Can't Get No - Softcover

Veitch, Rick

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1401210597 ISBN 13: 9781401210595

Publisher: Vertigo, 2006

Synopsis

Used. Very Good conditions. May have soft reading marks and name of the previous owner.

About this title

From School Library Journal:

Grade 10 Up–Advertising executive Chad Roe is working on the new Eter-No-Mark permanent marker when its indelible nature causes its stock to plummet unexpectedly. Reeling with shock and disappointment, Chad wakes from ones prescribed poison binge to find himself tattooed from tip to toe with his own marker. This transformation takes place immediately before the destruction of the World Trade Center, and the combined experiences send Chad on a surreal, bacchanalian voyage of exploration of America and the inner self, culminating at a celebration modeled on the Burning Man festival. The books horizontal format creates a series of easily accessible layouts without the complicated panel tiers that can render an ordinary comic page difficult to follow. Combined with the bold line work, which effectively showcases the contrast of Chads intricate tattoo, the artwork is very legible, telling its story clearly without the need for any additional verbal narration. And good thing, too, as the narrative captions are lumbered with a series of complex metaphors and ruminations, all of which are presented in most purple prose. One of graphic literatures unique features is its ability to have two narratives take place simultaneously, one in the words and another in the images. The parallel verbal and visual narratives here have interesting conjunctions, but the short phrases and constant churn of reference make the verbal portion extremely difficult to absorb. This is a bold experiment, but its unlikely to provoke the sort of emotion or awareness for which its clearly aiming.–Benjamin Russell, The Derryfield School, Manchester, NH
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Publishers Weekly:

Starred Review. Within this oddly shaped book lies one of the most remarkable achievements in recent comics history. Veitch (Maximortal; Swamp Thing) has given the graphic novel medium what may just be its first long-form poem. The drawings tell the story of corporate drone Chad Roe, who is given a new outlook when a weekend bender leaves him tattooed on every inch of his body. His life is further upended when the World Trade Center, where his office is located, is destroyed. This book's distinct style shines through with the narrative captions that accompany Veitch's remarkable art. They don't contain the main character's inner monologue or a narrator's comments on the actions. Instead they present a satirical yet lyrical commentary on the modern American life Roe was very much a part of, but is suddenly removed from now that he is a walking piece of abstract art. It's a biting evisceration of the comfortable place many Americans convinced themselves they had, a conviction that was challenged on 9/11. The words and pictures move in and out of synch with each other, sometimes exemplifying the power and possibilities of comics. When they seem to be telling two different stories, it goes even further to show how several ideas can be communicated at once. Fortunately, Veitch's ideas are strong enough to justify the treatment. (June)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About this edition

• Publisher: Vertigo
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 1401210597
• ISBN 13: 9781401210595
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 352