What do you think?
Rate this book
Or Else
Curses
"One of the brightest, most interesting new comix authors to appear in the last five years." -Time.com
Delving into mythology, belief, and spirituality,Kevin Huizenga's short stories are based on the lives of familiar characters confronting the textures of mortality in unique and sometimes peculiar ways. Huizenga fuses the most banal aspects of modern culture with its most looming questions in a consistently genial style. Lighthearted, but with a healthy dose of nineteenth-century spine tingling, the narratives presented in Curses are insightful portrayals of reality. Huizenga's central character in his comics is Glenn Ganges, a seemingly middle-class man living in the suburbs whose blank-eyed wonderment at everyday experiences brings together such diverse aspects of our world as golf, theology, late-night diners, parenthood, politics, Sudanese refugees, and hallucinatory vision, into a complete experience as multifaceted as our own lives.
Huizenga is regarded by many as one of the most promising young cartoonists of his generation, whose artistic talent, singular writing, and studied substance prove the versatility of his skill. Curses collects his work from Kramer's Ergot and The Drawn & Quarterly Showcase, his award-winning and nominated comic-book series Or Else, and Time magazine; it is the most extensive selection of his comics to date in a single volume.
144 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2006
About the author
Kevin Huizenga
36 books82 followersKevin Huizenga was born in 1977 in Harvey, IL and spent most of his childhood in South Holland, IL, near Chicago. He attended college in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and moved to St. Louis in 2000 where he lives and works.
He began drawing comics in high school, xeroxing his first issue (with friends) at the neighborhood Jewel Osco in 1993. Since that time he's made approximately 30 more. In 2001 the Comics Journal named him "Minimalism Cartoonist of the Year" and called #14 of his "Supermonster" mini-comic series "one of the best comics of any kind released in 2001."
In 2001 he also started the Catastrophe Shop http://www.usscatastrophe.com, an online shop for self-published mini-comics (now run by Dan Zettwoch http://www.usscatastrophe.com/zettwoch/).
He began drawing comics in high school, xeroxing his first issue (with friends) at the neighborhood Jewel Osco in 1993. Since that time he's made approximately 30 more. In 2001 the Comics Journal named him "Minimalism Cartoonist of the Year" and called #14 of his "Supermonster" mini-comic series "one of the best comics of any kind released in 2001."
In 2001 he also started the Catastrophe Shop http://www.usscatastrophe.com, an online shop for self-published mini-comics (now run by Dan Zettwoch http://www.usscatastrophe.com/zettwoch/).
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
April 24, 2023
Kevin Huizenga is one of my favourite cartoonists of the modern alternative school (that name is a work in progress but includes guys like Chris Ware, Seth, Jason, Michel Rabagliati and others).
This collection of short stories was published in 2006 by D+Q, apparently it's getting a reprint next year - so don't bother buying those expensive used copies quiet yet.
Collects:
Green Tea
Lost and Found
Case 0003128-24
Not sleeping Together
The Hot New Thing
Jeepers Jacobs
Jeezoh
This collection of short stories was published in 2006 by D+Q, apparently it's getting a reprint next year - so don't bother buying those expensive used copies quiet yet.
Collects:
Green Tea
Lost and Found
Case 0003128-24
Not sleeping Together
The Hot New Thing
Jeepers Jacobs
Jeezoh
June 25, 2009
Anthologies and short story collections are always such a difficult thing for me to judge. Generally the quality and value of the work is so varied that it's hard to come up with any kind of monolithic opinion to summarize the work. While single-author collections can be a bit easier, they still aren't wholly immune to this kind of trouble.
Kevin Huizenga's Curses is, for me, no exception to this rule.
While some of the stories are great and perfect examples of viable ways to use the comic medium to tell stories, others are merely good. Certainly, there are no bad stories found in this collection, but not everything is awestriking. Easily the best story in terms of sociological interest and storytelling chops is "Jeepers Jacobs," in which a golf acquaintance of protagonist Glenn Ganges ponders his responsibility for the state of Glenn's soul while penning an article on the doctrine of hell for a conservative evangelical journal of theology. I found myself very interested in Huizenga's ability to portray with sympathy both Jeepers' view of hell and his Christian responsibility and that of his colleagues with whom he sometimes strongly disagreed.
One of the more interesting stories visually was one of the least interesting in narrative terms. "Case 0003128-24" follows the expansion over about a hundred irregular panels of a sometimes impossible landscape, mimicking in pen-and-ink form the artistic style of Chinese brush paintings. In almost every case (there are a couple interesting divergences) the panels can be aligned to bring forth a single scene. And over this artistic expression, a narrative quoted directly from adoption paper plays out in captions. The effect is interesting and I'd love to explore it in more detail, but it wasn't the most invigorating read.
"Lost Boys" employs some narrative genius and makes the valuable use of the tools of the medium. Both subject matters treated are fascinating but I only partially think I understand Glenn's reaction (or punchline) at the tale's conclusion. "Green Tea" was an interesting exploration of a (fictional) historical incident. I didn't particularly care for "28th St," though it was an inventive enough retelling of another story and "Not Sleeping Together" was actually sometimes a chore to get through, though in the end it turned out to be worth the effort. "The Curse" may be the central story and its exploration of the Evil of the starling was fascinating and well rendered.
