2011 Book Review: "32 Stories: The complete Optic Nerve mini-comics" by Adrian Tomine (#4)

 

 I was first introduced to Adrian Tomine through his latest graphic novel, Shortcomings. I then purchased Summer Blonde, a collection of 4 short stories.

Tomine is highly regarded in comics, especially in the underground and mini scene since this is where he got his start. I decided to get his book, 32 Stories , a collection of all the mini-comics he made under the name of Optic Nerve.

Tomine speaks about drawing as a substitute for social interaction as a teenager, debuting Optic Nerve at 25 photocopied and stapled copies in August 1991.

These first few comics are sketchy, impatient one-page fiction comics and autobiographies. Very different from his current style, but representative of a young teenager still figuring stuff out.

These early stories feature him and his friends, meta stories about comics-writing, dreams and a bad job he had. The fiction stories are blunt but contain the depressing funny-sad tone that I associate with Tomine.

As his drawing style slowly matures, so do his story-lines. The autobiographic comics become 5-6 page full-length stories, while the fiction stories feature compelling characters.

It is in these stories that Tomine experiments with, and in many cases perfects, his brand of story-telling...taking characters who, at their very core, are stereotypes -- the panty thief/pervert, the loner girl, the high school drop-out; placing them in everyday situations and beginning the story in the middle...as if we just happened to be walking past their window, over-hearing snippets of conversation before walking away again.

My favorite story from this period is "Mike the Mod," where the high school drop-out seems to turn his life around and ends up...well, where we expected.

It's not a ground-breaking plot but Tomine's execution left me bitter-sweet; recalling both my own naive awe at how having an apartment and a job instead of going to school meant the world was at your feet, and the years I spent working a dead-end fast food job to pay the bills before going back to college.

In the last few stories in the collection I recognize Tomine's current clean, precise style. My favorite story from here is "Happy Anniversary," where an unnamed couple celebrate their low-key anniversary with dinner and a movie at home. The girl seems passive-aggressive, wondering whether he is truly happy and seems to hint that the relationship may be one merely of convenience.

Nothing is resolved, as is Tomine's style, but the ending is graceful, leaving us wondering. If you've ever been in a relationship, you will recognize that moment, lying awake thinking, the moment potent with possibility but ultimately, returning to the habits of daily living.

In all, there are some great stories in this collection. As a Tomine fan, I loved seeing his development as an artist and writer. The autobiographical comics were nice too, I hadn't pegged him as the type.

However, I don't think a casual reader would get much from reading this collection. The early stories are slow and dreary, while the later ones lack focus and jump around in style. New readers would benefit more from reading his later works mentioned above.


Please support small business by getting "32 Stories: The complete Optic Nerve mini-comics" by Adrain Tomine from your local book seller or direct from the publisher at Drawn & Quarterly. If you must, it is also available on Amazon.com