Fart School

by Mel Stringer

Based on the author's experience attending art school in the early 2000s, this funny, heartfelt graphic novel will resonate with anyone who had a youthful dream - or a DeviantArt account.

Mel is excited about moving to Brisbane and starting art school!

She imagines collaborating with other artists in a vibrant community, honing her craft, and becoming an accomplished artist.

But it turns out that art school isn't quite the same in real life.

Can Mel finish college with her love of art still intact?

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Graphic Novels Comics, Adult, Nonfiction, Memoir, Bande Dessinée

200 pages, Hardcover

First published March 29, 2023

Reviews

[Blue · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was drawn in by the cute art and concept but turned off by the floaty, poorly-written "story." I'm a fan of Silver Sprocket and love stories by Benji Nate and other cutesy mmilennial indie artists, so I was surprised by how disappointing this book was to me.

Characters appear in scenes without any explanation of their significance, then disappear at random without ever showing up again. Much of the book feels like filler, with cute drawings of city streets filled with people in minimized, whimsical outfits. The art school in question has little depth, with only one class given scenes in the book. Many of the scenes are short, pieced-together anecdotes what never build into a full picture - many aren't actually amusing, or at least, not told in an amusing way. In addition, the ending is unsatisfactory because there's little explanation. I could go on, but the main idea here is that this book is disappointing. As a fan of graphic memoirs and autobiographies, this lacked the basic depth and storytelling that have come to be a hallmark of baseline quality in the genre. I'm tempted to return it to the store.

I'm giving it one extra star for the cute art and lovely color scheme.

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

a short graphic novel about a young australian artist going away to art school in the early 00s. i enjoyed the vibes, but wish there was more to the story!

our main character is a stickerbombing zinemaker and aspiring animator. she experiences the joy of having her own space for the first time, enjoying dorm life, hanging out in her underwear and listening to music. when you're on your own for the first time, those quiet moments of independent solitude are powerful.

i think the coming of age component would be more effective if there was a sense of the passage of time. the book begins when our MC begins art school, and i literally have no idea how much time has elapsed by the end of the book. nothing much happens. what does it all add up to in the end?

the art is fine, but not necessarily memorable. there are a few cozy softly lit nightscapes, which are my favorites! also a mischievous rat makes an appearance and i loved that.

one of the strongest elements of this book is the early 00s nostalgia - flip phones, mix CDs, myspace, deviantart!

[Dom · Rating 2 out of 5]

art style is cute but there isn’t a story at all. sorry to say that it’s very boring and unclear what the reader was supposed to get out of it.

[Kyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little light on meaning, but this book is not without its charm. I especially enjoyed the artwork and storyboarding…. reminded me of how Seth draws his stories, only more coulourful and bright.

3.5/5

[Carolee Wheeler · Rating 4 out of 5]

The drawings are fun and I can definitely relate to Mel’s emotions about art school.

[Elyse Maxwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a fan of Mel's zines, I had been looking forward to this release for a while.
The art-school setting was nostalgic for me, and the combination of gentle colours and detailed filler drawings between scenes made for dreamy pacing.
Felt a bit like an extended version of her typically 1-4 panel slice of life journal comics, strung together to paint a picture of the sometimes-disappointing experience of starting a new chapter of life.
I enjoyed the ending as a nod to an iconic graphic novel, but won't say more than that to avoid sharing spoilers.

[Betty Gardeik · Rating 4 out of 5]

so good. So, so good.

[Kirsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked her drawing style, but I wanted more from the story.

[Aaron Esthelm · Rating 2 out of 5]

based on the artist drawings of their house and their behavior I got the vibes of an entitled rich girl. the arts competently done but the story lacks purpose. there's a section where she uses the schools copier to make copies of her zine to sell and when told not to do so she acts like the guy is an asshole. he's just doing his job and that really was the final nail in the coffin for me. I'm sure she's grown as a person but the person depicted in this book was not likeable in the least

[Athena · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5/5*

[Joanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Very Aussie and slice-o-lifey! And also a bit relatable as I also attended art school for a hot minute before pursuing my ‘real’ career path. Pleasant enough to read, and I suppose there’s a lesson in there somewhere about finding yourself, but you may have to look hard to find it.

[Lilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fart School brought up so many nostalgic feelings in me having gone to art school in Brisbane in the 2000s as well. Mel made Brisbane look incredibly cute and the story line tugged on my heart strings. She really captures the magic of lots of things about Brisbane. I loved seeing Paddington, Hungry Jacks/junction in the CBD (where else do you meet up?!), and a cold winters day crossing the Victoria Bridge. There are parts about going to art school that I struggled with and recognised the same struggles in Fart School. It's also about moving to a new city far from loved ones, and the loneliness that comes from it. I thoroughly enjoyed Fart School, and had been looking forward to it for ages. I'm already a huge fan of Mel's work, and can't wait to see what other graphic novels she will create in the future.

[Jerrielle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Took a break in between reading this comic because I got in the mood to colour thanks to the lovely colours in this, the party scene especially got me excited to use all my shades in pink. However I went to into this thinking due to its coming of age/uni experience and themes/setting that it would have a similar fruitful and innocence that comics by Raina Telgemeier have..but it sort of missed that; loneliness is such a common emotion so it was strange I didn’t exactly feel it off the pages, I saw it; But I didn’t identify with any of the emotions it was trying to present. Maybe next time I’ll read it in one siting instead of taking a break. Also confused by the ending; I assume the school has shut down, but did she quit? Is she going on to bigger and better things? Am I an idiot?

[Gabrielle Marin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was gonna give it 2 stars in the beginning but after finishing it, even though it's far from being a chef d'oeuvre, I have to admit there is some charm to the way she depicts how it feels to be in art school. I felt the same way, pretty disillusioned and aimless, so I related to the story on a few levels.

I think that might be why it has such a low rating. It's a very niche topic that maybe only art students can relate to? With that said, I agree with a lot of reviews here - there is no poignant storyline, it's mostly a slice of life comic, yet I think it can be nice to have as some light reading sometimes.

[Barbara Lane Tharas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated as always, Mel Stringer is so prolific and consistent in her illustration style. It is so enjoyable to follow and experience. However, with Fart School, it felt a bit superficial emotion-wise. I was hoping to dive a little deeper into Mel's internal experience and really feel what she was going through. All in all, it was a very enjoyable read visually, just lacked some emotional meat that I was hoping to connect with.

[Nolan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Immaculate artwork. Every panel was an absolute treat. The colors and details. I related to the story about showing up to art school and immediately dropping out as well. I’m back there now twenty years later so… still relatable. It’s a common trope with graphic novels but I thought this was a fresh, breezy take that didn’t spend too much time navel gazing and really captured how fleeting these moments in our lives can be. Sometimes our dreams aren’t as amazing as we expected.

[Nathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been a massive fan of Mel Stringer's art for years so I was super excited to read Fart School.

When I first opened it it cast some kind of spell on me and I couldn't put it down - I read the whole thing in one go. It was such a great read and the art is fantastic (which is exactly what you'd expect from Mel).

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this - it is very slice-of-life without a strict plot, but the art is great and full of 2000s nostalgia. I definitely want to check out Stringer's zines, and if she publishes any more graphic novels.

[Seth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guess I just didn’t get this book. I like slice of life but it seemed like it didn’t go anywhere and I didn’t get the ending. Like what happened and what was the point of all of it? What did this person learn or gain or what changed from their experience

[Eva Green · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love Mel's drawings as always, and I'm sure it's true to heart and what happened, but it feels like even some of the earliest zones of her's had more plot more more story components than this full length book.

[J Poolner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ultimately, I don't think this book will stick in my memory for long, but I had an enjoyable couple of hours reading it. Pretty simple story about a young adult trying to figure out what to do next—simply told, sparely drawn but with a sense of depth and location. I liked it.

[Shellz · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love this artist's store, so was excited to pick up their book. I was pretty disappointed. I love slice of life books but it was lacking for me. I thought it be more funny too since their art style is usually leans that way.

[Rainy Marie Butts · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the characters and of course all of the artsy stuff! The storyline was a bit hard to follow because it jumped around so much and from place to place. It was a little difficult remembering who someone was while reading it. Overall I enjoyed reading this book and the vibe as a whole.

[Nonagesimus Reads [Em] · Rating 3 out of 5]

cute art, picked it for the title. a quick read.

[Christa Van · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes it is hard going to new places and they don't turn out like you hope they will.

[tan · Rating 3 out of 5]

resonated with my art school experience. sometimes it sucked but it was formative stuff.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fun and I felt inspired remembering a more simple time when I felt more creative.

[Tess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute art, but there’s no real narrative, introspection, or realizations. Lots of loose threads that are seemingly forgotten about, instead of left purposely unfinished.

[Anna Sellheim · Rating 1 out of 5]

Cute art, no plot. I'm also over the, "I hate art school" narrative. We get it.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

The art is engaging and cute, but not much of a story. Excellent title!