Like many of these kinds of books, there are several overarching themes that tie together (to one degree or another) the book's stories. I've only read through the book once now and suspect (due to the author's evident talent) that I'm likely not going to be able to pull the whole thing together in a single read. I'd like to spend more time in it, but it's due back at the library soon. I may have to purchase the book in order to best understand it (and that wouldn't be a bad use of money). Though currently, I'd rate some of the stories 5 stars most of the others 4 stars and maybe one of them 3 stars, I'll allow that the books complexity and the requirement of subsequent readings puts this at least solidly in 4 star territory.
Kevin Huizenga's Curses is, for me, no exception to this rule.
While some of the stories are great and perfect examples of viable ways to use the comic medium to tell stories, others are merely good. Certainly, there are no bad stories found in this collection, but not everything is awestriking. Easily the best story in terms of sociological interest and storytelling chops is "Jeepers Jacobs," in which a golf acquaintance of protagonist Glenn Ganges ponders his responsibility for the state of Glenn's soul while penning an article on the doctrine of hell for a conservative evangelical journal of theology. I found myself very interested in Huizenga's ability to portray with sympathy both Jeepers' view of hell and his Christian responsibility and that of his colleagues with whom he sometimes strongly disagreed.
One of the more interesting stories visually was one of the least interesting in narrative terms. "Case 0003128-24" follows the expansion over about a hundred irregular panels of a sometimes impossible landscape, mimicking in pen-and-ink form the artistic style of Chinese brush paintings. In almost every case (there are a couple interesting divergences) the panels can be aligned to bring forth a single scene. And over this artistic expression, a narrative quoted directly from adoption paper plays out in captions. The effect is interesting and I'd love to explore it in more detail, but it wasn't the most invigorating read.
"Lost Boys" employs some narrative genius and makes the valuable use of the tools of the medium. Both subject matters treated are fascinating but I only partially think I understand Glenn's reaction (or punchline) at the tale's conclusion. "Green Tea" was an interesting exploration of a (fictional) historical incident. I didn't particularly care for "28th St," though it was an inventive enough retelling of another story and "Not Sleeping Together" was actually sometimes a chore to get through, though in the end it turned out to be worth the effort. "The Curse" may be the central story and its exploration of the Evil of the starling was fascinating and well rendered.
Like many of these kinds of books, there are several overarching themes that tie together (to one degree or another) the book's stories. I've only read through the book once now and suspect (due to the author's evident talent) that I'm likely not going to be able to pull the whole thing together in a single read. I'd like to spend more time in it, but it's due back at the library soon. I may have to purchase the book in order to best understand it (and that wouldn't be a bad use of money). Though currently, I'd rate some of the stories 5 stars most of the others 4 stars and maybe one of them 3 stars, I'll allow that the books complexity and the requirement of subsequent readings puts this at least solidly in 4 star territory.
September 20, 2011
Huizenga's stories range from Victorian ghost stories, articles on Sudan, folk tales, Christian arguments, and even adoption reports. This can be a good thing if the subjects themselves are interesting though unfortunately most of them are not.
The Victorian ghost story is an adaptation of Sheridan Le Fanu's story "Green Tea" about a vicar haunted by a monkey who tells him to kill himself. The story is agonisingly played out with Le Fanu's words telling us about the vicar and his grief, his meeting with a Victorian psychologist, the repeated sightings of the monkey - all very well for a Victorian audience but for contemporary readers it is really slow. Le Fanu wasn't that a writer anyway, only two of his stories really stand out for me; his vampire story "Carmilla" was a precursor and inspiration for Stoker's "Dracula" and "Uncle Silas" inspired the Lemony Snicket books. "Green Tea" is a below average story that Huizenga draws out for the first 38 pages of this 145 page book and man is it dull.
The other stories aren't much better. "Lost and Found" is Huizenga copying down the words of an article on Sudanese refugees, while "Case 0003128-24" is a copy of an adoption report. Very dry stuff.
The worst of these stories was "Jeepers Jacobs" which tells of a Christian writing about "Hell" and his conception of it through other thinkers who have written about it. This story goes for 25 pages and, as an atheist, I found the various arguments interminable.
There are a few interesting tales like the magical realist fable "28th Street" about Glenn Ganges (the main character of each story) and his wife Wendy looking to conceive a child and doing so through plucking a feather off of an ogre. "The Curse" follows the story and is about starlings.
Though the stories are mostly tedious retellings of secondary sources Huizenga has picked up on, the drawings are the real treat here. I love Huizenga's style, it's natural, it's different, it's very pleasing to look at, especially in the last 30 pages when colour is introduced. In the adoption story "Case..." Huizenga produces some gorgeous pictures in the Japanese style of the 18th century that made me go back and look at each panel again. Wonderful.
Also the production of the book is marvellous. Drawn and Quarterly is a company associated with quality and they come through with this hardback book. Well designed and using high quality paper, the book itself is beautiful to hold.
Though I'd say some of the stories left me either bored or barely interested, the artwork really kept me going. I'd still read stuff by Huizenga in the future I just hope he either starts writing stories himself or uses more interesting material.
