The Big Book of Weirdos

Technically this book was a re-read. Only I read this book years ago. Long before I started to keep a reading journal. The first time I encountered this book was when I was living in Durham NC, after having just got married. So at most, I read this book for the first time 25 years ago. The Big Book of Weirdos was one of the Durham Public Library Main Branch's few honest-to-God graphic novels placed in the graphic novel section of the library. In those days, if you went looking for graphic novels at the library, you were lucky if you could find something other than Garfield and Bloom County on the shelves.

This book written by Carl Posey examines the lives of famous people we collectively think of as rather strange, like Howard Hughes, depraved, such as Rasputin and Caligula, or rather terrifying, such as Ivan the Terrible. However, the majority of the book is made up of people who had underlying mental illness brought about the abuse of drugs and alcohol or those whose lives spiraled out of control because they lived in an age of primitive mental health practices or were surrounded by 'yes men'. Occasionally, there's a subject or two of which my grandmother would classify as 'just damn mean.'

This is the 6th book from Paradox Press that I now own. I love these treasuries of various subjects that are given the short story sequential art treatment by multiple talents. In this edition, Rick Geary, Batton Lash, Kieron Dwyer and Frank Quietly are among over 5 dozen talented artists who contributed. There's about 8 more books in the series out there that I hope to one day get my hands on.

Though I haven't read them all yet, The Big Book of Weirdos is one of more spicier books. Sex, murder, cheating, corruption are just some of the seven deadly sins being broken in this book. And that's not to mention the 10 Commandments, of which at least 13 are broken by the artists, politicians and socialites whose alternative lifestyles are examined inside.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

The Adventures of Blanche

The Adventures of Blanche collects the complete Blanche Trilogy. Created by Rick Geary, this is a whirlwind epic that takes place at the turn of the 20th century all the way through to the beginning of the Jazz Age. Blanche is a young woman with a musical gift. Her talents take her first to the Big Apple, where she is admitted into a training program. Then Blanche is hired to work in a Hollywood that is just in it's infancy. Her adventures wrap up in Paris, where she is hired to score a surreal play created by artist Pablo Picasso.

In the midst of all three adventures, Blanche becomes embroiled with mysterious figures, labor disputes, and strange cults. With a new introduction that frames Blanche's letters back home as being those of his grandmother's, as well as a heavy dose of historical figures, you really wonder if these stories really happened. That adds a dose of realism to the whimsy. But, I doubt that a young woman of this time period would discuss some of the rather 'shocking for the time period' observations to her mother and father; albeit in a series of letters.

I bought this book not for the subject matter but for the writer/artist. Rick Geary is noted for his true crimes graphic novels. They are some dynamic reads. But they are also difficult to come by. The Adventures of Blanche has got that nostalgic flare, which is prevalent in Geary's non-fiction works. But that 'just the facts' approach that Rick Geary takes to his works is missing here. 

I enjoyed this book. But as space in my graphic novel collection is at a premium, it's not a Rick Geary book that holds a deep connection to me to keep. I'll let this one go for some trade credit and the hope that I can find a True Victorian Crime GN for cheap in the future.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

The Big Book of the 70s

Marie Severin, Rick Geary, Joe Orlando and dozens more fan favorite artists bring the 1970s back to life in The Big Book of the 70s.

While not everything that made the 70s my favorite decade is adequately covered in this book, there's a lot of biggies here. The Pet Rock. Watergate. Vietnam. Punk and Disco. This book is supposed to be about 1970-1979. Yet, a good portion of this book looks at the years that led to the Me-Decade as well as the aftermath of the decades that followed. But then again, any history book worth it's salt must focus on both the cause and effects of history!

I did learn a lot about things of the 70s that I knew very little to nothing about. Things like how the Sex Pistols got their name. Just who is Gary Gilmore? And there was tons of fun facts peppered throughout this book.

I wasn't such a big fan of the writing. The Witching's Jonathan Vankin does a good job at presenting the facts. But he puts too much of his own commentary into the book. I was quite surprised how anti-Jerry Brown the author is. Same with Jimmy Carter. But he really skewers Reagan and portrays the 80s icon as a demon. Quite unfairly, I must say...

One subject I was surprised is absent here was the rise of the gay community. Harvey Milk is completely absent from this book. There's also nothing about the Black Panthers. And this has got to be the first book I've ever read that covers the 1970s and doesn't dip it's toe into the sensationalism that is Jim Jones and the Jonestown massacre! 

Maybe not the most complete look at 10 turbulent years in world history. But you learn things that have been glossed over in American history as well. I didn't know we had a meat shortage in the 70s and I am a professional chef.  But hey, we got to learn about the 1970s in graphic novel/comics form. And that's pretty groovy!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: a very fitting 7 out of 10 stars.

The Borden Tragedy: A Memoir of the Infamous Double Murder at Fall River, Mass., 1892

Victorian true crime writer and artist Rick Geary recounts the events of the Lizzie Borden murders. A big fan of Geary's, I was ecstatic to read his take on the crime. In college, when I was a history major (not culinary), I did a research paper on Lizzie Border. It was a fascinating murder mystery that due to Border being found not guilty, is still considered unsolved to this day. Plus, this case was when I realized that my focus of study wasn't going to go the traditional route. But then again, when do I do anything like everybody else???

Rick Geary's work is one that collects the clues all the way from eyewitness accounts to sensationalized reporting to the court cases themselves. In no way does Geary express his bias onto the story. It's just the facts and nothing but the facts. Well, in the case of the Borden murders, since a suspect was never found guilty of the crimes, there's theory. But again, those theories are based on police and medical examiner findings and not the author's opinion.

I hit the mother lode at my local library recently. I've got 5 more Rick Geary graphic novels left to read and with it getting closer to fall and October, I am getting pumped to read some spooky stuff. You can't build upon the Halloween atmosphere any better with Gothic mysteries. Especially when these case files are all true!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

A Treasury of Victorian Murder Compendium

  The unsolved mystery of Jack the Ripper, the prolonged assassination of President James Garfield, and the strange case of H.H. Holmes; perhaps the first serial murderer in American history. Along with a trio of little known murders involving incest, fraud, and deception, this is the first collection of Victorian Era murder graphic novels by Rick Geary.
     If you love true crime. If you are a fan of the Victorian era. If you enjoy Sherlock Holmes or Agatha Christie, then the works of Rick Geary are right up your ally! 
    You don't have to be a fan of graphic novels to enjoy these historical pieces. With Geary's attention to detail and journalistic storytelling style, anyone who reads Ann Rule or can't miss an episode of Dateline NBC can enjoy this compendium. 
    I'm trying really hard to get my wife to read this. She's balking but I know in my heart of hearts that this is something she'd enjoy and demand more.
    At only $25 cover, this is a killer deal. Especially as each individual Geary edition has a cover price of at least $10 apiece or higher. Check this out on Amazon or your local library, like I did! 
    It would be a crime to pass this volume up!

    Worth Consuming

    Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

The Case of Madeleine Smith: A Treasury of Victorian Murder by Rick Geary

I’ve read a couple of Rick Geary’s graphic novels. His favorite theme is true crime and I find his style to be clear, concise, and very entertaining. The books of Geary are proof that the comics medium can not only entertain but also educate and can be very ‘highbrow.’

The previous Geary tales I’ve read were about Lizzie Borden and the kidnapping of the Lindbergh Baby. Those were high profile cases that were for their times consider “the trial of the century.” The book I just read was about one Madeleine Smith, a young Scottish girl from a well to do family and the mysterious poisoning of her secret paramour, a French gardener. Perhaps because this isn’t such a well know mystery that I didn’t enjoy this story quite as much as Geary’s previous works.

Much of the tale is a review of love letters written between the two main players. It reveals a young girl whose place in society prevents her from following her heart instead of daddy’s purse string. On the flip side, the affair shows an unstable young man whose complex love affair is exacerbated by his past relationship failures.

The story was a Victorian era Romeo & Juliet romance. While the events were shocking for the mid-1800s, in today’s society, I highly doubt this tale would garner much time on CNN. The biggest sticking point in which the case balances upon is whether Ms. Smith killed her lover with arsenic because he threatened to reveal their affair to her parents or if the young man killed himself because he was rebuffed by a young girl forced to marry another man who could further support her family financially and socially. Honestly, I think this case could’ve gone either way, but you’re just going to have to read and find out for yourself. (Or you can Google it, but what’s the fun in that?)

I liked this book. It just wasn’t one of my favorites by the author and artist. However, I hope to come upon more of his true crime graphic novels in the future. To avoid further encounter with this master of true life suspense would be shocking.

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

"The Lindbergh Child (Treasury of XXth Century Murder)" by Rick Geary

WORTH CONSUMING!

A great read. This is a book for people who love comics, but are afraid to read them in public.

I want to read the entire series.

Worth Consuming.