{"id":3633,"date":"2009-06-29T06:00:48","date_gmt":"2009-06-29T06:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/?p=3633"},"modified":"2009-06-30T21:57:45","modified_gmt":"2009-06-30T21:57:45","slug":"a-mess-of-everything","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/2009\/06\/29\/a-mess-of-everything\/","title":{"rendered":"A Mess of Everything"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\nBy Miss Lasko-Gross<\/strong> (Fantagraphics Books)
\nISBN: 978-1-56097-956-1<\/p>\n

I’m appalled to say that I actually missed the release of this very talented creator’s book Escape From “Special”<\/strong>: the initial autobiographical foray and first of a planned trilogy of tomes following the life and progress of a smart and troublesome girl-child with overly-understanding parents surviving the blandly oppressive horrors of growing up normal.<\/p>\n

So I approached this second collection of tales, ranging from single page statements to fully rounded short stories, with a completely open mind: and I’m pleased to say that A Mess of Everything <\/strong>is one of the most entertaining books I’ve read in years, a picture-perfect blend of honest reflection, graphic invention and shared fragile humanity from a woman who knows how to captivate an audience.<\/p>\n

Melissa has reached those difficult teen years. She’s not pretty, not a follower, not a conformist: but she’s experiencing the feelings that every kid feels and dealing with it her way. As Grunge Music begins to dominate the teen-scene, Melissa has to deal with anxiety, a paucity of friends, drugs, booze, shoplifting, letting off steam, feeling horny, wanting a “true love” (Lord, didn’t we all?), second-hand eating disorders and having a Perfect Older Sister…<\/p>\n

If it wasn’t for the mini-comics she can’t stop producing, life might be completely unbearable…<\/p>\n

Miss Lasko-Gross has been producing graphic narrative for most of her life, editing the Pratt Institute’s Static Fish<\/strong> comicbook, working in Mauled<\/strong>, House of Twelve 2.0<\/strong>, Legal Action Comics, Aim<\/strong> and others whilst generally living the kind of life that inevitably leads to superbly readable books like this one.<\/p>\n

Frank, funny and painfully familiar these beautifully realised vignettes of the kind of outsider-we’d-all-like-to-be are a worthy addition to the burgeoning pool of exceptional graphic autobiographies such as American Splendour<\/strong> and Persepolis<\/strong>. Unflinching, uncompromising, this adult look at growing should be compulsory reading for ever teenager – just to prove life has always been like that…<\/p>\n

Now where can I lay my hands on that first volume…?<\/p>\n