The Victorian ghost story is an adaptation of Sheridan Le Fanu's story "Green Tea" about a vicar haunted by a monkey who tells him to kill himself. The story is agonisingly played out with Le Fanu's words telling us about the vicar and his grief, his meeting with a Victorian psychologist, the repeated sightings of the monkey - all very well for a Victorian audience but for contemporary readers it is really slow. Le Fanu wasn't that a writer anyway, only two of his stories really stand out for me; his vampire story "Carmilla" was a precursor and inspiration for Stoker's "Dracula" and "Uncle Silas" inspired the Lemony Snicket books. "Green Tea" is a below average story that Huizenga draws out for the first 38 pages of this 145 page book and man is it dull.
The other stories aren't much better. "Lost and Found" is Huizenga copying down the words of an article on Sudanese refugees, while "Case 0003128-24" is a copy of an adoption report. Very dry stuff.
The worst of these stories was "Jeepers Jacobs" which tells of a Christian writing about "Hell" and his conception of it through other thinkers who have written about it. This story goes for 25 pages and, as an atheist, I found the various arguments interminable.
There are a few interesting tales like the magical realist fable "28th Street" about Glenn Ganges (the main character of each story) and his wife Wendy looking to conceive a child and doing so through plucking a feather off of an ogre. "The Curse" follows the story and is about starlings.
Though the stories are mostly tedious retellings of secondary sources Huizenga has picked up on, the drawings are the real treat here. I love Huizenga's style, it's natural, it's different, it's very pleasing to look at, especially in the last 30 pages when colour is introduced. In the adoption story "Case..." Huizenga produces some gorgeous pictures in the Japanese style of the 18th century that made me go back and look at each panel again. Wonderful.
Also the production of the book is marvellous. Drawn and Quarterly is a company associated with quality and they come through with this hardback book. Well designed and using high quality paper, the book itself is beautiful to hold.
Though I'd say some of the stories left me either bored or barely interested, the artwork really kept me going. I'd still read stuff by Huizenga in the future I just hope he either starts writing stories himself or uses more interesting material.
October 25, 2007
At least I made it through this turd. Don't get me wrong, if you enjoy essays on religion and religious debate and religion vs. science vs. spirituality vs. Haystacks Calhoun in a steel cage match at the Rapid City Civic Center... sorry. Then this is the story for you. It was engaging enough at first being character-driven by Glenn Ganges. Some people may be into the stuff Glenn is rapping about or that Kevin is laying down. It was tolerable until the last story, and this more because of my taste than bad storytelling. It comes down to being exactly like a huge big-budget tv production of the super bowl of paint-drying. It may have great packaging, but the source material sucks. It's lika dis. The last story has Glenn golfing in his brother's foursome of evangelical professors. The guy who gives Glenn a ride home finds out Glenn isn't religious or "a believer." This begins page upon page of the professor reflecting on what is to become of non-believers like Glenn and if the bible really says there is a hell or not. It even includes actual bible "scholar" quotes. I was raised catholic, but I don't consider myself christian. I compare bible scholars to comic geeks. Except geeks know they're talking about fiction. No one ever started wars over whether or not Kyle Rayner was a good Green Lantern (I know what you're thinking, and that was never officially declared "war"). We know its fake. We like it. Bible scholars use circular logic, saying it's real, it really happened, I'll kill you to show you how compassionate my white-male god is!!! So some seriousness and weight are given to religious arguments despite the fact that they have as much evidence to back them up and as much relevance as similar argument over who the better Silver Surfer artist is/was (I'ma slap Denzel for saying "Moebius" in that movie. It was JACK "King" KIRBY and no one else). See? We love our comix like they love their lord. But in the end we KNOW it ain't real, just like our Canadian girlfriends.
Where was I? Yeah. So it's this whole story about this guy finding out if the bible says there actually is a hell or not. Whether non-believer souls go to a "place" like hell, or if they just cease to exist. So the guy is gonna say something to Glenn, but then has a heart attack on the shitter. No, I'm not kidding. That's the end of the story. This book is praised, and I guess if you like that sort of thing, go for it. I got it from the library and kinda wish I hadn't.
Where was I? Yeah. So it's this whole story about this guy finding out if the bible says there actually is a hell or not. Whether non-believer souls go to a "place" like hell, or if they just cease to exist. So the guy is gonna say something to Glenn, but then has a heart attack on the shitter. No, I'm not kidding. That's the end of the story. This book is praised, and I guess if you like that sort of thing, go for it. I got it from the library and kinda wish I hadn't.
July 29, 2015
I really enjoy Huizenga's illustration style.
There's a neatness and simplicity to it.
I REALLY enjoyed the Glenn Ganges story included in The Best American Comics 2009 (on gaming after work at a .com). This collection isn't quite as strong to me as that story. There isn't the humor. Some of the selections feel like essays in comic form (very text reliant). This is more thought-provoking than the gaming selection.
I especially liked the illustrated text of adoption documentation. I sense that much of the content is barely-fictionalized autobiography.
But I want more from this sequential artist. Looking forward to the next stuff he publishes.
There's a neatness and simplicity to it.
I REALLY enjoyed the Glenn Ganges story included in The Best American Comics 2009 (on gaming after work at a .com). This collection isn't quite as strong to me as that story. There isn't the humor. Some of the selections feel like essays in comic form (very text reliant). This is more thought-provoking than the gaming selection.
I especially liked the illustrated text of adoption documentation. I sense that much of the content is barely-fictionalized autobiography.
But I want more from this sequential artist. Looking forward to the next stuff he publishes.
