Just the Facts: A Decade of Comic Essays

by David Collier

With his inimitably idiosyncratic approach, David Collier tackles a broad range of subject matter in his first collection, from Thomas Edison's bygone phonograph machines to the lost art of hand-lettered display ads. These strips have been culled from numerous publications, including Drawn & Quarterly, The Comics Journal, and Zero Zero, and they serve as an excellent introduction to the work of this quirky and unusual talent. Features new introduction by the author.

Genres: Comics, Nonfiction, Graphic Novels

80 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1998

Reviews

[Drew Canole · Rating 2 out of 5]

I appreciate David Collier's honesty and straightforwardness. But ultimately I don't find his topics very interesting and he's not an expert -- he brings no insight beyond being a hobbyist or interested party.

I enjoyed his story of being in the military... but as soon as he moved the scope beyond his experience into the world of macro politics/philosophy I started to lose interest.

This is a very dense collection of short stories/essays that I think would be better presented as they were originally... on their own as a small part of a magazine or anthology.

I want to like this more than I do. Collier is a small-voice, a very down to earth guy writing about my country - and when he wrote these stories he was an adult (around my current age) writing during the time I was still a kid. Pure Canadiana. I want to explore more people operating in this niche!

[snott · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a soft-spot for Collier.

Small stories & authentic voice.

Canadiana

[David Macpherson · Rating 2 out of 5]

An endless collection of non fiction work by a Canadian comics artist. It was so dense and ponderous that it became less and less enjoyable as it went on. I also am interested in the definition of comics journalism. Is it just a lot (and I mean a lot) of words with some pictures shoehorned underneath? there was no real integration between text and word. I think that is a failing of a lot of the comic reportage I have seen, just that this case was pretty extreme. It was overwhelming to get through and it wasn't just the amount of text, the way the stories were told were odd. I mean, how did the issues of the strident laws of Singapore have anything to do with a couple kids being obnoxious on a bus in Detroit? If he was trying to make a point, he did not succeed. And to add insult to all this, the illustrations did not appeal to me.

[Aapo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tämä ei vain toiminut minulle. Useimmista tarinoista puuttui kunnollinen draaman kaari. Toki tyylilaji on essee, eli jutut saavat ollakin asioiden esittelyä​ ja pohdintaa ilman selkeää lopputulosta. Turhan monta kertaa lukemisen aikana kuitenkin koin, että nyt en tajunnut pointtia.

[Brent · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remain a fan of this fine cartoonist. Read altogether, I remember the power some of Collier's work had on me in individual publications. His artistic debt to Robert Crumb is obvious, and beside the point: his own subjects include the Canadian military experience, journalism, and quieter subjects.
Recommended.

[Dony Grayman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Primera, y muy probablemente única, edición recopilatoria de ensayohistorietas de David Collier.