Smahtguy: The Life and Times of Barney Frank

by Eric Orner

Eric Orner, the acclaimed cartoonist of one of the country’s most popular and longest-running gay comic strips, The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green , presents his debut graphic novel―a dazzling, irreverent biography of the iconic and iconoclastic Barney Frank, one of the first gay and out congressmen and a front-line defender of civil rights.

What are the odds that a disheveled, zaftig, closeted kid with the thickest of Jersey accents might wind up running Boston on behalf of a storied Irish Catholic political machine, drafting the nation’s first gay rights laws, reforming Wall Street after the Great Recession, and finding love, after a lifetime assuming that he couldn't and wouldn’t?

In The Life and Times of Barney Frank, one of America’s first out members of Congress and a gay and civil rights crusader for an era is confirmed as a hero of our age. But more than a biography of an indispensable LGBTQ pioneer, this funny, beautifully rendered, warts-and-all graphic account reveals the down-and-dirty inner workings of Boston and DC politics.

As Frank’s longtime staff counsel and press secretary, Eric Orner lends his first-hand perspective to this extraordinary work of history, paying tribute to the mighty striving of committed liberals to defend ordinary Americans from an assault on their shared society.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Politics, Biography, Nonfiction, History, LGBT, Comics

224 pages, Paperback

Published May 3, 2022

Reviews

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grew up in the 80's and 90's with Barney Frank as my representative. He was a hero of my maternal grandmother, and now I see why! He was fighting for the things I believe in 20 years before I was even born. Reading this book felt like finally having everything the grownups were always talking about explained. It was really fun as chronology of the book progressed to see people I "know" finally come onto the scene, like oh, here comes Bill Clinton! I remember this part!

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Barney Frank comes off as engaging and admirable in this dramatized graphic biography even if the storytelling drags a bit here and there. I certainly would've voted for him if I had a chance.

[Kirsti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully drawn account from someone who was theyah. Minus one star for the book's treatment of Louise Day Hicks. She was a racist, so there's plenty to attack her for without making fun of her looks and drawing her topless. (Yes, I get the Delacroix reference. I'm not a bumpkin.)

[Jonathan Maas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beyond good, passes the Bechdel Test, in terms of being as good as Bechdel haha - I hope to write a full review shortly.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Barney Frank was the first openly gay member of the U.S. Congress.

But he didn't start out that way. For much of his political career he was very, very closeted. It wasn't as though he didn't support gay causes, the way some closeted members of congress did. If anything, he championed them. But he wouldn't come out, because he didn't think he could still be effective in politics, or that it would knock him out of office, because, when he started, it was unheard of to have a gay member of congress, the same way it was unheard of to have gays in the military.

And so he stayed in the closet, and did his work, first as a mayoral aid, and then as a member of the state legislature, and then finally as a congressman.

And although he helped Clinton come up with the Don't Ask Don't Tell rule for the military that would allow gays and lesbians to remain, as long as they were discrete, it didn't turn out quite the way he wanted.

This whole graphic novel was written by one of his former congressional interns, who got to hear many of the stories written about, because apparently Barney told them to his staff.

Amazing man, and it is too bad he is not in congress. I never realized that he left because he got jerrymandered out. He could have stayed, but figured it just wasn't worth the hassle at that point.

Interesting view of recent history, told from the viewpoint of Barney, and how it affected him, and how he had an effect on it.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ambitious and really well done. R Crumb-style renderings and all the grit of the story of Massachusetts congressman Barney Frank. Captured much of the pathos snd ambition of this hard worker, and how his closeted youth propelled him to work his butt off for social issues, so as to leave no time for loneliness.

Fab storytelling and lots of detail; I think even if you’re not interested in politics per se, Frank’s journey is wistful and engrossing.

My only issue was that I could not zoom in, and thus much of the text was pretty small at times, but that could be a restriction of the ARC I received from NetGslley ( yet nevertheless much appreciated anyway).

[Jillian Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

great picture of a man. beautiful telling of public service and private life and how the two impact the other

[Nate Portnoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

i’m making a barney frank fancam

in all seriousness, i knew very little about frank going in, and now i can say confidently that he’s a man that i’ve really come to respect. to know the story to the title, to see how thoughtfully and honestly barney cared about being a civil servant… well, it reminded me that things weren’t so awful. That, as long as there are people out there who care - and care fervently - that things will, inevitably, gradually, and with an infuriatingly apathetic slowness, eventually get better.

you just gotta keep trying

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating and important story about a rather interesting figure in American politics. I suspect there was a bit too much idealizing of him as an individual but definitely worth a read.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Longer than I expected, but really interesting!

[Garry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable biography of Congressman Barney Frank told in a graphic novel format by Eric Orner. Reminded me a bit of the old Classics Illustrated of historical novels. And also like the Panatheon documentary comic book series (Lenin for beginners, etc). Quite wordy; lots of long word bubbles. A very different take on his life than Frank by Barney Frank.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this. A great bio of Frank, but also touched upon so many moments in Boston's history that I either didn't know or benefited from knowing more about. Also, as a longtime lover of brutalism, I loved the section about building Government Center.

[Olena V · Rating 4 out of 5]

Багато-багато політики, дуже багато політики!

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just interviewed my old buddy/cartoonist colleague Eric Orner for a brief upcoming Publishers Weekly Q&A feature about this very book, which is so very very good, my friends—highly recommend you all get it when it's finally published. Eric offers up a beautifully drawn, well-rounded portrait of an accomplished and complicated man who deserves his place in the books as an LGBTQ hero (and a hero for working class and low-income folks as well). Barney Frank's story is always interesting and occasionally quite powerful. In addition, Eric's sense of humor is in high form here (he draws upon his always sharp political cartooning skills), injecting all kinds of hilarious/acerbic asides into the mix. Can't recommend Smaftguy enough to all you smaht readers.

[Jon Macy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went into it thinking that the biography of a politician would be bogged down by political jargon, but it was actually a very smooth read. This isn't a list of what he did, or endless praise. It's dramatized. You actually feel like you are there. I got caught up in the action and intrigue in the best possible way. My heart went out to Barney and I fell for him hard. This was a very enjoyable read, and a well crafted one. Eric is at the height of his powers. I wonder what he'll do next.

[Poptart19 (the name’s ren) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

I really enjoyed this biography of a hardworking congressional representative dedicated to helping people & fighting for civil rights & good government. Written by one of Barney Frank’s former staffers, the stories & anecdotes are detailed, personal, & authentic. The art’s not bad, neither ;)

[What I liked:]

•I like following domestic US politics, & it was quite interesting seeing the ins-&-outs of local New England (& later on, national) politics in the decades before I was born, & in a part of the country I’ve never lived in. How politicians, activists, journalists, academics, & regular old constituents come together to get stuff done. The difficulties of corruption, corporate lobbying, partisanship, & propaganda were also clearly addressed, but in a way that inspires me to keep fighting at the grassroots level for positive change. Barney Frank’s life and career is a testament that positive change is possible, & that it will take a lot of hard work & cooperation.

•I enjoyed the humorous portrayals of several American political figures such as Bill Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, Tip O’Neill, Barack Obama, Dick Cheney, & George W. The author nailed both the art caricatures & witty references.

•Barney has had a very interesting & inspiring life. His life story, both personal & professional, was meaningful for me to read—as a Jewish “outsider” working adjacent to the Irish Catholic political machine in Boston, as a closeted gay man in a homophobic era & then a groundbreaking role model when he came out, as a liberal progressive in the neo-conservative dominated DC of the 1980’s, & in general as just a regular dude who worked tirelessly to improve life for his constituents.


[What I didn’t like as much:]

•Sometimes the story got a bit repetitive—endless re-election campaigns, Barney’s workaholic dedication taking a toll on his health, etc. There were enough fascinating anecdotes & political drama to keep me reading, & Barney’s personal story kept me invested too, but the text could’ve been tightened to avoid repetition.

•The text was tiny & therefore hard to read. I had to keep taking breaks due to eye strain & frustration. (I was reading an ebook that didn’t allow me to zoom in on the images/pages; this might not be a problem in print.)

•I wish there was a table of contents for the chapters. (Again, this may be an ebook version/ARC copy problem only.)

CW: homophobia, racism, sexism, anti-semitism, substance abuse

[I received an ARC ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you for the book!]

[Justine Cucchi-Dietlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed learning about a Congressman I'd never previously heard of. However, as the comic got into current issues and public figures, I began to have trouble with the content. Orner, who, to be fair, is open about his own bias in the book, has the tendency to caricaturize Republican politicians more than the Democratic ones. For example, both Bush presidents are heavily blasted, while Bill Clinton is not. This felt odd since we now know Clinton's ties with Epstein paint a more sinister picture of his time in office, and in general he is not the good guy the public thought he was in the 90's.

It was especially difficult to read about the 2008 housing crisis, as my family was directly affected by it and I still have strong feelings about the whole thing. It's nice to know Barney Frank was on the consumer's side, though.

