Another School Yearbook Story
Although autobiographical comix fall in and out of favor, I’ve always found them deeply fascinating. Perhaps, this is because I’m shamelessly nosey about other people’s lives, and creators of autobiographical comics books are often not at all shy about sharing – sometimes even too much information.
Too much information isn’t the case with these middle school Yearbook Stories: It’s a wonder to see how each artist fleshes out Staros’ narratives–delivered as recollections/monologues for the most part, with limited dialogue–and it just makes these stories jump out and grab you by the throat–heartbreakingly or laughably real instead of sitting static on the page.
There are two stories in my elementary school Yearbook Stories. First, is the Eisner-nominated, “The Willful Death of a Stereotype,” drawn by Bo Hampton, in which Staros recounts how as a high school freshmen, he tried to become class president. Staros recounts his struggles to fit in with pain that is oddly sweet and comforting (perhaps, because it is so familiar). The pacing is just right, like getting the temperature setting to cook a delicate dish just right. He hits upon the right moments in time that convey to the reader the setting and mood he is trying to recall. Of course, this is an idealized recollection of one’s past, and Hampton’s art, with its sepia-like qualities, captures the mood. The combination of Staros’ flavorful recollection and Hampton’s pitch-perfect art leaves you asking for more.
The second, “The Worst Gig I Ever Had” is an uproarious story of the things a young garage band has to do to get gigs. Tommaso’s angular, American gothic/grotesque grossout artwork fits the tale perfectly, giving it sharp edges and a crude cartoonishness reminiscent of the likes of Angry Youth Comics or Beavis and Butthead, but with a heart of gold. An engrossing, quick, self-contained read. For a mere four smackers? Gold.
