written and not uninteresting, it also takes up (what feels like) an unnecessary bulk of the book. The few pages about Standing Rock--what largely drew me to this memoir--completely breaks from the comic panel style of the rest of the book and are just pages of text, which was an incredible disappointment. Did the author run out of time to draw it? This time in his life and its seeming impact on his relationship with his Indigineity seems rich with meaning, but receives so little development.
Additionally, there were multiple times where characters names would be mentioned without any context for who they were in relation to the author, which might or might not be made clear eventually. For just one example, in the text-heavy Standing Rock section, Terry mentions going to the camp with someone named Wetha, who appears nowhere else in the book and whose identity is never clarified other than apparently being one of the author's "favorite people." The author's nickname of "Indio" also just randomly appears and is never explained at all, and most people still refer to him as Jim or Jimmy, so what is the significance of its inclusion in the title? The book feels a little unfinished for these reasons.
Despite this, the artwork is very good and the writing is engaging, insightful, and vulnerable. I was completely absorbed until I began to near the end of the book and realized that DAPL hadn't even been mentioned yet. And then I was so disappointed by the ending. Good for what it is, but could have been better had more time been taken to develop the last part into another 100 pages of comic panels. 3.5 stars
TW: alcoholism, domestic abuse, racism, homophobia and slurs, bullying, family member illness and death (leukemia, lupus, diabetes, liver failure), animal death, divorce, depression
❤️💙 I read this title for the Skoden Readathon! 💛🖤
Additionally, there were multiple times where characters names would be mentioned without any context for who they were in relation to the author, which might or might not be made clear eventually. For just one example, in the text-heavy Standing Rock section, Terry mentions going to the camp with someone named Wetha, who appears nowhere else in the book and whose identity is never clarified other than apparently being one of the author's "favorite people." The author's nickname of "Indio" also just randomly appears and is never explained at all, and most people still refer to him as Jim or Jimmy, so what is the significance of its inclusion in the title? The book feels a little unfinished for these reasons.
Despite this, the artwork is very good and the writing is engaging, insightful, and vulnerable. I was completely absorbed until I began to near the end of the book and realized that DAPL hadn't even been mentioned yet. And then I was so disappointed by the ending. Good for what it is, but could have been better had more time been taken to develop the last part into another 100 pages of comic panels. 3.5 stars
TW: alcoholism, domestic abuse, racism, homophobia and slurs, bullying, family member illness and death (leukemia, lupus, diabetes, liver failure), animal death, divorce, depression
❤️💙 I read this title for the Skoden Readathon! 💛🖤
January 31, 2021
read for empty bottle book club & so glad we did, what a thoughtful and beautifully drawn memoir
September 10, 2025
4.5 stars rounded up. So happy to celebrate five years of Street Noise's dissident graphic novel publishing by featuring a review of this incredibly moving autobiographical tale!
I'm not gonna lie, the first four parts of Jim Terry's deeply personal graphic memoir Come Home, Indio, are tough reading. Jim, or JT as he's often called, was born to an Irish American jazz bassist dad and a feisty, book-loving Ho-Chunk mom, who met in California, fell in love and had babies. The paycheck of an itinerant musician struggled to feed four however, so the family eventually all moved back to Illinois to be closer to Bill Terry's parents. There the marriage fell apart, as Bill and Debbie began to drink more heavily. The divorce was ugly, and Jim and his sister Elena bore the brunt of it.
As a kid, Jim swore never to drink, having seen what it had done to his parents. That lasted till his first illicit party in the woods, where he had his first beer and finally understood why some people took to it so eagerly. Alcohol pretty much defined his life from then on, through college and adulthood, even as his parents got sober and fell ill. It took decades before he finally hit rock bottom and began a committed attempt at sobriety himself (he takes great pains not to call the program he uses AA but it's pretty obvious that that's what it is.)