June 25, 2022
This is a collection of nine comics about Glenn Ganges, a sort of everyman character whom it’s tempting to assume is an author avatar, and who also stars in Huizenga’s phenomenal The River at Night. Despite all revolving around the same characters, these are fundamentally nine separate comics, largely lacking an overarching narrative and varying massively in terms of subject matter, style and (unfortunately) how much I enjoyed them.
That said, there is one thing that’s consistent throughout this book: the quality of the cartooning. To state it plainly: I love Huizenga’s style. It’s very simple but hugely expressive, and it’s somehow just deeply appealing to me on a gut level. The backgrounds are really evocative and the characters' faces have an inexplicably pleasing roundness to them – they rotate in a way that makes them feel three dimensional. The art looks great in black-and-white (about three quarters of this material), and it looks even better in full colour (two strips towards the end) – the latter having a real Franco-Belgian ligne claire feel.
Another commonality running through these comics is the suburban Michigan setting. Like Nick Drnaso and Chris Ware, Huizenga captures North American suburbia’s monotone deadness, his characters frequently driving through congested stroads lined with advertisements, visiting anonymous diners, petrol stations and big-box stores. However, his portrayal of this environment isn’t wholly negative: he also captures a sense of beauty and peacefulness in its leafy residential neighbourhoods and pristine golf courses, of humanity and even community residing between the picket fences and in the bleak commercial zones. As such, it feels like an honest, holistic depiction.
I have to say outright that there are two comics here – “The Curse” (10 pages) and “Not Sleeping Together” (11 pages) – that simply don't do much for me. I don't really have any criticisms of them beyond the comment that I just don't get them. On one level, "The Curse" is pretty straightforward, but it's clearly supposed to be operating on another level that I can't grasp. "Not Sleeping Together" is just plain confusing, even though I read it twice. In both cases, there’s clearly a point, but I don’t know what it is. Maybe I’m not smart enough?
Apart from those two, though, I really like everything here. “The Hot New Thing” (2 pages) is funny and clever, delivering sharp social commentary in a cunningly oblique, amusingly surreal way. “Green Tea” (31 pages) is a fascinating story about the human mind, combining Huizenga’s usual contemporary setting with a sort of Victorian ghost story. “28th Street” (20 pages) is a weird and wonderful adventure that sees Glenn Ganges’s world take a magical realist turn and then delve into full-on psychedelia. “Case 0003128-24” (15 pages), the most avant-garde comic in the bunch, is a very successful experiment in juxtaposing a found text with imagery that has no immediate relevance but is emotionally powerful.
Then there are three comics that stand out above the rest. “Lost and Found” (10 pages), “Jeepers Japers” (24 pages) and “Jeezoh” (5 pages) are all, in my opinion, pure brilliance. These are comics that have the exact x factor that makes me love The River at Night. They're comics that take a long, hard look into the deepest depths of mundane workaday existence and then come out with head-spinning reflections on the world, society, life and humanity. They're comics that maintain a light tone but still manage to punch the reader in the gut. They're comics that earn Huizenga his place among my favourite cartoonists.
In sum, Curses may not be entirely consistent, but it’s bold and ambitious, engaging in formal and narrative experiments while remaining grounded by likeable, believable characters and an unwavering focus on universal human concerns.
That said, there is one thing that’s consistent throughout this book: the quality of the cartooning. To state it plainly: I love Huizenga’s style. It’s very simple but hugely expressive, and it’s somehow just deeply appealing to me on a gut level. The backgrounds are really evocative and the characters' faces have an inexplicably pleasing roundness to them – they rotate in a way that makes them feel three dimensional. The art looks great in black-and-white (about three quarters of this material), and it looks even better in full colour (two strips towards the end) – the latter having a real Franco-Belgian ligne claire feel.
Another commonality running through these comics is the suburban Michigan setting. Like Nick Drnaso and Chris Ware, Huizenga captures North American suburbia’s monotone deadness, his characters frequently driving through congested stroads lined with advertisements, visiting anonymous diners, petrol stations and big-box stores. However, his portrayal of this environment isn’t wholly negative: he also captures a sense of beauty and peacefulness in its leafy residential neighbourhoods and pristine golf courses, of humanity and even community residing between the picket fences and in the bleak commercial zones. As such, it feels like an honest, holistic depiction.
I have to say outright that there are two comics here – “The Curse” (10 pages) and “Not Sleeping Together” (11 pages) – that simply don't do much for me. I don't really have any criticisms of them beyond the comment that I just don't get them. On one level, "The Curse" is pretty straightforward, but it's clearly supposed to be operating on another level that I can't grasp. "Not Sleeping Together" is just plain confusing, even though I read it twice. In both cases, there’s clearly a point, but I don’t know what it is. Maybe I’m not smart enough?
Apart from those two, though, I really like everything here. “The Hot New Thing” (2 pages) is funny and clever, delivering sharp social commentary in a cunningly oblique, amusingly surreal way. “Green Tea” (31 pages) is a fascinating story about the human mind, combining Huizenga’s usual contemporary setting with a sort of Victorian ghost story. “28th Street” (20 pages) is a weird and wonderful adventure that sees Glenn Ganges’s world take a magical realist turn and then delve into full-on psychedelia. “Case 0003128-24” (15 pages), the most avant-garde comic in the bunch, is a very successful experiment in juxtaposing a found text with imagery that has no immediate relevance but is emotionally powerful.
Then there are three comics that stand out above the rest. “Lost and Found” (10 pages), “Jeepers Japers” (24 pages) and “Jeezoh” (5 pages) are all, in my opinion, pure brilliance. These are comics that have the exact x factor that makes me love The River at Night. They're comics that take a long, hard look into the deepest depths of mundane workaday existence and then come out with head-spinning reflections on the world, society, life and humanity. They're comics that maintain a light tone but still manage to punch the reader in the gut. They're comics that earn Huizenga his place among my favourite cartoonists.
In sum, Curses may not be entirely consistent, but it’s bold and ambitious, engaging in formal and narrative experiments while remaining grounded by likeable, believable characters and an unwavering focus on universal human concerns.
May 4, 2024
Drawn and Quarterly reissued this collection of Huizenga's comics in February 2024. It was a mixed bag for me; can't say this guy doesn't show attention to detail though.
February 7, 2021
تلك التفاصيل الخارجية التي نغفل عنها..
وهل هي انعكاس لما في الداخل..
جميل كيف ينقل الكاتب ما في داخله ليضع نفسه أمام المرآة..
وكأنه يعملنا الطريقة لا يروي لنا قصته..
وهل هي انعكاس لما في الداخل..
جميل كيف ينقل الكاتب ما في داخله ليضع نفسه أمام المرآة..
وكأنه يعملنا الطريقة لا يروي لنا قصته..
July 26, 2015
This collection was between a three and a four for me. I really appreciated it, and I thought the art was great. In the end though, I didn't enjoy it as much as I'd hoped to. There is a lot of interesting texture and philosophical meandering, which I liked. Some serious existential comedy in here with Glenn Ganges, which I tend to appreciate in many of its forms, and the forms it takes in here are unique -- pillowy-soft in places and fairly harsh in others. It's a strange journey, not necessarily taking expected routes, but I found it a worth-while read and look forward to reading more of Huizenga's work.
November 20, 2020
Krótsze formy zaprezentowane w zbiorze o wymownym tytule "Curses" to ciekawa mieszanka tematów, konwencji i kulturowych odniesień, choć nie wszystko ujęło mnie w takim stopniu, w jakim bym chciał.
Interpretacja wiktoriańskiego horroru "Green Tea" - Sheridana Le Fanu zaczyna się krótkim wprowadzeniem z życia Glenna Gangesa (bohatera większości komiksów Huizengi) i właściwie to ono dostarcza najwięcej radochy czytelnikowi. W momencie, gdy autor przechodzi do "właściwej opowieści", robi się nudnawo. Myślę, że Jason w "The Iron Wagoon" pokazał, że można takie rzeczy robić sprawniej i z większą korzyścią dla czytelnika. "Lost and Found" wychodzi od motywu codziennej poczty, jaką dostaje Glenn, wśród której są karty z wizerunkami zaginionych i poszukiwanych osób. To pozwala na płynne przejście do tematu uchodźców z Sunadu i tragedii, jaka ich spotkała w ojczystym kraju - przejmująca rzecz. "28th Street" luźno nawiązuje do włoskiej legendy o magicznym piórku i całość ma właśnie taki baśniowy charakter ze szczęśliwym (choć już bardzo realnym) finałem. Jest przyjemnie, choć w kontekście całości to raczej średniak. Zupełnie inaczej jest w "The Curse" opartym znów na realnych wydarzeniach i mówiącym o plagach szpaków, z jakimi borykają się mieszkańcy USA. Autor świetnie opakowuje opowieść kontekstem i anegdotami historycznymi. Jeszcze inny charakter ma "Case 0003128" - to eksperyment, w którym treść formularza adopcyjnego zobrazowano grafikami jakby żywcem wyjętymi ze starych orientalnych obrazów przedstawiających przyrodę. Chyba nie zrozumiałem konceptu, bo w żaden sposób mi się treść w formą nie kleiły - na szczęście to jedynie krótki epizod w stosunku do całości.
Mocno rozbudowaną i chyba najciekawszą historią jest "Jeepers Jacobs". Dotyczy toczonego między teologami głównego odłamu chrześcijaństwa, a Ewangelikami sporu na temat natury piekła. Autor sprytnie umieścił przedmiot sprawy w kontekście swojego bohatera, choć do samej dysputy, jak i w ogóle religii jest zdecydowanie zdystansowany. Odbieram to jako świadectwo pustki i jałowości wszystkich tych wydumanych rozważań i daremnego trudu polemistów. To nie tylko do niczego nie prowadzi, ale zazwyczaj tylko rekompensuje coś, czego w życiu dyskutantów zabrakło i w pełni absorbuje ich czas, nie dając i tak żadnych pewnych odpowiedzi. Najbardziej poruszająca była dla mnie jednak zamykająca całość miniaturka pt.: "JEEZOH" o specyficznych wierzeniach dotyczących losu dzieci, które umarły przedwcześnie - jakby takich rzeczy było więcej, byłbym zachwycony.
Inną kwestią jest styl grafik. Uwielbiam tę prostą, ale precyzyjną kreskę z bohaterem przypominającym Tintina. To dla mnie komiksowy ideał niczym wzorzec kilograma z Sevres. Gdybym tworzył komiks o języku medium (jak choćby "Zrozumieć komiks" - McClouda) to z Glenna uczyniłbym narratora.
Solidna, bardzo zajmująca i często nie łatwa lektura, szczególnie dla tych, dla których angielski nie jest pierwszym językiem, ale warto.
Interpretacja wiktoriańskiego horroru "Green Tea" - Sheridana Le Fanu zaczyna się krótkim wprowadzeniem z życia Glenna Gangesa (bohatera większości komiksów Huizengi) i właściwie to ono dostarcza najwięcej radochy czytelnikowi. W momencie, gdy autor przechodzi do "właściwej opowieści", robi się nudnawo. Myślę, że Jason w "The Iron Wagoon" pokazał, że można takie rzeczy robić sprawniej i z większą korzyścią dla czytelnika. "Lost and Found" wychodzi od motywu codziennej poczty, jaką dostaje Glenn, wśród której są karty z wizerunkami zaginionych i poszukiwanych osób. To pozwala na płynne przejście do tematu uchodźców z Sunadu i tragedii, jaka ich spotkała w ojczystym kraju - przejmująca rzecz. "28th Street" luźno nawiązuje do włoskiej legendy o magicznym piórku i całość ma właśnie taki baśniowy charakter ze szczęśliwym (choć już bardzo realnym) finałem. Jest przyjemnie, choć w kontekście całości to raczej średniak. Zupełnie inaczej jest w "The Curse" opartym znów na realnych wydarzeniach i mówiącym o plagach szpaków, z jakimi borykają się mieszkańcy USA. Autor świetnie opakowuje opowieść kontekstem i anegdotami historycznymi. Jeszcze inny charakter ma "Case 0003128" - to eksperyment, w którym treść formularza adopcyjnego zobrazowano grafikami jakby żywcem wyjętymi ze starych orientalnych obrazów przedstawiających przyrodę. Chyba nie zrozumiałem konceptu, bo w żaden sposób mi się treść w formą nie kleiły - na szczęście to jedynie krótki epizod w stosunku do całości.
Mocno rozbudowaną i chyba najciekawszą historią jest "Jeepers Jacobs". Dotyczy toczonego między teologami głównego odłamu chrześcijaństwa, a Ewangelikami sporu na temat natury piekła. Autor sprytnie umieścił przedmiot sprawy w kontekście swojego bohatera, choć do samej dysputy, jak i w ogóle religii jest zdecydowanie zdystansowany. Odbieram to jako świadectwo pustki i jałowości wszystkich tych wydumanych rozważań i daremnego trudu polemistów. To nie tylko do niczego nie prowadzi, ale zazwyczaj tylko rekompensuje coś, czego w życiu dyskutantów zabrakło i w pełni absorbuje ich czas, nie dając i tak żadnych pewnych odpowiedzi. Najbardziej poruszająca była dla mnie jednak zamykająca całość miniaturka pt.: "JEEZOH" o specyficznych wierzeniach dotyczących losu dzieci, które umarły przedwcześnie - jakby takich rzeczy było więcej, byłbym zachwycony.
Inną kwestią jest styl grafik. Uwielbiam tę prostą, ale precyzyjną kreskę z bohaterem przypominającym Tintina. To dla mnie komiksowy ideał niczym wzorzec kilograma z Sevres. Gdybym tworzył komiks o języku medium (jak choćby "Zrozumieć komiks" - McClouda) to z Glenna uczyniłbym narratora.
Solidna, bardzo zajmująca i często nie łatwa lektura, szczególnie dla tych, dla których angielski nie jest pierwszym językiem, ale warto.
July 28, 2024
it’s interesting how the graphic novels that were considered classics of their era mostly seem kinda quaint and weak now. i hated the first story in this so much that i actually put it down for a few months, but i’m glad i picked it up again because it got a lot better. still, i’d say it’s somewhat mediocre for what it is.
June 10, 2020
I enjoyed this much more than the most recent Glenn Ganges collection (The River at Night). Overall, the stories in this collection were much more honest and less visually fussy. The visual wankery of Huizinga’s recent comics just gets in the way of his killer storytelling chops. But not so in this earlier collection. Excellent stuff.
February 23, 2024
Why haven’t I read this years ago? Simple, elegant drawing and unique and unexpected stories.
February 23, 2016
A great collection of short stories told in comics format with a shared central character, the middle-class suburban-dwelling everyman Glenn Ganges. Huizenga is a master of the claire-ligne style that I love so much -- those spare, deft lines that speak volumes in their simplicity. I also enjoyed the philosophical and supernatural tinge of several of the stories in this volume, especially the related stories about the lengths Glenn & his wife go to produce their own child and the curse of the starlings. The stories aren't very plot-driven; they're more like thought-exercises or sketches, so they won't appeal to readers who want a page-turner. I liked the meditative pace, however, it gave me more time to soak up the beauty and details of Huizenga's drawings. I'd recommend this one to fans of Megan Kelso and John Porcellino.
January 20, 2008
An uneven collection of comics featuring the protagonist Glenn Ganges, I liked best the pieces where Glenn's thoughts and ramblings weren't the focus. In the last piece, by far the best in the collection, the narrative shifts to an acquaintance and the shift in perspective gives it a drive and interest lacking in some of the other stories.
March 25, 2016
Here is the quiet, contemplative literary graphic novel that I have been searching for. Huizenga's style offers the reader many opportunities to connect dots on their own, without interference of his own bias, in both his dialogue and his sketches.
