Continuing our impromptu Gabrielle Bell @lukcygab week in anticipation of Career Shoplifter (coming September!). Here's a thread on Gabrielle's The Voyeurs, the first graphic novel we published.
About the book:
The Voyeurs is a real-time memoir of a turbulent five years in the life of renowned cartoonist, diarist, and Gabrielle Bell. @luckygab
Gabrielle travels to Tokyo, Paris, the South of France, and all over the United States. But, she remains anchored by her beloved Brooklyn, where her sidekick Tony provides ongoing insight, offbeat humor, and enduring friendship.
The cover was designed by @BetaTestingTomK with input from Gabrielle and Richard McGuire. Here are a few iterations of the design process.
The introduction is written by Aaron Cometbus of the Cometbus zine fame!
"[…] what makes Gabrielle's autobiographical comics interesting: she and her characters retain their mystery. …
… You're left to wonder where they came from, how they met, and what makes them tick—and in doing so, you put yourself in their shoes. You must fill in the blanks, looking for soft-spoken and unspoken clues. …
… Gabrielle's way of leaving you guessing is her way of turning life into art."
The book got lots of honors:
"Top 5 GN of the year" — Publishers Weekly
"One of the Best Nonfiction Books of the year" — Kirkus Reviews
"Best Graphic Memoir" — The Atlantic Wire
Impressive endorsements.
Chris Ware!
"The Voyeurs is the work of a mature writer, if not one of the most sincere voices of her literary generation. It's a fun, honest read that spans continents, relationships, and life decisions. I loved it."
Alison Bechdel!
"Bell's pen becomes a kind of laser, first illuminating the surface distractions of the world, then scorching them away to reveal a deeper reality that is almost too painful and too beautiful to bear."
Françoise Mouly!
"A master of the exquisite detail, Bell provides a welcome peephole into our lives."
Art Spiegelman!
"One of the best things going in auto-bio-inflected comics these days."
Buy The Voyeurs by Gabrielle Bell:
uncivilizedbooks.com/the-voyeurs/
Gabrielle Bell's Career Shoplifter is coming in September! Preorder now:
uncivilizedbooks.com/career-shoplifter-by-gabrielle-bell/
Uncivilized
@unciv
An independent publisher and think tank specializing in comic books and rogue theories—comics: technology of consciousness.