Getting sober gives him the opportunity to finally confront the demons that have undermined his sense of self for so long. Social media alerts him to the construction of a pipeline through Native lands and the protests against them. He, Elena and their cousin Wetha drive over to the Oceti camp with donations and to volunteer their help. In my opinion, this is where the book starts getting really good, as Jim discovers the transformative power of radical empathy, connection and kindness, both in changing the outer world and in finding his inner peace.
Gosh, there are so many issues that Mr Terry grapples with both honestly and courageously here that I can't even begin to properly encapsulate in one review. As with any memoir by a recovering alcoholic, reading can be a bit of a slog through the formative and self-destructive eras, but the payoff is extremely worth it. His depiction of Water Protectors got me to add them to the list of charities my family donates to semi-annually.
The art serves the narrative well. I was particularly impressed with the larger spreads, as the smaller six- to nine-panel pages can often feel crowded and old-fashioned. I don't think I'd ever encountered Mr Terry's work before this volume, but I'm so glad I have now! CH,I is thoughtful and moving, and tho you can tell that large parts of his life have been skipped over here in order to protect the privacy of others, this graphic memoir is a very brave look his own vulnerabilities and the lessons he's learned about finding the strength to keep going and to keep making the world a better place. I'm so glad his story is out there, and in no small part due to publishers like Street Noise.
Come Home, Indio by Jim Terry was published October 13 2020 by Street Noise Books and is available from all good booksellers, including Bookshop
This review originally appeared at TheFrumiousConsortium.net.
I'm not gonna lie, the first four parts of Jim Terry's deeply personal graphic memoir Come Home, Indio, are tough reading. Jim, or JT as he's often called, was born to an Irish American jazz bassist dad and a feisty, book-loving Ho-Chunk mom, who met in California, fell in love and had babies. The paycheck of an itinerant musician struggled to feed four however, so the family eventually all moved back to Illinois to be closer to Bill Terry's parents. There the marriage fell apart, as Bill and Debbie began to drink more heavily. The divorce was ugly, and Jim and his sister Elena bore the brunt of it.
As a kid, Jim swore never to drink, having seen what it had done to his parents. That lasted till his first illicit party in the woods, where he had his first beer and finally understood why some people took to it so eagerly. Alcohol pretty much defined his life from then on, through college and adulthood, even as his parents got sober and fell ill. It took decades before he finally hit rock bottom and began a committed attempt at sobriety himself (he takes great pains not to call the program he uses AA but it's pretty obvious that that's what it is.)
Getting sober gives him the opportunity to finally confront the demons that have undermined his sense of self for so long. Social media alerts him to the construction of a pipeline through Native lands and the protests against them. He, Elena and their cousin Wetha drive over to the Oceti camp with donations and to volunteer their help. In my opinion, this is where the book starts getting really good, as Jim discovers the transformative power of radical empathy, connection and kindness, both in changing the outer world and in finding his inner peace.
Gosh, there are so many issues that Mr Terry grapples with both honestly and courageously here that I can't even begin to properly encapsulate in one review. As with any memoir by a recovering alcoholic, reading can be a bit of a slog through the formative and self-destructive eras, but the payoff is extremely worth it. His depiction of Water Protectors got me to add them to the list of charities my family donates to semi-annually.
The art serves the narrative well. I was particularly impressed with the larger spreads, as the smaller six- to nine-panel pages can often feel crowded and old-fashioned. I don't think I'd ever encountered Mr Terry's work before this volume, but I'm so glad I have now! CH,I is thoughtful and moving, and tho you can tell that large parts of his life have been skipped over here in order to protect the privacy of others, this graphic memoir is a very brave look his own vulnerabilities and the lessons he's learned about finding the strength to keep going and to keep making the world a better place. I'm so glad his story is out there, and in no small part due to publishers like Street Noise.
Come Home, Indio by Jim Terry was published October 13 2020 by Street Noise Books and is available from all good booksellers, including Bookshop
This review originally appeared at TheFrumiousConsortium.net.
February 2, 2021
A candid memoir from illustrator Jim Terry, "Come Home, Indio" offers a stark look at alcoholism and its devastating ripple effect through the generations.
