“Graylight is an excellent example of how flamboyance can enhance, rather than impair, a convoluted, magical story. Nowak may not explain everything in the story, but her generous visuals invite the reader to suppose what Graylight is in their own fashion, whether it be a romantic phantasmagoria or a subtle, spell-ridden myth.”

And Ian Burns on the Comics Journal site provides probably the best explanation of Nowak’s complex graphic novel which beckons you to decipher its many angles…

Little Nothings continues to get raves from prominent reviewers:

“While Trondheim’s own nonchalance is likely as deceptive as his seemingly simplistic artwork, there’s something to be gained in even the most cursory reading of the worked contained herein. It’s funny, it’s charming as hell, and it’s almost painfully relatable. And best of all, it’s not work.”

Brian Heater, The Daily Crosshatch

But then you get:

“Little Nothings is about a unnamed character, an adult male anthromorphic bird who appears to be a husband, father and comic writer, although it is never really spelled out in the graphic novel itself.
This felt like there should be more punch to this to make it a bit more interesting or compelling to read. As it is, it was nice to read, but there isn’t much of a “hook” to get me to read beyond this particular volume. The blurb on the back of the book is true: “A Book with a Whole Lotta Not Much.”

Still, the not much is sorta okay.”

Sequential Tart

Guess she needed a back cover blurb…

“The pleasures of Uneasy Happiness are small ones: seeing a fine cartoonist articulate a feeling you’ve had yourself, watching him stumble through the confusing bits of life as we all do, occasionally vicariously living the life of a famous cartoonist through him. It’s likely to be far too quiet and contemplative for most habitual readers of North American comics — but, then, that’s only their loss.”

Andrew Wheeler on Little Nothings 3

“It’s White’s line that makes the story work.  His figures look like a cross between Bob Fingerman and Bryan Lee O’Malley, with oversized heads and big eyes on the men, and sexier features on the women.  There’s even a touch of Dan DeCarlo at work here in features like Rick’s nose.  The pale orange wash adds to the sickly quality of the story’s visuals, reinforcing that sense of deterioration. Cleverly-designed and executed work.  It doesn’t overstay its welcome in terms of length, it’s clearly told and darkly humorous. ”

Rob Clough, The Comics Journal on Things Undone.

Trondheim’s Little Nothings keeps rolling on on the web:

Rob Clough at The Comics Journal:

“I always found myself drawn to his autobiographical material the most.  He’s self-deprecating without being mawkish, introspective without navel-gazing and consistently funny. At this point, I hope Little Nothings runs forever.  It’s already my favorite diary comic of all time and certainly in the top 10-20 of all-time comics autobio.”

Michael Lorah at Newsarama:

“It’s just great art, perfectly suited for his deadpan delivery, yet sufficiently emotive to carry the most subtle emotion. 
Lewis Trondheim is one of the world’s most respected and acclaimed cartoonists.  Little Nothings remains his most personal work, a collection of observations and personal outlooks, self-effacingly and ironically  hilarious. So long as Trondheim continues creating work as strong as Uneasy Happiness, the comics world will be a bright place.”

Sasha Watson strikes again this time on the Slate site with a great piece on our Story of O and its background . The anonymous author’s ‘coming out’ in the New Yorker in 1994 brought forth some juicy details…

“What’s shocking about Story of O is just how shocking it really is. You’d think, in our pornified culture, that a novel scandalous in 1954 might appear quaint today. But no. Aury delivers the hard stuff straight on, and it’s just as potent now as it was back then.”

Greg Houston’s outrageous Vatican Hustle is primed on Baker’s Dozen where the 1st part of a fun interview is presented. Bill Baker says of the GN:

“Over the years, I’ve been lucky to have had that exciting first contact scenario repeat itself several times. Even better, I’ve often then been given the honor of introducing those fine new creators, folks with names like Brian Azzarello, Jim Rugg and Andy Runton, to a wider audience.

Well, I’m here today to introduce you to yet another monster talent, Greg Houston. His work is on display in The Vatican Hustle from NBM. It’s a graphic novel that is startling, brilliant and laugh out loud funny. It’s a book that acknowledges its influences boldly, even as it transforms them into a raucous, outrageous and bold style that is strangely familiar, yet totally original.”

For Nowak’s Graylight, after Booklist, now it’s Library Journal’s turn:

“Nowak’s dreamlike art has a romantic early Seventies feel with its swirling lines in sepia ink and pastel washes, but a manga touch keeps it fresh and contemporary. Panels are often superimposed, floating on the page like leaves on water and creating strong visual flow.
Verdict Although the story doesn’t quite measure up to the art, the lovely images make this worth a look. Teen and adult fans of shojo manga will likely enjoy this blend of romance and magic.”

Art News has a beautiful 2 page piece on this series written by Sasha Watson (”Vidalia in Paris”) just as the next Louvre co-edition, On the Odd Hours, ships from our warehouse:

“A young man with a Mohawk stands at the top of the Louvre’s grand staircase and strikes a gong, awakening the rebellious spirit in great works of art. François-Joseph Bosio’s sculpture of a ten-year-old Henri IV runs through a gallery. The Winged Victory of Samothrace explodes into flight.

A heavy-metal blur of collaged drawings, engravings, and digital images, Eric Liberge’s graphic novel On the Odd Hours presents the Louvre in an imaginative way.”

“A giant in French comics, Trondheim  has always been a marvelous observer of the extraordinary little moments in everyday existence. All rendered in the simple but expressive and versatile style that has always been one of his greatest strengths.
Verdict: Recommended for those who appreciate low-key but charming autobiographical comics.”

 Library Journal

“Trondheim’s third collection of musings on his personal life maintains its predecessors’ high caliber of narrative and art.  All of which entails swimming with sharks, coping with giant spiders, obsessing about consumerism while engaging in gadget lust, watching the family cat prey on a bird, and lots more equally engaging and ironic adventures.”

Booklist

“For connoisseurs of serious literature and film as well as graphic novels.”
says Booklist of Naomi Nowak’s new Graylight.

Lewis Trondheim’s newest entry in his comics blog collection of Little Nothings (vol.3: Uneasy Happiness) gets these words from Tom Spurgeon of The Comics Reporter:

“It’s one of the few series that vaults to the head of the reading pile whenever it shows up in the mailbox. For whatever reason, Trondheim’s diary comics play to a number of things I nearly always find enjoyable in comics: an acerbic and idiosyncratic world view, pretty pictures, frequent gags, places I’ve never visited, comics industry backstage anecdotes made real. It’s smart and well-executed, and I always laugh despite myself at least once — in this volume it was the punchline to the strip about how cool it might be to be a caveman.
We don’t really have anything else like this comic right now, not in North America, not someone this talented working this particular territory with such reliable clarity.”

Now, if only he would review our other books… mumblmumbl.