An Unconventional Prophet

The Complete Persepolis
by Marjane Satrapi 
p. 2000

Persepolis is a bit unlike most of the other books I’ve read this year, not only because it is a graphic novel, but because it is an autobiographical account by the author, Marjane Satrapi, and covers a topic that not many westerners see a whole lot of in their day to day lives: life growing up in Iran from the point of view of a young girl. My friend Kristy lent me her complete Persepolis, which includes the first two volumes of Satrapi’s story. It covers her childhood and young adulthood during the war between Iran and Iraq, the Islamic Revolution, and Satrapi’s adolescence as a student in Austria.

I had the opportunity to read another of Satrapi’s graphic novels, Chicken with Plums, about six years ago for a college course. I wish I could remember the details better but I could not keep the copy I employed for class and admittedly all that is left is the vague impression of being impressed. Thanks to this and all the good press I’ve heard about Persepolis (particularly after the film version was released in 2007), I had reasonably high expectations going into this endeavor and I do not feel I was disappointed.

Satrapi’s narration and art has an extremely minimalistic style. The narration is probably due in part to a loss in translation, but the subject matter Satrapi covers carries no less weight. The stylistic choice works incredibly well for the story, because so much of it is from the point of view of a child and children possess a remarkable wisdom their adult peers lack. Viewing through the lens of a child offers a much wider perspective of the restrictions and complexities growing up as an Iranian woman. And so much about this topic was unknown to me that it was an eye-opening experience.

At fourteen, due to the rising tension in her country, Satrapi’s parents send her away to study in Vienna, Austria. There’s a moment as Satrapi is leaving home, never knowing when or if she would ever return, when you feel simply gutted. It took me completely by surprise and when I was wiping away the tears I never thought I’d shed over a comic book, I realized that the minimalist art approach really works for this story. Like the traditional Iranian woman—who is forced to hide so much of herself behind a veil—there is so much there beneath the surface that begs to be seen, and Satrapi offers such an intensely personal take on that.

The second half of the book has a different feel, focusing more on Satrapi’s awkward, lonely adolescence and highlights her inability to feel like she fits in anywhere. It focuses more on the woman little Marjane grew into and the outside influences that shaped her. There is a return to her home but you get the feeling that the story is not really done, and seeing as the real life Marjane Satrapi is still out there doing what she can to bring awareness to the rest of the world, I have no doubt there will be more story to tell.

But Why Are They So Mean to the Puppy?!

The Stuff of Legend

By Mike Raicht and Brian Smith

Illustrated by Charles Paul Wilson III
p. 2009-present
 

I generally don’t read a lot of comic books or graphic novels, and there is a litany of reasons why, none of which have anything to do with their literary value. For whatever reason—whether it was their unavailability or some early cause for disinterest—a love of comics was not fostered in me as a child. The most I ever got out of the genre were the Sunday strips and those aren’t really meant for lengthy story-telling. My childhood wasn’t very long ago; nonetheless, graphic novels were not even remotely considered ‘academic,’ and there certainly weren’t very many of them in circulation. Even today, you’d have a hard time fighting for the medium to be taught in schools, but at least it’s starting to be accepted more as regular reading material.

That said, though I have respect for the potential that exists in the graphic novel medium, I still don’t seek too many of them out. For starters, it’s not a medium I find myself invested in, generally. I prefer the words—lengthy prose and detailed chapters that really show you what words can do—and have no sense whatsoever of artistic talent. For that reason, I tend to skim over the illustrations in comics, and the entire story ends up being devoured in one sitting. It all goes by too quickly. Because of this, I think plenty of comic book series tend to go on forever without ever coming to an end, our favorite superheroes that have graced the pages for decades being perfect examples of that. I have no interest in stories that never end, so I hope that Th3rd World Studio’s ongoing series, The Stuff of Legend, wisely chooses to wrap things up soon.

The series, by writers Mike Raicht and Brian Smith, boasts three in-depth volumes so far, the fourth expected this fall. Foisted on me by my roommate, who knew I would love it, this is the first comic I’ve reviewed for this blog and thus, the first unfinished story. Perhaps I will post more updates with each subsequent volume that is released, assuming they don’t go on forever—and the damndest thing is that it really could go on forever. In what little has already been told, I am already of the opinion that Raicht and Smith have created a world that has a rich and involved history, one which thousands of unique stories could be molded from easily. Originally conceived of as a children’s bedtime story upon the birth of Raicht’s son, The Stuff of Legend evolved to a dark adventure story that is probably inappropriate for young children. It tells of a boy in World War II-era Brooklyn, dragged into his closet one night by the Boogeyman, who then has to be rescued by the ragtag group of toys (and one adorable puppy) that storm in after him. Once in The Dark—the Boogeyman’s fantastical, shadowy realm—the toys are transformed into powerful warriors, complete with weapons, size, strength and teeth. They’ll need all this equipment at their disposal if they hope to rescue the boy from the Boogeyman and his horde—an army of lost or forgotten toys, left discarded in the dark and rallied by the master they all fear.

At first glance the concept reminds you of Toy Story but while I do believe some of the lessons of boyhood may echo the Pixar franchise, the mood both stories project is not even remotely similar. There is definitely a dark tone to The Stuff of Legend, and the illustrations—inked entirely in muted sepia tones—evoke a lot of moody imagery. I know I already downplayed my authority on artistic accomplishment but for what it’s worth, Charles Paul Wilson III’s artwork is beautiful and highly engaging. His characters’ expressions leap off the page in a story where a lot is left unsaid and expressions must indeed be judged.

As I understand it, there are rumors that a movie adaptation of this novel is in the pre-pre-pre production stages. The idea is that it will mix together live action and CGI. On the one hand, I love this idea, as the epic story begs to be made into this highly visual format. Done right, this movie could be perfect, and easily the next big thing. On the other hand, it could just as easily fall flat, and I don’t really like the idea of starting a movie franchise before the series has been completed. Perhaps this is a sign that the story does have an ending that it is working towards? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. In any case, I have the worst patience when it comes to hearing the end of a story that hasn’t been told yet, so I’m glad my wait until volume four is short.