The author comes from a mixed family, half Ho-Chunk, half Irish, all drinkers. Sensitive and nerdy, drawn to horror films and art, Jim sees his parents divorce and struggle with alcohol themselves. Some of the book's most heartbreaking scenes center on childhood memories of his mother and her boyfriend leaving Jim and his sister to go get drunk or coming home to scream at one another. One devastating incident he remembers is when the adults tasked the kids with moving gravel from one side of the driveway to the other all summer, a meaningless task designed to occupy little hands so big ones could drink.
Jim swears never to drink himself, then tries it as a teen with his Ho-Chunk side of the family up in Wisconsin and quickly finds himself swept up in the appeal of being drunk. This graphic novel depicts his drinking years unsparingly: blacking out and breaking hurts, sweating, shaking, lost and ruined.
As a drinking memoir, "Come Home, Indio" is memorable for Terry's skills in capturing in the same dispassionate voice the horrible things that happened to him because his parents drank and the horrible things he did because of his drinking. His writing is excellent; he's perceptive and funny, analytical but approachable. His struggle receives another layer of pathos from his disgust at seeming to be a stereotype--"another drunk Indian"--even as he never feels fully at home with his Ho-Chunk relatives.
It's inspirational when he gets sober, but Jim reveals that doesn't solve all of his problems, even when he picks up a brush and builds a career as an illustrator, notably with "The Crow" comics series. Even sober, Jim seems like he can be difficult. He has an artist's temperament, easily frustrated and rarely at home in a crowd. A trip to join the Standing Rock protests late in the book is the closest he comes to connection and closure, but even that epiphany is softened by the news that he returned later and had to sleep in his car because there was no longer space for him.
Beyond being excellently written, "Come Home, Indio" succeeds in using the visual power of its medium to convey Jim's story. The art is excellent throughout, with a sure hand capturing a big, diverse cast. He does an excellent job visualizing key moments in his story, from the narcotic allure of his first buzz to the desperate sickness of going through withdrawal in an overheated Chicago apartment. The creator's talent comes through on every page. It is matched--and perhaps surpassed--by his honesty and vulnerability.
The author comes from a mixed family, half Ho-Chunk, half Irish, all drinkers. Sensitive and nerdy, drawn to horror films and art, Jim sees his parents divorce and struggle with alcohol themselves. Some of the book's most heartbreaking scenes center on childhood memories of his mother and her boyfriend leaving Jim and his sister to go get drunk or coming home to scream at one another. One devastating incident he remembers is when the adults tasked the kids with moving gravel from one side of the driveway to the other all summer, a meaningless task designed to occupy little hands so big ones could drink.
Jim swears never to drink himself, then tries it as a teen with his Ho-Chunk side of the family up in Wisconsin and quickly finds himself swept up in the appeal of being drunk. This graphic novel depicts his drinking years unsparingly: blacking out and breaking hurts, sweating, shaking, lost and ruined.
As a drinking memoir, "Come Home, Indio" is memorable for Terry's skills in capturing in the same dispassionate voice the horrible things that happened to him because his parents drank and the horrible things he did because of his drinking. His writing is excellent; he's perceptive and funny, analytical but approachable. His struggle receives another layer of pathos from his disgust at seeming to be a stereotype--"another drunk Indian"--even as he never feels fully at home with his Ho-Chunk relatives.
It's inspirational when he gets sober, but Jim reveals that doesn't solve all of his problems, even when he picks up a brush and builds a career as an illustrator, notably with "The Crow" comics series. Even sober, Jim seems like he can be difficult. He has an artist's temperament, easily frustrated and rarely at home in a crowd. A trip to join the Standing Rock protests late in the book is the closest he comes to connection and closure, but even that epiphany is softened by the news that he returned later and had to sleep in his car because there was no longer space for him.
Beyond being excellently written, "Come Home, Indio" succeeds in using the visual power of its medium to convey Jim's story. The art is excellent throughout, with a sure hand capturing a big, diverse cast. He does an excellent job visualizing key moments in his story, from the narcotic allure of his first buzz to the desperate sickness of going through withdrawal in an overheated Chicago apartment. The creator's talent comes through on every page. It is matched--and perhaps surpassed--by his honesty and vulnerability.