Some stuff I did enjoy about the comic were the depictions of his constituents, Frank's tenacity and willingness to be (pun intended) frank about most things, and the art style used for the illustrations.

I think the only reason I don't recommend this comic is because I really struggle with a lot of the public figures who appear later in the comic, both Republican and Democrat, and I don't want to inflict politicians on anyone unless they know what they're getting into. It's why I don't recommend the news, either.

[Joan Eisenstodt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now, even more do I appreciate his fakaktah style, his true-to-our-Jewish roots values, and your perfect portrayal of his life, Eric Orner. I’d read half when I first got it and then put it aside for a bit. As I finished, I cried, laughed, kvelled. You, Eric, are so accurate in little details - Obama’s stance & left-handedness; Barney's facial expressions - known only from meeting him a few times at events and from news stories.

How did Barney remember so much of his life? How did you draw - both in the sense of asking and then creating - him out? More "Bahney" is the story’s mensch. A story of being truly 'for the people' while putting one's own life aside. It is certainly a book for aspiring politicians, for anyone struggling with who they are publicly v. holding it all in for fear of being known. It's for current politicians who want to do what they were elected to do - care and represent their communities. It's just a beautifully told and illustrated story.

Love this book. Yes, a DC resident and not now nor have I ever held office or worked on the Hill. Voting and democracy, being oneself and being true to that self are what this is about. Read it. Give it. Maybe give it to students who may have it banned somewhere because there is (shhhh) sex mentioned. Just read and absorb the wonderful story of a mensch in a book created by another mensch.

[Elsie Birnbaum · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given an eArc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

As a queer twenty-something who grew up in Frank's district but wasn't around for any of his big scandals or legislative work, I was quite interested in this title. It did not disappoint. Orner's roots as a gay comic strip artist show through his cheeky artistic style (and liberties he takes with depicting certain figures such as Bob Dole and Ken Starr). Orner somehow manages to make each decade feel unique and reflective of the time despite little discernable change in style. Additionally, he shows intimate familiarity with both the source material and area it takes place (I regularly looked at scenes of Boston and Brookline and was like "Oh I know that building!").

While I wish Orner could have been more critical of the Democratic party, he manages to take over five decades of history and tell the story in a way that is not just interesting but at times hilarious. Overall an informative page turner that left me wanting to learn more about Barney Frank.

[Kate Connell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advanced copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Though Smahtguy didn't stick with the title "Popes and Prostitutes'', it was a fully entertaining, and fully adult graphic novel. Mixing entertainment through language and his art and education of Barney Frank's life and career, Eric Orner draws a vivid picture of Barney Frank as a human being. Someone who throws themselves into things, especially work, to ignore certain realities, in this case his sexuality. Someone who truly wants to better the world for others. From a closeted Jersey boy, to a Harvard graduate running political campaigns while ignoring his thesis, to a happily married and out member of the House of Representatives, it tells a story that is helpful to remember in these times. This graphic novel is a solid story of a man coming to terms with himself behind the scenes and in front of the country while fighting for others.

[Wayne McCoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Smahtguy: The Life and Times of Barney Frank' with story and art by Eric Omer is a biographical graphic novel about a democratic politician.

Barney Frank started his political career working in Boston for a mayor. Throughout his career, he fought for those without a voice, including the gay community. As a closeted gay man, he couldn't dare be outed in his political career. Eventually, he came out of the closet. Along the way, he helped Bill Clinton and championed housing bills.

This is a pretty engaging story told by one of Barney Frank's former congressional interns. There is a lot of story crammed in to a lot of panels over the 224 pages of this book, which doesn't leave a lot of room for art, but I did enjoy this story told in this way.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Henry Holt & Company and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This graphic biography by Eric Orner is fantastic! It not only paints a compelling, comprehensive portrait of its subject, former Congressman Barney Frank, but it provides a wonderful overview of political movements during the decades of Frank's time holding his various offices. Although you don't need to be of a liberal bent to enjoy this work, it definitely doesn't hurt, as Frank was/is a champion of underdog causes.

While I certainly wouldn't call Orner's artwork beautiful, that's clearly not what he's striving for. The art, not simplistic, but not super-realistic, manages to capture the personalities involved (and we've seen SO many of these folks SO many times on television and in print over the years), I think it must be the little, almost caricature-like details that he adds to each person. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the color-washed backgrounds; they are moody and perfect.

Highly recommend.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eric Orner's Smahtguy: The Life and Times of Barney Frank is an excellent portrait of one of our most endearing and effective politicians. Originally from New Jersey, Barney Frank was ensconced in Massachussetts politics before making his mark in Congress where he was one of the driving forces extricating US from the Too Big To Fail bank failures of late 2008.
While Frank exuded a nebbish shlubby persona, he always seemed to be a straight shooter to me. Like Bill Clinton, Frank survived a sexual imbroglio through his 'frankness' and honesty.
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I used to do a joke: G. Gordon Liddy, when he was young, in order to get over his fear of rodents, ate a rat! If he was homophobic, what would he have eaten? Maybe some Ball Park Barney Franks.
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After this heterosexual first listed this book on Goodreads, my Facebook feed was inundated with male gay ads and sites. Let's see what happens when I post this review.
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Raised to 4.5 stars.

[Alex Nagler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Barney Frank, of Dodd-Frank and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, was the first openly gay member of Congress. But before he was that, he wasn't - he was outed in a tell-all by another Congressman saving his own skin and making some money off of it. This is the graphic novel biography, written by one of Frank's former interns turned press secretary, that goes from the Harvard kid coming to grips with being gay and vowing never to tell to the Congressman who had the Governor officiate.

Between these two events, this biography chronicles Frank's rise from Boston City Hall to the Springfield State House and Capitol Hill. It focuses on his relationships, both those that would nearly get him censured and those that left him alone, and has cameos from some of the biggest political names of his era. Kenneth Starr as Torquemada is a welcome visual gag addition.

[Ian Yarington · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew of Barney as a politician but the first time I really got to see him for what is he is was during a debate on gay marriage. It was long before it was actually legalized but Barney spoke so eloquently and was thoughtful in his argument that I knew right away he was more than an average politician. I also happen to be a huge comic book fan so winning this in the giveaways was very exciting. The book is a nice paperback, thick, and large pages so the art really takes well to the eyes. Eric Orner has great art that reminds me of Crumb mixed with some newspaper comic strip styles that I've seen. some of his panels are incredibly detailed, I can't imagine how long it took to illustrate this, but I'm very glad that Mr. Orner took his time to do the best job he could.

[Debby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Orner has crafted a smaht, shahp comic bio of Massachusetts Rep. Barney Frank, one that is equal parts poignant and lacerating. That's what readers have come to expect from the award-winning creator of the long-running comic, "The Mostly Unfabulous Life of Ethan Green." As with the semi-autobiographical "Ethan," there are biographical undertones in the Frank book—Orner, who jokes that politics is his family business, worked on and off for Frank for 20 years in various capacities in Massachusetts and DC.

That access, Orner's grasp of the political and social times in which Frank grew up and flourished, and his gift for blending humor and pathos in brilliant drawings makes "Smahtguy" a read that is as worthwhile as it is unforgettable. .

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the book that never ends, it just goes on and on and on some more. Something with the formatting of this book mean that it said it was 42 parts, not disclosing that it was 224 pages so you never really knew how far you had gone. It was like it's own weird level of hell.

This was incredibly informative, and I appreciate continuing to be able to learn about the members of the LGBT community that have paved the way to make our lives more openly.

While it felt unending the end was worth it, it was a happily ever after that gave me chills and honestly is the type of thing you only expect in books. But it was enjoyable none the less.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am ashamed to say that I hadn't heard of Barney Frank until I read this book. I am not sure how that is possible. As one of the first openly-gay members of Congress, he helped to craft so many important bills during his career. For a book full of information and politics, Eric Orner was able to keep it light-hearted, hopeful, and funny. I thoroughly enjoyed this history lesson and the graphic novel format that was used to present it. Thank you so much Henry Holt for reaching out to me with this gifted copy! Smahtguy is available now!

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really only became aware of who Barney Frank was around the beginning of Obama’s first term, through his work on the Dodd-Frank bill, so this was an interesting read for me as I learned more about his upbringing and (decades-long!) earlier career. I had no idea he’d been the first member of congress to come out, or that he’d survived a sex scandal (and later wound up giving Clinton advice on how to do so!). Frank comes across as an unlikeably likeable character who you can’t help but root for.

[Alvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Orner's ever-so-slightly droll graphic style is pleasing to the eye and Congressman Frank's life makes for an engaging read. Stories of closets and coming out are - let's admit it – pretty played out at this point, but in this case the political aspect ads an interesting dimension. (And kudos to Orner for tackling the mind-numbing complexities of the government's response to the great mortgage meltdown of 2008!) Recommended reading for anyone with an interest in queer history and/or electoral politics.