Welcome to St. Hell

Welcome to St. Hell is a groundbreaking memoir about being a trans teen. Lois/Lewis has a few things to say to his younger teen self. He knows she hates her body. He knows she's confused about who to snog. He knows she's really a he and will ultimately realize this... but she's going to go through a whole lot of mess (some of it funny, some of it not funny at all) to get to that point. Lewis is trying to tell her this... but she's refusing to listen.

In Welcome to St. Hell, author-illustrator Lewis Hancox takes readers on the hilarious, heartbreaking, and healing path he took to make it past trauma, confusion, hurt, and dubious fashion choices in order to become the man he was meant to be. 

When I began reading I wondered whether the comic would be preachy. It isn't. The author kept his hometown anonymous by calling is St. Hell in the comic and the high school he attended was called St. Hell High School. I felt so bad for him when he was taunted by his classmates. Young kids can be way too critical. However, he did find friends that accepted him and some of them came out publicly with different sexual orientations after high school. 

The artwork created the humor in the novel. We see Lois/Lewis trying several actions to hide her feminine body shape. He works out in order to get rid of his curves and diets heavily that he has to be treated for anorexia. He finally admits to his mother that he is trying to get rid of his feminine shape because he feels like a boy. The author is lucky that his mother accepted him when he came out and, in fact, encouraged some of his behaviors because, inside, she knew that he was different.

I don't know that I would have purchased this book if I didn't have a trans friend. We have had many great conversations about life in general and I see and accept her as a normal person. Without knowing her, I probably would have had a hands off approach to anyone talking about being trans. It is too different from my life. While it is risky for a trans person to come out publicly, it was helpful for me to know someone who experienced this. 

This is a thoughtful memoir that taught me alot about the struggle of trans people.  5 out of 5 stars.

After Lambana

After Lambana: Myth and Magic in Manila is a fantasy graphic novel that explores the world of Filipino myths.  It was published on June 7, 2022 by Tuttle Publishing. The author, Eliza Victoria, is an award winning writer in the Philippines and has published general fiction, science fiction, short stories and poetry. 

The publisher's summary:

Lambana--the realm of supernatural fairies known as Diwata--has fallen, and the Magic Prohibition Act has been enacted. To add to his troubles, there's something wrong with Conrad's heart and only magic can prolong his life. He teams up with Ignacio, a well-connected friend who promises to hook him up with the Diwata and their magical treatments--a quest that's not only risky but highly illegal!

On the shadowy, noir-tinged streets of Manila, multiple realities co-exist and intertwine as the two friends seek a cure for the magical malady. Slinky sirens and roaming wraith-like spirits populate a parallel world ruled by corruption and greed, which Conrad must enter to find the cure he seeks. He has little idea of the creatures he will encounter and the truths to be revealed along the way. Will Lambana spill its secrets and provide the healing balm Conrad needs? Or will he perish in the process?

I didn't enjoy this story much. While beautifully illustrated with bright colors, the story itself lacked suspense. The characters were not fleshed out at all. I did not either like them or dislike them. It was difficult to figure out what was going on and while I was reading I wondered why  I should even care about continuing it. I am not attracted to mythological stories and am completely ignorant regarding Filipino mythology so perhaps this was my problem. Still, myth stories need strong characters and plot to keep a reader interested.

No rating.

World Record Holders

I had high hopes for this long anticipated graphic novel. However, it did not interest me. The comic was written by one of my favorite cartoonist's, Guy Delisle. The comic showcases a collection of his work from the beginning of his career to the present. There are 12 stories contained within the book that range from wistful childhood nostalgia to chagrined post-fame encounters. In one story we see Delisle visiting an exhibition of his work in another country and being confronted by an angry spouse who blames him for destroying her marriage. A juvenile game of Bows and Arrows turns menacing as arrows shot straight up in the air turn into barely visible missiles of death. A coded message from space creates different reactions from different people―debates, dance festivals, gallery shows. 

DeLisle's artistic style is not one that I particularly care for, but it worked well in his prior comics. However, with the stories in World Record Holders not making much sense, the illustration style becomes even more important. DeLisle has written several travelogues and autobiograhies that were fantastic so I am very disappointed with this graphic novel. In fact, I cannot even give it a rating. Only the most devoted DeLisle fans are going to want to read this book.

Moms

I have been thinking about reading this graphic novel ever since it was published in English two years ago. I finally took the plunge and took it out of my public library. Moms is a humorous look at the way middle aged women think. Taking place in South Korea, there are three main characters. Lee Soyeon, Myeong-ok, and Yeonjeong are mothers in their mid-fifties. They’ve had it with their dead-weight partners and the grind of the menial jobs they have. Their overbearing bosses control everything, down to how much water they can drink while they are working. Lee Soyeon divorced her husband years ago after his gambling debts forced them to file bankruptcy. She finds herself in another decade-long relationship with Jongseok, a waiter at a nightclub whom she has grown tired of. Myeong-ok is having an illicit affair with a younger man, and Yeonjeong, whose husband suffers from erectile dysfunction, has her eye on an acquaintance from the gym. All three of these ladies have become bored with conventional romantic dalliances and are embracing outrageous sexual adventures in nightclubs, motels, and even the occasional back-alley. I think they are giving twentysomething women a run for their money. 

It is refreshing to read a book about the emotional and sexual needs of middle aged women. This is not something you find very often. The author, Yeong-shin Ma based the story on his divorced 50 year old mother. He asked his mother keep a journal where she would write about her dating experiences. He also asked her to write about her girlfriends, who were also on the dating scene. What Ma discovered was that older women do not put aside their desires just because they are no longer young. I wonder if he was shocked to find this out. I am betting that he was.

Moms is an amusing story that women will be able to relate to.  I am rating it 5 out of 5 stars.

Days of Sand

Aimee de Jongh's Days of Sand was initially published in France by Dargaud Benelux in 2021. It was published in English on April 19, 2022. The story takes place in the Dust Bowl area of the United States in 1937. It's interesting to me that this Dutch author chose to write a comic based on the dust bowl history. She has been publishing comics for 18 years.

The publisher's summary:

In the middle of the Great Depression, 22-year-old photographer John Clark is brought in by the Farm Security Administration to document the calamitous conditions of the Dust Bowl in the central and southern states, in order to bring the farmers’ plight to the public eye. When he starts working through his shooting script, however, he finds his subjects to be unreceptive. What good are a couple of photos against relentless and deadly dust storms? The more he shoots, the more John discovers the awful extent of their struggles, and comes to question his own role and responsibilities in this tragedy sweeping through the center of the country.

 

I am impressed with the thoroughness of de Jongh's research. As a history buff, I am well acquainted with the dust bowl era and believe that the author exhibited her knowledge of the subject in her story. The story itself was  well told. The characters were convincing. Using a professional photographer to tell the stories of those who lived in the affected states was brilliant. John Clark, the photographer, is the most fleshed out character as he is involved in the story from its beginning to the end. He meets a wide variety of people in his quest to complete a to-do list of photos that his boss wants. The artwork is appropriate for the story. The pages are colored in shades of browns and dull reds to match the dusty landscape of the dust bowl region. 

The writing in Days of Sand is commendable. I recommend this comic not to just history buffs but young students as well. The comic format is perfect for young readers to learn about this part of history.

5 out of 5 stars.

Georgia O'Keefe

Maria Herreros wrote this graphic  biography of Georgia O'Keefe in 2021. Herreros was born in my favorite international city, Valencia, Spain, but now lives in Madrid. Her book was translated into English in 2022 by Lawrence Schimel. Georgia O'Keeffe (1887-1986) is considered one of the greatest representatives of North American art of the 20th century. A pioneer of abstraction, famous for her paintings of giant flowers, New York skyscrapers, and landscapes of remote New Mexico, she was hailed as the "mother of modern American art." Beyond the artist, María Herreros investigates the deep being of O'Keeffe: a tireless traveler, a lover of nature, a strong and emancipated woman who built her own image and carved her own path.

I expected that the biography would cover the artist's entire life. It doesn't. What is covered in the book is her life as a working artist which began alongside her meeting with photographer Alfred Stieglitz. They soon begin a long distance love affair that lasted a  lifetime even though is was, for the most part, by correspondence. Herreros reviewed letters that O'Keefe wrote to her friend Anita Pollitzer. From the letters we discover that O'Keefe always had a fear of what others thought of her. I was surprised by this given the success she had during her career. However, every one of us has an issue or two. It would have been nice to read about her childhood including what made her want to paint and what training she received. This part of her life is not covered in the biography and I feel that this was a squandered opportunity by the author in finding out what made O'Keefe tick.

3 out of 5 stars.