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Post by Administrator on Oct 30, 2005 14:46:42 GMT -5
The Push Man and Other Stories By Yoshihiro Tatsumi (Drawn & Quarterly) www.drawnandquarterly.comThe first major English edition of work by the "grandfather of Japanese alternative comics," The Push Man and Other Stories is a fascinating short story collection. The book is made up of more than a dozen tales, most of them eight pages long, all surprising in their stark look at the loneliness of man. Tatsumi uses relatively simple, cartoony drawings to tell his stories, which contrast with the complicated actions the characters frequently end up taking. "To survive in the crowd, you have to struggle alone," said one of Tatsumi's hopeless shlubs, which sums up the attitude many of the vignettes have - men surrounded by people in cities, but unable to really communicate with any of them - whether it be a trash man discovering his wife's infidelity or a man finding love with a woman while dressed in drag. This is the first volume of a series, each volume focusing on one year of Tatsumi's work. This volume covers 1969. The book has lovingly been edited by cartoonist Adrian Tomine (Optic Nerve), a big fan of Tatsumi's. Tomine provides an introduction and a Q&A with the author all in a gorgeous looking book that collects some rare and compelling glimpses into humanity from a heretofore-unknown master of the form.
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