reading notes

by Dan James

published by Top Shelf Productions

James gives us the True Story of the octopi, presented as a fable. In this clever tale, a young boy with cruel parents is kidnapped by the school bus driver, who is really an octopus in disguise. (A tentacle is cleverly arranged as a tie.) He is taken to aid the octopi in their battle against the sharks. Its a brain vs. brawn kind of thing, and they need his help.

It is a story told almost without words, save a short “once upon a time”-type setup and suitable “moral” at the end. The format of the book is square (just under 60 pages, staple-bound with a heavy paper cover) and is printed in blue ink instead of black, as is fitting for a fish story. The crispness and boldness of the art, along with the effective use of negative space and color, remind me of woodcut prints.

James pays attention to the little details that move his story along, like the photos stuck to the family’s refrigerator with magnets, or the pictures hanging on their walls. (This is how we know the parents are bad. Well, this and the way the father goes everywhere in his underpants.) James uses a variety of page layouts, breaking his panels up within a larger blue square background on many pages, and not using panels at all on others. The way he switches perspective and zooms in and out both focuses attention on individual visual elements and creates a sense of a much bigger plane of action than is actually shown.

Brian Ralph fans would enjoy this book, as it (mostly) wordlessly communicates a story involving a unique journey (though shorter than Cave-In or Climbing Out) and it captures that certain magic in storytelling that I find in Ralph’s work. Folks who appreciate James Kochalka’s quirky humor and sense of fantastic possibility are also advised to pick up a copy of this book. I don’t mean to say that Dan James is “just like” Ralph or Kochalka — because James brings his own distinct style to the page — only that I think fans of these more established comic artists will find Octopi and the Ocean a rewarding read.

Because it is a rewarding read (and re-read): I loved it. Dan James has created a fun, original, and compelling story. Octopi battle sharks, parents are evil, a misunderstood kid has a bug for a pet, and it all looks wonderful, what more could you want? (Especially for seven bucks.) Highly recommended.

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 22nd, 2004 at 10:00 pm and is filed under comics/graphic novels.