Far Arden

Far Arden #1

by Kevin Cannon

Meet Army Shanks — crusty old sea dog and legendary brawler of the high Arctic seas! He's got just one to find the mythical island paradise known as Far Arden, which lies hidden (so they say) in the wintry oceans of the far North. But there's more than just water standing between Shanks and his he'll have to contend with circus performers, adorable orphans, heinous villains, bitter ex-lovers, well-meaning undergraduates, and the full might of the Royal Canadian Arctic Navy! Not to mention he's not so sure how to get to Far Arden in the first place...
In his first solo graphic novel, Kevin Cannon (Top Ten; Bone Sharps, Cowboys, and Thunder Lizards) proves himself a master spinner of yarns with Far Arden.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Adventure, Fiction, Fantasy, Graphic Novels Comics, Canada

382 pages, Hardcover

First published June 6, 2009

About the author

Cartoonist, Illustrator, and lover of all things cold and distant.

Reviews

[Seth T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

How does one talk about a book in which its epilogue either makes or breaks the book for, oh, say: 100% of its readers? Give in and spoil the ending by talking about it or politely ignore what may be the most important thing to talk about for potential readers? Tough questions.

Luckily you have me.

Far Arden is one of the best comics I've read in a while. Comedies are ridiculously difficult to pull off over the long haul. Generally, their shtick gets a little long in the tooth well before the halfway mark and the same would have held true for Far Arden had it not gradually developed into a compelling story with decently well-realized characters.

Following Army Shanks, a man "as cold and unforgiving as the Artic herself," author Kevin Cannon treats the reader to a bizarre journey through arctic locales and jaw-dropping onomatopoeia. Shanks makes his way through fishing villages, queer universities, and frozen islands (which apparently actually exist in that nefarious and frigid land known as Canada) along with an entourage of friends, enemies, and former friends and enemies. All to the end of finding Far Arden, the mythical island whose discovery has devoured the lives of almost every principle character in Cannon's book.



Throughout the book Cannon skirts the border of believability, never quite falling into a world that jibes with reality, but never going so far into fantasy that we don't understand there are certain mortal rules common to both our reality and his. Relationships tack as they do in our world, those mauled by polar bears don't get up, and ambition can kill. That said, there are golden narwhals that will direct willing sailors to paradise. So, you've got that going for you.

And then there's the humor.



Despite the fact that Far Arden offers a compelling (?) cautionary tale of broken promises and unrelenting ambitions, Cannon makes certain that the driving force of the book is its sense of the humourous. Nearly every page holds something amusing, especially moments catering to those of absurdest sensibilities. Cannon's use of inventive onomatopoeia alone makes Far Arden something worth picking up—even if you don't end up liking the ending.

So yeah, the ending. It might make you mad or it might just make you furious. Or maybe it will confuse you. Or maybe, after a moment's thought, you might just find that you actually liked the ending and that Cannon prepared you for it more than you thought. Or maybe you'll read it and think, Huh! and then remember that part with the polar bear and the man-sized bite and promptly forget that there was even an ending at all.

Whichever side of the apparently controversial finale Cannon prepared that you find yourself, I think most everyone should be able to sit back and think: yes, that book was worth my time. If they like, they can even pretend the epilogue didn't exist!
_____________________________________

For those curious about the sloppy-ish art style of the book, Kevin Cannon apparently began the book as part of an extreme 24-hour comic experiment—instead of creating a whole 24-page comic in a single 24-hour sitting, he would perform a year's worth of these sittings to create a single, large book. That lasted for four months, so each of the first four chapters were created in a discreet 24-hour period. After that, he adopted the same style but slowed down his pace to one chapter per month though not in a single sitting. (I believe the time allotted shows.)

Far Arden can be read in its entirety (and for free) online at http://www.kevincannon.org/288hour/

_____________________________________
p.s. (In Which I Spoil Things)
I actually appreciated the book's conclusion, even if it initially caught me off-guard. I thought Cannon was saying starkly what he had been saying obliquely throughout the prior 368 pages.

From the outset, we discover that Far Arden destroys lives. At first by the possibility of its existence, then by the certainty of its existence, and finally by the experience of its existence. The end is foreshadowed by much more than Fortuna's quotation of Lawrence Oates and the book's gathering darkness shows a steady increase as it goes: deaths are first played for laughs with characters we don't know (Flue), then move into heroism (Anger), then to tragedy (Amber), and finally to meaningless.

I wanted a different ending, but I appreciated the ending I got.



[review courtesy of Good Ok Bad]

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read Far Arden likely a dozen times, so it's hard to provide a fresh review. One of the first graphic novels I ever read, Far Arden introduced me to the possibilities of brilliant art, breakneck storytelling, and hilarious sound effects. It's a hard book to sell to non-graphic novel readers - perhaps that's why it initially appealed to me. So hipster.

The narrative is solemn, yet also played for laughs. Characters pinball between locations in the High Arctic, their associations tenuously threaded together. It all clicks in by the end - and, oh, what an ending! Your ability to suffer a shocking conclusion will probably determine your enjoyment of Far Arden.

In sum, it's a gaggle of oddballs roaming the Canadian High Arctic, looking for a fantastical island. Expect soap opera-level emotions. Expect numerous visual gags. Expect the unexpected. Far Arden is a weird one and I love it.

[Batmark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Far Arden is a humorous book told at a frenetic pace. Heavy on plot, it features an interesting main character alongside some fun, if forgettable, supporting characters. The book's primary virtue is its length. At nearly 400 pages, with most pages containing six panels each, there's a lot of story here. And when it comes to a book that's heavy on plot, that's what I want: a nice, long story that has the space to comfortably fit in lots of action before the payoff.

The payoff, in this case, is the eventual discovery of the island known as Far Arden--a rumored tropical paradise hidden away somewhere in the Canadian Arctic. Our (anti?)hero, Army Shanks, hid a map to the island on his old boat, which resurfaces at the beginning of the story. What follows are 400 pages of fast-paced shenanigans. Kevin Cannon's cartoony art perfectly matches the humorous, over-the-top action. In the fight scenes, everyone's suddenly as flexible as Gumby, and Cannon also makes humorous use of verbs-as-sound-effects (e.g., the word "PUNCH!" accompanying a panel in which Army socks a fish underwater).

I'm not usually a fan of such frenzied storytelling, but Cannon's style is well suited to it. I enjoyed this book.

[Hollowspine · Rating 3 out of 5]

A tragi-comic tale of betrayal and intrigue amongst a group of old friends and explorers in the arctic. Army Shanks, our hero, left the RCAN (Royal Canadian Arctic Navy) to become a pirate and explorer. His ultimate goal is to sail to Far Arden, but to do that he must steal back his ship.

On his journey he encounters a young orphan named Alastair Cavendish, his ex-lover Fortuna, her husband and Shanks former friend Pinho, not to mention other friends and enemies from his former days in the "Scrimshaw Club." Everything is connected, every character in the bar during the first scene makes an appearance throughout the book, often creating absurd situations and showing up in bizarre locations.

I was surprised at the tragic nature of the book, though I wouldn't spoil it for anyone reading, but this is not as it seems a light-hearted comedy, but a tale of tragedy and loss in the arctic. Anger's encounter with the polar bear did not surprise me, but the Death MRI scene did, and after that I wasn't sure what to expect...

"I am going outside and may be some time."

[Greg Allan Holcomb · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first four chapters of Far Arden were four separate 24 Hour Comics. The rest was finished in the same style.

Any other year (not the year Asterios Polyp came out) and I would've nominated this for an Eisner.

I just got my copy back and will be re-reading it soon.

[Joseph Szabo · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can also read the review at http://pointman74250.tumblr.com/

It's very rare indeed - happening only a few times - when you read a book you were initially suspicious of because the work is not like what you've read before, and discover it's one of the best books of your life.

Far Arden is a book so simple and direct, so silly yet not all the time funny, who has the deepest respect for its characters.

We often say we love a book but is that really true?

I say we definitely respect a book, feel great affection for it, note how wise and joyful it was but love?

I don't think so, at least not very often.

Far Arden, I can say with clarity, is a book I truly love.

The other books I can say I love and mean it are Peter Pan, Grimm's Fairytales and The Sandman series of books and yes, I am comparing these to Far Arden.

There is almost a universal simplicity here, good for children in old bodies and new, and it's awe-inspiring and fanciful.

It tells the story of a man named Army Shanks, who wants to find a place, a new home called Far Arden. He is a seaman, a pirate but he is unlike most pirates in books, he has a soul and friends and he values both.

The story often goes from one strange place to another, in a world that is our own and yet shown entirely new, from a perspective of a wild and innocent imagination but with regards to the times we live in.

The book was written and illustrated by Kevin Cannon, an artist I never heard of before but will read more of. He doesn't use elaborate art to created pictures that are inappropriate for the story he is telling, just using exactly what he should. It is such a breath of fresh air from the huge in scope and colorful art of so many superhero or high storytelling productions of other comics.

Most, like me, will initially think they wasted their money when it comes to this book, but I was wrong - I like being proven wrong - and so will you because Far Arden is so weirdly, yet passionately told. The visual art here is not terrible because it is different. It's different because imaginations are different but the skill to make them is just as great as anything from Marvel or DC or anywhere.

Far Arden is thoughtful, grand storytelling of the past now made new. It was exactly what I needed when I didn't know I needed it.

Yes indeed, Far Arden is now one of my favorite books....and I love it.

[Matt Graupman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Any book that can bring naval bureaucracy, sideshow strongmen, mythical lands, pirates, orphans wearing dead foxes, and a damaged seaman together is sure to be a winner and "Far Arden" absolutely is. Teetering between romantic realism and total lunacy, "Far Arden" has an abundance of what most comics lack: fun!

The thing I like most about this book is it's humor. Comedy is a very tough thing to pull off on the page and Cannon makes it look easy. The punchy dialogue, ridiculous asides, and (particularly) the written actions all bring a welcome measure of comic relief to what is actually a pretty melancholic story. In addition, the artwork is sloppily creative (it was born from a series of 24-hour-comics exercises) and perfectly matches Cannon's wild imagination. The ending is a bit of a letdown but, overall, "Far Arden" has such a good time getting there that it really doesn't diminish the enjoyment of reading it.

I can't wait until my son is a little older so he can read "Far Arden" (it has a little cursing and nudity; just enough to be naughty but not over-the-top). This is exactly the kind of book I would give to a kid to kindle a lifelong love of comics.

[Candice M (tinylibrarian) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed it and the quirky art, dialogue and plot reminded me of something that Wes Anderson would do, like a sequel or companion piece to the "Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou." (Imagine Tim Robbins as Army Shanks and of course Bill Murray as Steve Zissou wrassling/fighting over blonde Angelica Huston as Fortuna, only to make reluctant peace with each other after battling a giant squid together. And then one of the Wilson brothers does something.)

While there is no Steve Zissou or giant squid in "Far Arden," there is enough action (Army is a very good fighter), light romance (Does Fortuna love her husband or Army or Alistair? Does Amber love David or Army? Or both?), humor and weird plot twists to keep everyone entertained.

I'm contemplating nominating this for the Great Graphic Novels for Teens list since I enjoyed it so much, but I'm not sure how well it will go over with them. I'm going to toss it out to my teens and see what they think.

[Emilia P · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full disclosure, Kevin Cannon graduated from Grinnell College the year before I started school there, so 4th star is cuz I felt the Grinnellianly wacky sense of humor/half-hearted but necessary activism vibe about it. But yeah, I like the way he draws, it's very much his own, and it started slow but I was surprised by how much I ended up caring about the weird little characters and not wanting to put it down. The end was yeah, a bummer and not my style, but true to the story, I think.
The layout could have been a little less choppy, but I got used to it.
So yeah, Mr. C. I'll be happy to keep reading your stuff. Way to go.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Never judge a book by its cover sure, but Far Arden is aesthetically just a beautiful book. I'll say that for it. It's also a wonderfully fun story that is enriched by how goofy and slight it makes itself out to be with Cannon's loose inking and penchant for goofy, telling sound effects. Rollicking adventure preludes an ending somewhat unexpected but not at all unwarranted, Far Arden is easily the most fun I've had with a comic this year.

[Jamie Felton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great graphic novel about modern-day pirates and mythical locales that exist most realistically in the minds of those pirates. This was a really funny and well-drawn read. I loved the artwork and constant amping up of adventure and what-will-happen-next feeling.

[Caleb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably tied with "Remake" as the funniest and most fun graphic novel I've read this year (so far).

Full review here:
http://blog.newsarama.com/2009/07/11/...

[Jeffrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid debut, that seems to be an aimless, winding stream-of-consciousness adventure, until you get to the end and get a quick punch to the gut that makes it all worthwhile and meatier.

[Johan Haneveld · Rating 5 out of 5]

First things first. This is a BOOK. Holding this graphic novel is a pleasure in and of itself. The weight of it, the feel of the hard cover. It made me realise nothing can replace the physical book as an object.
Then on to the graphic novel. On leafing through it I was put off by the loose, cartoony art style, that suggested a hasty sketchiness (true for the first four chapters that were all written in a single day for the 24 hour comic day challenge). It's accompanied at first by a bit of a broad sense of humor (with all kinds of onomatopeia to accompany action) and larger than life characters. But I was seduced by the description of the back of an Indiana Jones-like adventure in the high Arctic where people search for a mythical tropical island, the titular Far Arden. Here a group of students once studied this island. Their professor found proof of its location and set sail, to never return again. Now the students are estranged and engage in a complex plot to find the map that is in the possession of the bitter Army Shanks and ultimately find Far Arden itself. I will tell no more of the plot, but to say that I was surprised by it and how far it dared to go. It got more serious, while not loosing it's hightened reality. The humor became a great taste in the mix, making me read this with a constant wry smile on my face. (And I liked the attention to global warming given here). It became accompanied by heartfelt drama between characters who started off cartoony but gained real dimension. The concepts of obsession, betrayal and wish fulfillment came to the fore. The bitter taste of it all made passable by the humor. It's a unique combination, to my knowledge. As someone else on Goodreads wrote: 'Far Arden is a book so simple and direct, so silly yet not all the time funny, who has the deepest respect for its characters.' I couldn't have put it better. And ultimately the art style fit perfectly. The end is strangely fitting, even if not all readers love it. It leaves the reader reeling - but in a good way, I thought. The sense this all left me with is that I wanted to start reading it again. And I will look for the sequel, even though it's hard to see how that can come close to this.

[Michael Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

At more than 500 pages, this is certainly one of the fattest graphic novels I’ve attempted. It also has a very complex plot and a large array of characters, so you’ll have to pay attention -- but it’s worth the effort. The setting is Nunavut in Canada’s Arctic north, but the story takes place in a world at right angles to our own. It all starts in a sailors’ bar called the Somber Moose, where Army Shanks is plotting to regain possession of the ship he built, the Areopagitica. Most of the other main characters happen to be present, too, but you’ll meet them as the story progresses. Because Shanks and his intermittent supporters want to find Far Arden, the fabled island of milk and honey, which some of them are mostly convinced exists. The Royal Canadian Arctic Navy -- the RCAN -- is involved, largely because Shanks used to be RCAN himself, though he’s now a semi-pirate. And there’s his ex-girlfriend, Fortuna, and her current husband, Pinho (who used to be one of Shanks’s classmates at the RCAN Academy), and the orphan, Alistair Cavendish (named after the tobacco), Barty Redgrave (also from the Academy but now a local politician), and a young would-be journalist from the college, and her friend David (who is less than he seems), and a couple of cops of the environmental variety. (This is Canada, remember). And then there’s the circus. And the evil professor and his MRI of Death. Yeah, it’s a weird story, but a very original and frequently witty one. The ending, on the other hand, will catch you off-guard. The art is cartoony, but in a good way, and the writing is well above the average.

[MechaComicReviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's a mystical paradise in the Arctic called Far Arden, and only one person knows where the map is to get there. Kevin Cannon constructs this swashbuckling tale centering around Army Shanks, and it is one of the best humorous yet tragic comics out there.

Cannon perfectly balances a dozen characters who are all given nearly equal screentime (excusing Shanks), a slice of the plot, and motivations. Each character is memorable, which makes the ending all the more heartbreaking. Nevertheless, the characters stand out as Cannon dedicates 2-3 pages to each storyline in a quick cadence throughout the book. The comic is nearly 400 pages long but it reads fast even with chapter breaks.

Much of the humor is derived from the art which is filled with a loose energy and hilariously titled actions and lettering (instead of "BOOM!!" We get "FIST GRAB!"). The action is fast and violently cartoonish with strange proportions and noodle-like limbs that play more to the slapstick humor.

This comic is well worth your time and $. It's a fun and exciting read that has kept a permanent spot on my shelf since I first bought it 7 years ago.

[Bucket · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, it's not for me. Plot shortcuts and conveniences seem to be very common tools in graphic novels, which I find disappointing, but maybe it means that I should just stop trying to get into them. I do begrudgingly give Kevin Cannon points for at least winking at the reader/viewer as he uses these tools. But he still uses them endlessly.

The story here was pretty interesting, but I got a little whiplash with how quickly it moved. So much was told in dialogue, where one character explains something from the past to another. Flashbacks would have been more interesting -- or a more linear tale. It was hard to get emotionally invested in anything or anyone with all the tell and no show. Shouldn't the "show" be easier to accomplish in a graphic format?

[Rin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am kind of torn on if I like this book or not. It definitely made me chuckle out loud, and I do think it was amusing and clever in places. The thing that bothered me the most was how awful all of the female characters were. The old love interest was a cold-hearted, cheating liar, and the young reporter was a shrill mess, who spent most of her time getting drunk and trying to sleep with the other characters.
On a stylistic note, I am rather enjoying the trend I'm seeing in comics, and which was really played to full advantage in this book, of changing sound effects from the standard 'biffs' and 'pows' to more descriptive terms. I think that was the most amusing part of this book.

[Niche · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of tone shifting, 2.5/5

This was a bit all over the map for me. The main plot sees Army Shanks on a quest to find a legendary island paradise called Far Arden. Throw in exes, vengeful orphans, nefarious conspiracies, and corrupt military all tangled up chasing after Shanks who is the only one who knows how to get there and it was just a lot. It swings back and forth between silly humor and dramatic pathos, leaving me disjointed and unable to get into it. It felt to earnest to be a farce and I was left with tonal whiplash. There were some entertaining arcs at least pulling it up from 2 to 2.5 stars for me.

[Justen Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Far Arden's origins were as a 24 hour comic project where 24 pages were created in a 24 hour period and the first quarter of the book shows. The script is messy, the characters are ill defined, and the story follows a real adlib pattern where a new location or challenge is introduced in a "yes, and" style. Things tighten up and when it allows itself to be open Far Arden has some seriously hard hitting drama punctuating discussions of climate change that feel almost insincere when I know the author intends the opposite.

Fun but messy, I don't regret my time but I walked away disappointed.

[Kristi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to put this adult graphic novel on my adventure, horror and humor shelves. I don't know if that's enough information for you or not. I still find it hard to describe to myself. By turns really silly and poking fun at common adventure tropes while also having some subtle character development so that it does actually hurt a little when something horrible goes wrong.

[Lynsea Montanari · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t know why exactly I like this book. There were several plot holes. In order to fully understand the book I had to take everything that was said at face value. And the end was tragic but somehow in a redeemable way. I don’t know why I liked the book. If you want a guaranteed good read this book is not for you. If you want to go on adventure then you might like this book.

[Riddhish Bhalodia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Far Arden is a hilarious and adventure packed ride with weird but insanely likeable characters. It has a fantastic ending. The art style is very cartoony which grew on me a lot and is perfect for the kind of story it's telling. I enjoyed this a lot, and would recommend for anyone looking for a breezy but still well paced and realized nautical adventure.

[Scribe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good romp, think I preferred Crater XV which I read first - there were a few too many characters at the start to keep track of here, and a couple of deus ex machina, but as with Crater, some great storytelling, lovable characters, and cracking action twists.

[Elizabeth (Miss Eliza) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was odd and depressing. Like a bleak arctic version of Gideon Defoe's Pirates! series but with very overly markered drawings. All the characters I liked died... so what was the point...

[Allen Gregory · Rating 4 out of 5]

The artwork and layout make the story fun and enjoyable. The dialog is spotty in places but still makes for a good story. If you enjoy graphic novels that pull you along through sheer artistic bombast, you'll enjoy this book.

[Zach Cleland · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing graphic novel. It’s whimsical and nonsensical (I love the use of verbs in place of sound effects). It’s fast paced and high action while still weaving together a story that feels like magical realism.

The ending made me cry.

[Kas · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit of irreverent fun in the style of old adventure novels/movies with a weirdly depressing ending.

[Janene Maree]

Far Arden is a mythological story about an Island built on goodness. This link by Chrztalia Belladio Stelamo will take you to a blog with a poem Jim Morrison wrote mentioning Far Arden. Peace

[Alice Rovani · Rating 4 out of 5]

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