August 11, 2008
While there were a couple of bright spots, ultimately this collection was really boring. Also, I am not into comics about dudes & religion. No thank you. I'm really glad I didn't buy this.
March 23, 2024
Curses is a collection of early comics from Kevin Huizenga, centered primarily on his innocuous everyman character Glenn Ganges. A somewhat alter-ego/avatar for Huizenga's own observations, Ganges goes through his mundane life by over-analyzing and over-interpreting everything around him which in turn crafts a rambling sequence of events that toes the lines of being fantastical and surreal. It's a creative approach to storytelling and Huizenga is the master of blending the mundane with the heightened fantasies of the imagination. Coupled with his simple yet expressive cartooning and inventive formal play, Huizenga is rightfully considered an icon within the alternative/independent American comics landscape.
The various strips here features Ganges' musings about general observations - an absurdist filtration of Huizenga's own insight into various ideas. Because of this approach, the Ganges stories are fairly genre-defying as they can dip into fantasy, sci-fi, horror all whilst maintaining a whimsical tone. Adding to the mix is Huizenga's depiction of the monotony of life in suburban America, an underlying baseline from which each story begins. But Huizenga is comfortable with shifting the setting rapidly, and the Ganges stories provide an easy outlet towards more eclectic backdrops. Stories like the opener "Green Tea", "28th Street" and "Case 0003128-24" are remarkable ventures into experimental comics that truly capture the imagination.
Not all stories here are homeruns though, as plenty find themselves mired in the rambling musings of Ganges' thoughts. The writing as such can be clunky by design, which isn't always the most fun to get through. Those kinds of stories feel less prevalent in Huizenga's latter works, but here with stories like "The Curse" and "Not Sleeping Together" feel more underdeveloped than actually avant-garde. His latter comics manage to strike the balance of stream-of-consciousness storytelling with the witty humor and surrealism a lot better for sure. Still, Curses is a great foray into the minds of one of the better alternative cartoonists working today.
The various strips here features Ganges' musings about general observations - an absurdist filtration of Huizenga's own insight into various ideas. Because of this approach, the Ganges stories are fairly genre-defying as they can dip into fantasy, sci-fi, horror all whilst maintaining a whimsical tone. Adding to the mix is Huizenga's depiction of the monotony of life in suburban America, an underlying baseline from which each story begins. But Huizenga is comfortable with shifting the setting rapidly, and the Ganges stories provide an easy outlet towards more eclectic backdrops. Stories like the opener "Green Tea", "28th Street" and "Case 0003128-24" are remarkable ventures into experimental comics that truly capture the imagination.
Not all stories here are homeruns though, as plenty find themselves mired in the rambling musings of Ganges' thoughts. The writing as such can be clunky by design, which isn't always the most fun to get through. Those kinds of stories feel less prevalent in Huizenga's latter works, but here with stories like "The Curse" and "Not Sleeping Together" feel more underdeveloped than actually avant-garde. His latter comics manage to strike the balance of stream-of-consciousness storytelling with the witty humor and surrealism a lot better for sure. Still, Curses is a great foray into the minds of one of the better alternative cartoonists working today.
August 28, 2020
Curses is a graphic collection of Glenn Ganges stories. Glenn is an everyday middle-American guy with a wife, Wendy. There's a ghastly story about Glenn finding a vicar back in 1800s who had similar eerie hallucinations as him. A humorous surreal search for an ogre so that Glenn and his wife could get pregnant, whereby setting off a curse (another story), in the form of an infestation of European starlings in the neighborhood. There's Glenn and Wendy exploring the Hot New Thing, only to disagree about it in the end. There's Glenn's obsession with the "Have You Seen Us?" mailings, which results in a desire to clean the carpets, only after a long, meandering look at the history of Sudan's Lost Boys. There's adoption case file contents set against tranquil nature scenery. There's a story that's sort of an ode to late night diners and the undead in small town cemeteries (of course!) Jeeper Jacobs, the longest story in the collection, is a strange mix of golf and theology, which will probably challenge most readers (this one was probably my least favorite, though I enjoyed the conversations between Glenn and Jeepers; and the art, clean lines, superb colors and shades, was great.)
Overall, the collection is fun and interesting (except maybe the long theological stuff, which had a lot of humor buried in it, but required patience). The art and paneling is fantastic. Recommended for those who like plastic bags, libraries, monkeys, gutters full of leaves in the fall, and murmurations.
Overall, the collection is fun and interesting (except maybe the long theological stuff, which had a lot of humor buried in it, but required patience). The art and paneling is fantastic. Recommended for those who like plastic bags, libraries, monkeys, gutters full of leaves in the fall, and murmurations.
April 6, 2024
It's hard for me to describe what specifically draws me to Kevin Huizenga's work, since his stories can run a wide gamut. They are at times deeply contemplative on the nature of nature and time and being (much like John Porcellino), at times incredibly discursive (like a good nonfiction writer), at times quite mythological (with one story focusing on an urban feathered ogre), and almost always play heavily with the formal aspects of the artwork. (For an example of the latter, one story in this volume has backgrounds in the style of Chinese ink paintings with text taken - typos and all - from some mid-twentieth century adoption papers.)
I had read about half of these stories in a small comic book called Or Else, but I'm happy to have them in a nicer presentation. The stories that affected me most were "Green Tea (Glenn Ganges Remix)" - one of the most frightening stories I have read about OCD and hallucinations - and "Jeepers Jacobs", where Huizenga delves into the writings and opinions of conservative Christian theologians arguing for the necessity of the existence of Hell as "eternal conscious torment". It's clear Huizenga doesn't buy into any of these arguments, but equally clear that he's fascinated by the discourse and the gap between the (very academic) arguments and the lives of the theologians.
I had read about half of these stories in a small comic book called Or Else, but I'm happy to have them in a nicer presentation. The stories that affected me most were "Green Tea (Glenn Ganges Remix)" - one of the most frightening stories I have read about OCD and hallucinations - and "Jeepers Jacobs", where Huizenga delves into the writings and opinions of conservative Christian theologians arguing for the necessity of the existence of Hell as "eternal conscious torment". It's clear Huizenga doesn't buy into any of these arguments, but equally clear that he's fascinated by the discourse and the gap between the (very academic) arguments and the lives of the theologians.
February 19, 2024
A collection of short stories of various quality. The opening story really dragged on. It was a Victorian story about a man who saw visions of a monkey that wanted him to kill himself. It droned on and on. My favorite was the story about a man from Michigan who was trying to get pregnant with his wife. Nothing was working so he sought out the feather of an ogre to make them pregnant. There was one other terrible story in the back about the same man who went golfing with his brother and met a deeply religious man who was writing an article about Hell. It went on for forever and said nothing. I finally had to start skipping pages as this guy thought through writing this article while in his basement. The other stories have their ups and downs. I did quite like the art. It reminded me of something from a newspaper strip.
March 8, 2021
Really high quality one-person collection. Thoughtful and well-drawn comics about god and religion are uncommon, and you get one of those here. The adoption story was strangely touching, given that it was taken directly from adoption paperwork and the illustrations were completely unrelated--east asian-looking watercolor. I loved the modern fable about infertility. And the first story was pretty good, with a great premise: insomnia and caffeine-induced hallucinations. The historical part dragged for a few pages when it was getting started, but the chimp was so perfectly drawn that it helped keep things interesting. The startling story is really well executed as well.
This collection was my first Huizenga book and left me looking for more.
This collection was my first Huizenga book and left me looking for more.
December 27, 2020
This is a rare graphic novel that I did not enjoy. I imagine there is some higher meaning to all of the stories but they are beyond me. The characters go on and on with theological discussions and stories that don't make a lot of sense (to me, anyway).
I found the book tedious and had to make myself finish it. (I hate dropping a book in the middle of reading it.)
I rarely tell people not to read a book, and I'm not saying it for this one. Just be aware that this might not be everyone's cup of tea.
I found the book tedious and had to make myself finish it. (I hate dropping a book in the middle of reading it.)
I rarely tell people not to read a book, and I'm not saying it for this one. Just be aware that this might not be everyone's cup of tea.
September 6, 2024
Read this concurrently with Sammy Harkham's Everything Together and am struck by the similarities. The illustrations somewhat but also both feel very midwestern and where Harkham is metropolitan and Jewish, Huizenga is suburban and Christian. Both books spend a comic or two devoted to diving deeper into their religious interests. The mid-aughts hipster seemed to flirt with theology a lot, myself included. My favorite parts of this though are all the telephone poles along the horizon. I'm a sucker for 'em
January 29, 2024
From "Green Tea" (inspired by LeFanu): "I believe that everyone who sets about writing in earnest does his work on something--tea, coffee, tobacco. I suppose there is a material waste that must be hourly supplied in such occupations or that we should grow too abstracted, and the mind, as it were, pass out of the body, unless it were reminded often enough of the connection by actual sensation" (20).
October 30, 2023
Huizenga presents a series of stories featuring his character (or alter-ego?) Glenn Ganges. The cartooning is simple but effective, and the stories are thoughtful, occasionally bordering into the horror genre. The stories are probably best read not all in one sitting: sometimes the philosophical musings become a bit heavy-handed.
December 11, 2023
Breves historias gráficas independientes pero con el protagonista, Glenn, como hilo conductor.
Cada historia abarca un ámbito muy específico. Algunas de las historias ofrecen información muy interesante y poco conocida.
El estilo de dibujo, simple pero con elementos gráficos clave hace que las historias sean cortas pero muy interesantes.
Cada historia abarca un ámbito muy específico. Algunas de las historias ofrecen información muy interesante y poco conocida.
El estilo de dibujo, simple pero con elementos gráficos clave hace que las historias sean cortas pero muy interesantes.
March 20, 2024
Cursed Be…
They’re well written, and drawn. There are bizarre moments in some stories. Most of them black and white, and a couple of them are in color. Personal faves are the Green Tea, Feathered Ogre, and Jeeves. Be looking forward to more.
They’re well written, and drawn. There are bizarre moments in some stories. Most of them black and white, and a couple of them are in color. Personal faves are the Green Tea, Feathered Ogre, and Jeeves. Be looking forward to more.
May 23, 2024
Huizenga’s visual storytelling is stellar. I read the new 2024 version, but it was a new book to me. The stories themselves were interesting for the most part, but I think I would prefer to try some of the artist’s long form stories over an anthology approach. Well worth a read.
June 14, 2017
Some fun stories and great drawings but oh jeez that last one with the golfing preacher was a slog
Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews