Evidently I'm just reading the wrong graphic novels.

I read all of Ted Rall's and Pablo Callejo's graphic novel The Year of Loving Dangerously: A Graphic Memoir, and about the only lasting impression I have of it is that it left me depressed as hell.

And then I thought, every time I read graphic novels I end up depressed as hell. Consider: David Small's Stitches. Alison Bechdel's Fun Home. Art Spiegelman's Maus. Neil Gaiman's first episode of Sandman (Preludes and Nocturnes).* What I can't decide is, do I end up depressed because so many nonfiction graphic novels deal with somber and graphic stories, or do I end up depressed because I either don't understand the book (this is always the case with Gaiman) or because literally picturing things is too intense for me? It's a quandary.

But. Back to Rall's graphic memoir, in which he tells the story, and Callejo provides the drawing. The teaser for this story is "dumped, fired, arrested, expelled, and evicted--Ted Rall lost everything in the summer of 1984. Survival meant breaking all the rules." And that's pretty much it, really. Through no real fault of his own (and due to an unforseen medical emergency), Rall got booted out of Columbia University in the summer of 1984 and didn't have any place to stay in New York City. What he did then, basically, was put together a string of one-night stands and amorous encounters so he usually had a place to stay at night.

Which is resourceful, to say the least. But I still found it depressing. (Mr. CR didn't understand me at all when I was trying to explain my feelings. I think he was just impressed by the chutzpah of the solution.) Maybe it's because the cartoon of Rall on the cover doesn't look all that happy (although the women around him do). Maybe it's because later in that summer he had a slight STD scare, and nothing puts me off the idea of a summer of free lovin' more than the idea of an STD. But all of this is neither here nor there. As an attempt at a graphic memoir, there's nothing wrong with this book. I picked it up primarily because I find Ted Rall to be a very interesting writer, in the same camp as Matt Taibbi,** and I'll always look at anything he writes. But this one just wasn't for me.

*There are exceptions. Brian Fies's Mom's Cancer, although it was really sad, didn't actually leave me depressed, nor did Mat Johnson's Incognegro, which was just such an unbelievable story I didn't know how to feel about it.

**And like Matt Taibbi, he is completely underrated, which is wrong. If you've never heard of Rall, please do look into anything he's written.

Comments

[Anon]

To your list of depressing graphic novels, I'd like to add Laika, by Nick Abadzis. As a dog lover, I was actually wiping away the tears by the end. I'm not a big graphic novel reader, but have to say it was well done, although very sad.

[Tripp]

CR, you should have worried when the cover of the book referenced "breaking all the rules." That's rarely a good sign. The good new is there are so many good, non-depressing graphic novels!

Have you read Torso by Brian Bendis? It is a true crime graphic novel, which I think you would like.

Mike Carey's Unwritten is very good too. It concerns the son of a JK Rowling like writer who lives off his resemblance to a character in his father's books. Then things get crazy.

Try those!

[Citizen Reader]

Anon,
Thank you for the "Laika" suggestion! I don't mind sad, really, which is different from depressing, so I will try it. Although I have to spread my graphic novels out, I find. It'll be a few weeks before I'm ready to try another one!

Tripp,
Oh, I didn't mind the rule-breaking. And, as I mentioned, I did and still do love Ted Rall, so I'm not sorry I read it. But some upbeat GNs would probably be a nice add to my mix. Thanks for the suggestions! (I did like a graphic novel titled "Box Office Poison," but I forget who that was by. Kind of serious but still a fun read.)

[Rick]

Persepolis 1 and 2 are both somewhat saddening if not depressing, but they are still interesting reads. I couldn't put the first one down.

[lesbrarian]

Maybe you should stop reading all these artsy high-brow things. Try something fluffy, or at least not too deep. I'm going to pick up Castle Waiting this evening (a twisted fairy tale concept, I gather) which is probably not going to be one of the most profound works in the canon of Western lit. Or how about Bone? I think you'd like Bone, really I do, since you liked The Belgariad. It's a straightfoward epic fantasy quest story.

[Citizen Reader]

Rick,
Yes, "Persepolis," forgot about that. Also kind of a downer read, although I liked the art.

Lesbrarian,
Only in this world would a graphic novel in which a man sleeps with women for a place to stay at night be considered artsy or highbrow. :) But I do appreciate the suggestions--I did used to enjoy Elfquest, so I will look into Bone. A nice straightforward fantasy epic would be a nice change.