November 16, 2024
Come Home, Indio is a graphic memoir and coming of age story. Terry grew up in a home where both parents were alcoholics. His childhood was split between time in the Chicago suburbs and the Ho-Chunk community in Wisconsin. Despite a strong opposition to drinking after watching how it impacted his family life, he ultimately turned to alcohol to deal with his loneliness and feelings of isolation and depression. This was both the toughest section of this memoir to read as well as where Terry's skill as an artist and author really stood out. His ability to portray his experiences and his struggles with the reality of how he engaged with and experienced the world made my heart ache. The reader can see him searching for connection and belonging and that on the other side of a very difficult period, a realization that it may have been there at the time but he wasn't able to recognize it. Terry also showed the reader a glimpse into how he and his sister experienced the same traumas and difficulties in their home life, but each processed and dealt with it in different ways. When he pursued sobriety, you can feel how hard the struggle was for him and how much internal grit and determination it took to take that path - one that his parents had also taken before him. As an adult, he joins his sister at Standing Rock to protest the pipeline and protect the water supply and he finds not just the connection and sense of belonging/identity he has been looking for - he also finds a different way of approaching the feeling of hopelessness that he has struggled with for much of his life. This is a raw and visceral, but it also has hope and joy. Terry's willingness to be vulnerable and lay out the good, the bad, the heartbreaking, and the hopeful about life makes for a compelling and touching read.
April 11, 2025
Yet another amazing impulse purchase at SPX last September. Seven months have passed and I'm still managing to milk all the purchases from that wonderful weekend!
This is just a rock solid entry into the world of autobiographical graphic novels. It had to be challenging to address a litany of difficult topics - racial identity, alcoholism, divorce - but I think Jim Terry handles the subject matter pretty well. I've had to avoid alcohol for most of my life due to Crohn's disease, but I felt like this book was the best visual and narrative description of the descent into and struggles associated with alcoholism.
One of the reasons I enjoy reading is that I know there are limits to what I know. I will never intimately understand what someone suffering from alcoholism goes through, but that doesn't mean I don't want to know more and gain a better understanding. I feel like I was walking alongside Jim's own journey. Some of the explanations for why that descent happened were painful but also informative.
Despite the challenging things he lived through, I like the backdrop of growing up as a Gen X kid. I'm an elder millennial with many Gen X friends and I feel like the stories they have shared with me line up with the interests of a young and adolescent Jim Terry. I could have seen them being friends even if their struggles were different.
I also appreciate that this is a meaty graphic novel. I feel like some are wonderful but light on content. This is one complete story told in five parts and clearly draws inspiration from the many comics that Jim Terry has worked on over the years. I want to be able to recommend something that a friend won't finish reading in 20 minutes. This is worth the investment.
This is just a rock solid entry into the world of autobiographical graphic novels. It had to be challenging to address a litany of difficult topics - racial identity, alcoholism, divorce - but I think Jim Terry handles the subject matter pretty well. I've had to avoid alcohol for most of my life due to Crohn's disease, but I felt like this book was the best visual and narrative description of the descent into and struggles associated with alcoholism.
One of the reasons I enjoy reading is that I know there are limits to what I know. I will never intimately understand what someone suffering from alcoholism goes through, but that doesn't mean I don't want to know more and gain a better understanding. I feel like I was walking alongside Jim's own journey. Some of the explanations for why that descent happened were painful but also informative.
Despite the challenging things he lived through, I like the backdrop of growing up as a Gen X kid. I'm an elder millennial with many Gen X friends and I feel like the stories they have shared with me line up with the interests of a young and adolescent Jim Terry. I could have seen them being friends even if their struggles were different.
I also appreciate that this is a meaty graphic novel. I feel like some are wonderful but light on content. This is one complete story told in five parts and clearly draws inspiration from the many comics that Jim Terry has worked on over the years. I want to be able to recommend something that a friend won't finish reading in 20 minutes. This is worth the investment.
April 18, 2021
The end of this taken without the rest has an air of fluffy positivity. Very uplifting. Very Meaningful. But it's the story beforehand that gives the platitudes depth. And from now on, every time I see an Instagram-worthy shining rainbow of positivity, I will be reminded of this book and how many calm moments of peace are undergirded with difficulty and tragedy and achieved with hard work.
This memoir is incredibly raw and fraught with tension. Jim's early life was full of family dysfunction combined with a mixed-race feeling of non-belonging. His adolescence and young adulthood become overwhelmed with loneliness and a pervasive lack of worth, compounded with a least a partially inherited alcoholism. The story takes you right to Jim's rock bottom. It's dark and intense, but there is an honesty about this -- there is no easy happy ending. Every single step out of his black hole is achieved with desperate determination and effort.
Ultimately, Jim finds a place for himself at the Standing Rock demonstrations against the Dakota Access Pipeline. The activism connects him with his Native roots and offers a purpose. His drawing offers an outlet to tell his story. This was a more difficult read than I anticipated, but I absolutely agree with him that in the end, one of our most important contributions to the world can be to tell our own story. I read this not long after We Are Water Protectors, which is obviously less dark, but is also a book with a purpose.
Note: author's mother is Ho-Chunk.
This memoir is incredibly raw and fraught with tension. Jim's early life was full of family dysfunction combined with a mixed-race feeling of non-belonging. His adolescence and young adulthood become overwhelmed with loneliness and a pervasive lack of worth, compounded with a least a partially inherited alcoholism. The story takes you right to Jim's rock bottom. It's dark and intense, but there is an honesty about this -- there is no easy happy ending. Every single step out of his black hole is achieved with desperate determination and effort.
Ultimately, Jim finds a place for himself at the Standing Rock demonstrations against the Dakota Access Pipeline. The activism connects him with his Native roots and offers a purpose. His drawing offers an outlet to tell his story. This was a more difficult read than I anticipated, but I absolutely agree with him that in the end, one of our most important contributions to the world can be to tell our own story. I read this not long after We Are Water Protectors, which is obviously less dark, but is also a book with a purpose.
Note: author's mother is Ho-Chunk.
April 13, 2022
Come Home, Indio is a memoir in graphic novel format. It details the life of Jim Terry, a comic book artist, illustrator, and freelancer living in Chicago.
Born the second child of a Ho Chunk mother and a father of Irish descent, he grew up in a difficult home. He writes of the alcoholism and domestic turmoil he experienced as a child. As a teen he also fell prey to alcoholism; a situation that would follow him through much of his life with devastating consequences.
Mr. Terry tackles this issue head on. In clear and powerful narration, he describes the decent into alcoholism, the drunkenness, hangovers, and blackouts. He does not shy away from the experienced losses both social and emotional and the feelings of doubt, self-loathing, fear, anger, paranoia, and destructiveness engendered in his alcoholism. Through sobriety he reconnects with his father, mother and sister and begins his career as a comic book artist. He also reveals that the fight to stay sober was ongoing and he feared a relapse, even describing a dream where he feared had had started drinking.
He describes a feeling of loneliness and isolation from not fitting in. He stated that he did not feel Indian nor white, that he did not fit into either world. In one section he describes the connectiveness he felt at the Standing Rock protest, where although he battled imposter syndrome, he came to feel accepted and a part of the movement.
I enjoyed this look into Jim Terry’s life. He reveals himself, warts and all and becomes a more interesting subject for his bravery.
Born the second child of a Ho Chunk mother and a father of Irish descent, he grew up in a difficult home. He writes of the alcoholism and domestic turmoil he experienced as a child. As a teen he also fell prey to alcoholism; a situation that would follow him through much of his life with devastating consequences.
Mr. Terry tackles this issue head on. In clear and powerful narration, he describes the decent into alcoholism, the drunkenness, hangovers, and blackouts. He does not shy away from the experienced losses both social and emotional and the feelings of doubt, self-loathing, fear, anger, paranoia, and destructiveness engendered in his alcoholism. Through sobriety he reconnects with his father, mother and sister and begins his career as a comic book artist. He also reveals that the fight to stay sober was ongoing and he feared a relapse, even describing a dream where he feared had had started drinking.
He describes a feeling of loneliness and isolation from not fitting in. He stated that he did not feel Indian nor white, that he did not fit into either world. In one section he describes the connectiveness he felt at the Standing Rock protest, where although he battled imposter syndrome, he came to feel accepted and a part of the movement.
I enjoyed this look into Jim Terry’s life. He reveals himself, warts and all and becomes a more interesting subject for his bravery.
February 12, 2021
Wow!
Jim Terry writes and draws a very personal and heartfelt memoir about his struggles with self identity, alcoholism, and his sense of belonging.
I found myself fully immersed in the telling of his life's struggles and what he had to do and the things he had to experience in order to find hope.
I could not help but relate to some things in my own life with the struggles of self identity being Latino American and being treated as "other" in the place I was born and being treated as "other" when finally visiting the country of my heritage. The times where friends and family treated me nicely but I still had the feeling of not quite fitting in and the feeling of being American born and raised that I was not Latino enough.
I related to the struggles of alcoholism and how drinking would take the pain away only for a brief moment as life came back in full effect when I slowly have become sober.
It is such a rare occasion that I would read a book and have it affect me deep in my heart and soul. This was that book.
I thank you, Jim Terry, for being open about your experiences, your struggles, and your life. I am glad that you have found hope.
We are connected.
Jim Terry writes and draws a very personal and heartfelt memoir about his struggles with self identity, alcoholism, and his sense of belonging.
I found myself fully immersed in the telling of his life's struggles and what he had to do and the things he had to experience in order to find hope.
I could not help but relate to some things in my own life with the struggles of self identity being Latino American and being treated as "other" in the place I was born and being treated as "other" when finally visiting the country of my heritage. The times where friends and family treated me nicely but I still had the feeling of not quite fitting in and the feeling of being American born and raised that I was not Latino enough.
I related to the struggles of alcoholism and how drinking would take the pain away only for a brief moment as life came back in full effect when I slowly have become sober.
It is such a rare occasion that I would read a book and have it affect me deep in my heart and soul. This was that book.
I thank you, Jim Terry, for being open about your experiences, your struggles, and your life. I am glad that you have found hope.
We are connected.
July 2, 2021
Real rating: 4.5. The drawing is beautiful and really aids in the storytelling. Terry name checks his references and you can tell he's studied sequential art extensively.
The story is well constructed with call backs and it really winds itself together masterfully.
I love the story. There is a rawness and vulnerability present in sharing testimony about how addiction is personal, communal, racial, and intergenerational. There is also hope about the healing power of community to work past the trauma with love and forgiveness. It's inspiring to remember how community and individual action is brave and revolutionary.
Not a 5 because the font makes it genuinely hard to read at times and there are a few sentences that need a little editing. I found myself rereading sentences because there were structural errors or the font just made the intended meaning hard to decipher. I wonder if I'm alone in having this issue.
Worth a second mention: the visuals. The way Terry uses all the shades of grey and plays with panels, words, and symbolism is gorgeous.
The story is well constructed with call backs and it really winds itself together masterfully.
I love the story. There is a rawness and vulnerability present in sharing testimony about how addiction is personal, communal, racial, and intergenerational. There is also hope about the healing power of community to work past the trauma with love and forgiveness. It's inspiring to remember how community and individual action is brave and revolutionary.
Not a 5 because the font makes it genuinely hard to read at times and there are a few sentences that need a little editing. I found myself rereading sentences because there were structural errors or the font just made the intended meaning hard to decipher. I wonder if I'm alone in having this issue.
Worth a second mention: the visuals. The way Terry uses all the shades of grey and plays with panels, words, and symbolism is gorgeous.
December 7, 2021
I just finished COME HOME, INDIO. All I can say is a humble thanks to Jim Terry. I checked the Eisner Award page. Kind of surprised that he wasn't among the 2021 nominees or winners. This memoir could make a powerful impact. Terry's style is a step above traditional graphic novel style. Even when it's a bit ugly, it's art. I also snorted out loud at least 3 times at some of the more self-effacing humor amidst some of his darkest times. Terry switches to a more narrative format when it comes to his involvement at the Standing Rock community, but it works. It feels like Act 5 after a crescendo of low points and an Act 4 concerned with making amends. But it ends the way a comedic Act 5 should end - powerfully and peacefully. Some readers don't like peaceful endings, but I was rooting for Jim during the entire book, and it was satisfying to see him get to a new, as of yet, unwritten, point in his life. This is a totally likeable graphic novel.
June 13, 2022
Pros: Fantastic graphic memoir. Really helps one’s brain make sense of the creep of alcoholism and how it takes over a life. Powerful moments of longing to belong and never quite fitting in. Really speaks to that feeling of being lost in the gap between two very different cultures, family sides, etc. Feels so honest and vulnerable and, hence, very inviting even when the subject matter is tough. Reminds me of “I Love My Talk” by Rita Joe and “Two Names, Two Worlds” by Jonathan Rodriguez, two poems I read with the kids in an identity unit.
Cons: This was a LOT of book, maybe slightly too much book for one book—but perhaps there would not have been a publisher for this to be split into parts?. There were definitely points at which there was so much very small text + so many pictures on some pages that they were difficult to read—section 4 and 5 felt like the world really opened up as the text got a lot bigger.
Cons: This was a LOT of book, maybe slightly too much book for one book—but perhaps there would not have been a publisher for this to be split into parts?. There were definitely points at which there was so much very small text + so many pictures on some pages that they were difficult to read—section 4 and 5 felt like the world really opened up as the text got a lot bigger.
January 14, 2021
Short version: Graphic novel story of a guy coming to terms with things. Stayed up late to finish it.
Longer version: I have read a bunch of stories where the interior dialog of the character just lays them bare, but no one outside can see or hear the story. And this is another example - The author grows up feeling isolated and not fitting in anywhere, but then he also has friends that seems to stick with him through his life. His family life is alternatingly good and terrible. But the terrible tears him down and down. He ends up drinking much of his life away and finally ends up getting sober, where he still has the negative interior. But to some extent he realizes that the negative interior is only one story - there is another story there as well around his family, background, his art.
Longer version: I have read a bunch of stories where the interior dialog of the character just lays them bare, but no one outside can see or hear the story. And this is another example - The author grows up feeling isolated and not fitting in anywhere, but then he also has friends that seems to stick with him through his life. His family life is alternatingly good and terrible. But the terrible tears him down and down. He ends up drinking much of his life away and finally ends up getting sober, where he still has the negative interior. But to some extent he realizes that the negative interior is only one story - there is another story there as well around his family, background, his art.
June 18, 2023
3.5 Visually, this memoir is quite influenced by Will Eisner, whom JT also gives some tribute to in the book. The downside to this is that the drawings are sometimes overly dramatic, too melodramatic for my taste.
There are strong, emotional moments, but the book also often felt like a slog to get through. Maybe partly due to the o going caption narration, which meant there was a lot of reading and everything was spelled out. But I think it was also due to some narrative choices, spending a LOT of time on the drinking, and the self-loathing, and the loneliness. To me some of the most interesting parts of the book were during JT’s time at the Standing Rock camp, protesting the pipeline. But this section was mainly text, with only some illustration.
The work comes across as sincere, and the author has gone through some stuff, but it also sometimes feels self-indulgent.
There are strong, emotional moments, but the book also often felt like a slog to get through. Maybe partly due to the o going caption narration, which meant there was a lot of reading and everything was spelled out. But I think it was also due to some narrative choices, spending a LOT of time on the drinking, and the self-loathing, and the loneliness. To me some of the most interesting parts of the book were during JT’s time at the Standing Rock camp, protesting the pipeline. But this section was mainly text, with only some illustration.
The work comes across as sincere, and the author has gone through some stuff, but it also sometimes feels self-indulgent.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews