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Diary of a Mosquito Abatement Man
Selected from cartoonist John Porcellino's long running (18 years) self published comic "King-Cat Comics and Stories", this collection of stories deals specifically with the years Porcellino was employed as a Mosquito Abatement Technician. In his own elegant, simple style, Porcellino grapples with the job and the eventual effects it had on his life and view of the world. Winner of the 2005 "Ignatz" Award for "Best Comics Collection".
104 pages, Paperback
First published January 15, 2005
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131 people want to read
About the author
John Porcellino
55 books211 followersJOHN PORCELLINO was born in Chicago, in 1968, and has been writing, drawing, and publishing minicomics, comics, and graphic novels for over twenty-five years. His celebrated self-published series
King-Cat Comics
, begun in 1989, has inspired a generation of cartoonists.
Diary of a Mosquito Abatement Man
, a collection of King-Cat stories about Porcellino’s experiences as a pest control worker, won an Ignatz Award in 2005, and
Perfect Example
, first published in 2000, chronicles his struggles with depression as a teenager.
Thoreau at Walden
is a poetic expression of the great philosopher’s experience and ideals, and
King-Cat Classix
and
Map of My Heart
, published by Drawn and Quarterly, comprise the first two volumes of a comprehensive King-Cat history.
According to cartoonist Chris Ware, "John Porcellino's comics distill, in just a few lines and words, the feeling of simply being alive."
According to cartoonist Chris Ware, "John Porcellino's comics distill, in just a few lines and words, the feeling of simply being alive."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
October 25, 2017
I like reading about people's jobs, and lately, comics about their jobs, such as Trashed by Derf Backderf about his work in trash collection (sanitation!). Do you wonder what kind of palatial suites comics artist live in on the Gold Coast of Chicago? Well, I hate to disappoint your fantasies, but none of these guys are rich. They work various jobs to support their craft. This one, mosquito exterminator. paid murderer of mosquitoes, is something Porcellino did in Illinois and Colorado. His sketches are, like much of Porcellino's work, basically diary comics. He apologizes for the very sketchy ones from early on, but you can see his progression as an artist and storyteller in this collection, which is both amusing and insightful.
This collection is culled from 15 years of work and over 64 issues of his zine, King Cat Comix. Clear, honest, readable, accessible.
This collection is culled from 15 years of work and over 64 issues of his zine, King Cat Comix. Clear, honest, readable, accessible.
December 11, 2023
Todo vale la pena cuando llegas a la historia de por qué dejó de trabajar como exterminador de mosquitos.
March 10, 2018
Moderately entertaining short graphic novel/"zine" about the adventures of a young mosquito abatement man working in Illinois and Colorado. The book ends with a poignant story about the impact on the author from one encounter while he performed his work.
August 13, 2010
My friend Rita Brinkerhoff recommended John Porcellino's King Cat stuff to me. While I was waiting for it to come into my local public library, I decided to read this, his autobiographical graphic novel about his career as a mosquito abatement man. This is a quick, short book of collected comics and stories from his five years in the business of exterminating mosquitoes.
Some of the stories are about sights and experiences from the day-to-day life of being out in nature all day, in public areas. You see some weird stuff. It is interesting in the way that the daily rhythm of any job has some irregularities that provide entertainment value. The latter part of the book is a reflection on the morality of mosquito extermination, and the responsibility John feels as someone who sprays poison into the water and clouds of toxins into the night air. Like, on one hand, it's just a job. On the other hand, it is kind of a toxic job. As John develops health problems and his environmental awareness awakens in the late 1990s, he finds it more difficult to balance his job with his new belief system.
I enjoyed the progression of JP's work over the decade. From the beginning, his work was crude - both the subject matter and the drawing style. There is a sort of raw, young punk energy to his stories, and an undeveloped voice that just shares the happenings without any context or insight. By the end, his drawing style has become slightly more refined, and instead of daily going-on's, his narrative is more reflective and his style develops immensely. His job immerses him in nature, and eventually he can recognize all the types of insect larvae and the plants you find in marshy places, and he starts naming them in his comics. I love that.
Some of the stories are about sights and experiences from the day-to-day life of being out in nature all day, in public areas. You see some weird stuff. It is interesting in the way that the daily rhythm of any job has some irregularities that provide entertainment value. The latter part of the book is a reflection on the morality of mosquito extermination, and the responsibility John feels as someone who sprays poison into the water and clouds of toxins into the night air. Like, on one hand, it's just a job. On the other hand, it is kind of a toxic job. As John develops health problems and his environmental awareness awakens in the late 1990s, he finds it more difficult to balance his job with his new belief system.
I enjoyed the progression of JP's work over the decade. From the beginning, his work was crude - both the subject matter and the drawing style. There is a sort of raw, young punk energy to his stories, and an undeveloped voice that just shares the happenings without any context or insight. By the end, his drawing style has become slightly more refined, and instead of daily going-on's, his narrative is more reflective and his style develops immensely. His job immerses him in nature, and eventually he can recognize all the types of insect larvae and the plants you find in marshy places, and he starts naming them in his comics. I love that.
December 6, 2008
John Porcellino, Diary of a Mosquito Abatement Man (La Mano, 2005)
Over the past few years, Diary of a Mosquito Abatement Man had become something of a graphic novel holy grail for me; library after library had listed it in their catalogs (presumably having it on order rather than in stock), and then had it mysteriously disappear. Finding a copy was downright impossible, and the book sat at the top of my list of stuff I wanted to read for over three years before Interlibrary Loan were finally able to track down what I'm starting to think is the only extant copy of the book in existence. (For the record, I extend my undying gratitude to the folks at the Salt Lake City Public Library.) I knew, somewhere in the back of my head, I was probably setting myself up for disaster; when you look forward to something for this absurd amount of time, the reality almost never matches the anticipation. And yet Diary of a Mosquito Abatement Man almost did. Almost. I knew I was going to be in trouble when I read the preface, though, so I was prepared when I got to the last pages and Porcellino's conversion (not a spoiler, since, obviously, it's mentioned in the preface). Still, I found myself liking the earlier stuff better, despite it being far more primitive and crude (in every sense of the word) than the later work. But my problems with the later work are all philosophical, rather than with the work itself; don't let my reservation stop you from seeking this one out. ***
Over the past few years, Diary of a Mosquito Abatement Man had become something of a graphic novel holy grail for me; library after library had listed it in their catalogs (presumably having it on order rather than in stock), and then had it mysteriously disappear. Finding a copy was downright impossible, and the book sat at the top of my list of stuff I wanted to read for over three years before Interlibrary Loan were finally able to track down what I'm starting to think is the only extant copy of the book in existence. (For the record, I extend my undying gratitude to the folks at the Salt Lake City Public Library.) I knew, somewhere in the back of my head, I was probably setting myself up for disaster; when you look forward to something for this absurd amount of time, the reality almost never matches the anticipation. And yet Diary of a Mosquito Abatement Man almost did. Almost. I knew I was going to be in trouble when I read the preface, though, so I was prepared when I got to the last pages and Porcellino's conversion (not a spoiler, since, obviously, it's mentioned in the preface). Still, I found myself liking the earlier stuff better, despite it being far more primitive and crude (in every sense of the word) than the later work. But my problems with the later work are all philosophical, rather than with the work itself; don't let my reservation stop you from seeking this one out. ***
August 12, 2017
i much prefer Porcellion's more mature work. the one piece from 2004 included just proves that to me. i actually really enjoy his sparse art, but his early art is just bad.
Read
July 15, 2025i've wanted to read this for years (apparently since jan 2023) but haven't been able to find a way of reading it (my local library systems don't have it -- & i'm lucky to be in two different ones to cross-reference the collections!). but i found it at the CCS schulz library, without even looking specifically for it...
ANYWAY, i loved this a lot. i used to work in mosquito control (as someone who would trap mosquitoes so they could be brought to a lab for disease testing/monitoring) and a lot of the experiences depicted in these strips resonated, even if we had different jobs (mine still involved traipsing around in the woods a lot etc). i too have seen people having sex in a car while mosquito-trapping and have gone to some pretty weird spots to set traps (i could go on lol but this is a review of someone else's comics, not a memoir). i loved the style, especially the raw style of the earlier strips, but the refined simplicity of the denver-era strips was really good too. and i loved the death of a mosquito abatement man comic. i dont think i could have done the pesticide application part of mosquito control - i always felt bad killing the mosquitoes i killed for ID/disease testing, and it was nowhere on the same scale. i think they are really neat creatures -- really elegant (elegans even... lil mosquito species humor)... the part where the trainee is like "but don't you feel bad killing innocent creatures?" could have been an early portrait of me...
also i loved that there were notes on the comics. i love reading notes like that; i think it's so cool to have a little insight into what artists think about etc...
ANYWAY, i loved this a lot. i used to work in mosquito control (as someone who would trap mosquitoes so they could be brought to a lab for disease testing/monitoring) and a lot of the experiences depicted in these strips resonated, even if we had different jobs (mine still involved traipsing around in the woods a lot etc). i too have seen people having sex in a car while mosquito-trapping and have gone to some pretty weird spots to set traps (i could go on lol but this is a review of someone else's comics, not a memoir). i loved the style, especially the raw style of the earlier strips, but the refined simplicity of the denver-era strips was really good too. and i loved the death of a mosquito abatement man comic. i dont think i could have done the pesticide application part of mosquito control - i always felt bad killing the mosquitoes i killed for ID/disease testing, and it was nowhere on the same scale. i think they are really neat creatures -- really elegant (elegans even... lil mosquito species humor)... the part where the trainee is like "but don't you feel bad killing innocent creatures?" could have been an early portrait of me...
also i loved that there were notes on the comics. i love reading notes like that; i think it's so cool to have a little insight into what artists think about etc...
April 5, 2021
I've been teaching one of the strips collected here for a few years--I found it in a Best American Comics--and the rest of the collection was just as lovely. Porcellino does an excellent job making small things feel special, finding the sublime in the ordinary. 10/10 birthday gift right here.
July 20, 2017
Un tebeo normalito de agradable lectura sin mucho más.
June 7, 2020
Quick graphic read that will make you think about life. Subtleties that make you smile. Inspires me to record my life in the same way.
April 24, 2021
Saw this on the shelf—and why not? Enjoyed it. Wanted more.
March 16, 2024
My review of this book can be found on my YouTube Vlog at:
https://youtu.be/R7YiQY_Pw5g
Enjoy!
https://youtu.be/R7YiQY_Pw5g
Enjoy!
January 6, 2011
This is an interesting journal comic. It follow's John Porcellino's life when he was a Mosquito Abatement Man. He killed mosquitoes for a living. This book was written over a long period of time. It takes short stories he wrote for his King-Cat Comics and bundles them together. While reading this comic you are allowed a glimpse into Porcellino's growth as an artist. As the comics started in 1989 and finished in the 2000s there is great growth. You can see how he developed his own style and moved away from conventional styles.
The stories are interesting as we see Porcellino change in them. He goes from loving his job to questioning the ethic of his job. He takes a view that some people might not agree with, especially with all the sicknesses mosquitoes have and pass on to us. I enjoyed the later works much more then the earlier strips. They were more stylized and showed more thought into what the stories were about. The art was very simple in the later stories. I enjoyed how so little could mean so much.
The stories are interesting as we see Porcellino change in them. He goes from loving his job to questioning the ethic of his job. He takes a view that some people might not agree with, especially with all the sicknesses mosquitoes have and pass on to us. I enjoyed the later works much more then the earlier strips. They were more stylized and showed more thought into what the stories were about. The art was very simple in the later stories. I enjoyed how so little could mean so much.
July 15, 2008
Since my worst job ever was killing baby mosquitoes, a friend recommended this book. I was disheartened to find that Chicago Public Library didn't own it and had to get it via interlibrary loan. It is in graphic novel form and is pretty factual about the mosquito abatement job and the moral dilemma that may or may not plague those who do that job.
This subject could be expanded with sections that elaborate on the chemicals used and environmental impacts, the public health implications (mosquitoes as carriers of disease and the side effects of the chemicals), the local knowledge and maps that are developed by scouting through areas for breeding grounds/standing water, the effectiveness of abatement programs over time, and the ethics of killing bugs and their babies.
Covering all that would not really fit into Diary of a Mosquito Abatement Man, a) because it is a graphic novel and b)it is a memoir that is less than 100 pages long. All and all, it was enjoyable.
This subject could be expanded with sections that elaborate on the chemicals used and environmental impacts, the public health implications (mosquitoes as carriers of disease and the side effects of the chemicals), the local knowledge and maps that are developed by scouting through areas for breeding grounds/standing water, the effectiveness of abatement programs over time, and the ethics of killing bugs and their babies.
Covering all that would not really fit into Diary of a Mosquito Abatement Man, a) because it is a graphic novel and b)it is a memoir that is less than 100 pages long. All and all, it was enjoyable.
April 15, 2008
If for no other reason, I loved this book because the author's past job experiences are way more interesting than my own. I certainly would not be able to pen a graphic novel about working at a retail outlet shop. The progression (if you want to call it that) of his art over a decade or so was interesting. It seemed like he adopted a more mature drawing style as he got older. That sounds reasonable, except, he is drawing comic books. One of my small pleasures in life is sitting down in the subway, wearing my stupid work dress clothes, and cracking open a book of cartoons. So I kind of enjoy my picture books to be as unrefined as possible. Regardless, getting a peak into the mysterious life of mosquito killing was more than worth my time.
July 6, 2010
I had one hour to kill before bedtime last night. I asked my husband, the graphic novel aficionado, to recommend a graphic novel that I could read quickly and this book was one of the books he recommended. I did finish reading it in one hour.
I hate mosquitoes because they really like sucking my blood and their bites always give me big and itchy welts that won't go away until at least 10 days. That said, I can still sympathize with the author (it's a non-fiction/autobiographical graphic novel) when he decided to quit his job. As much as I hate mosquitoes, I wouldn't take the job of a mosquito abatement person. I'd rather leave it to some other person who is less sensitive to mosquito bites!
I hate mosquitoes because they really like sucking my blood and their bites always give me big and itchy welts that won't go away until at least 10 days. That said, I can still sympathize with the author (it's a non-fiction/autobiographical graphic novel) when he decided to quit his job. As much as I hate mosquitoes, I wouldn't take the job of a mosquito abatement person. I'd rather leave it to some other person who is less sensitive to mosquito bites!
September 6, 2014
Collecting some of his previously published comic strips along with some material created just for this book, John Porcellino's "Diary Of A Mosquito Abatement Man" uses his work experience to examine larger issues of his relationship with nature and his moral beliefs. Whether he's taking a slow midnight drive through an illuminated industrial plant or realizing that he's slowly poisoning an owl that's following his pesticide spraying route, Porcellino's melancholy stories illustrate a man who's slowly transforming. In that vein, his artwork also develops throughout the short book, maturing and becoming more confident. Short and sweet, "Diary Of A Mosquito Abatement Man" is a great starting point for a Porcellino novice or a compelling overview for a "King-Cat" aficionado.
May 12, 2018
Another little jewel from alt-comics hero, John Porcellino. A couple of highlights are "Chemical Plant/ Another World," which is actually quite chilling in what it shows us of its title subject, and "Mountain Song," a fine example of comics as poetry. Although these stories were all written and drawn often several years apart, Porcellino pulls them all together for a completely satisfying graphic novel, an autobiographical, spiritual coming-of-age tale.
Reread 5/12/18
Reread 5/12/18
March 15, 2009
This is one I'll definitely read over and over again. My only gripe is that it's a pretty slim introduction to Porcellino, but then again it makes me want to check out more of his work. I especially liked the "Chemical Plant" story, in which he drives through a plant that resembles "a flood-lit, open-air city" populated by workers in "chem suits."
May 11, 2025
Una historia que te transporta a Illinois y a Denver, te llega el olor de la humedad y el calor del verano, te convierte en un exterminador de mosquitos, llena de poesia y evolución, que se potencia con la simplicidad de su dibujo y la belleza de su relato, de su humanidad y sensibilidad, gracias Tomas por prestarme este hermoso libro
April 2, 2010
I liked this. The drawings are crudely fashioned, but the character has emotion and the stories are brief but well-done. Short read, interesting. I still hate mosquitoes, but it gave me an interesting view.
September 16, 2007
Interesting graphic novel. Porcellino matures over the course of the book, and so do his drawing skills. He starts out an enthusiastic mosquito killer and ends a soberer, more thoughtful person.
July 7, 2008
I can't help but love this book... :)
July 24, 2008
great quick read.
September 5, 2008
i'm so jealous of those guys who can draw so simply and pull it off so well. learned a lot about the odd job of killing mosquitoes in this little thing.
April 17, 2009
Fun to see the development of Porcellino's stories and art in this, and also self-realization. Didn't rivet, though. The "innocence" seems a bit forced much of the time and bored me.
April 18, 2010
Some of the early stories in this book don't hold up, but there are two or three truly astounding pieces that are up there with any of the best comics ever done.
May 10, 2010
Heartbreaking. Not as good an intro to King Cat as Perfect Example but a great story nonetheless.
October 9, 2012
quick and fun, and surprisingly impactful. gets too hippy at the end, but the rest is really good. collected comics specifically dealing with his job from Porcellino's larger zine/comic.
October 20, 2012
Quirky yet profound. I love how he tells random stories. Philosophical, in a sense. But really fun to read! :)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews