WHO LIKES MY BOOKS?
REVIEWS OF MONSTERS
(updated 8/12/10)
- Amazon.com has put up an editorial review that Monsters had garnered from Booklist itself — although there doesn’t seem to be a direct link on the internet. Maybe it’s a devious fraud! But hey, here’s the full quote from my book’s Amazon page anyway:
“The memoir of illness is a creative nonfiction staple that, optimally, marries the story of an interesting personality to information and counsel about a malady the reader or someone the reader knows may someday contract. Since sickness tends to be unattractive, such books are seldom clinically illustrated. Merging autobiographical comics and disease info, however, Dahl defies the genre’s visual reticence. And because the complaint in question is sexually transmitted herpes, there are other reasons for visual reticence. But alternative comics, at which Dahl is the dabbest of hands, have never seen a pudendum, whatever its condition, and blinked. So there are plenty of afflicted genitalia on view, also mouths (oral is as common as venereal herpes), and because they’re intended to underline Dahl’s craven fear (he commonly draws himself inside a giant herpes cell or morphing into one), they represent worst cases only. The information Dahl parcels out as he spills his misery—almost entirely psychological and unnecessary, though he spun it out for five years—is sound, and his self-flaying humor throughout is marvelously ludicrous.” –Ray Olson - Monsters was given a Best-of-2009 Izzie Award by Charlito and Mr. Phil of the Indie Spinner Rack! “Teenagers should read this, man!” You can listen to the whole episode here.
- STOP: EISNER TIME! Well, a nomination anyway. Monsters is nominated for a 2010 Eisner Award for Best Reality-Based Work, next to the likes of giants like Joe Sacco (Footnotes in Gaza) and Yoshihiro Tatsumi (A Drifting Life).
- Humor website All Too Flat had this to say about Monsters:
“Jeepers this guy is accomplished….. [O]n the most basic level, Dahl’s bobble-headed, adenoidal characters are crafted with an assured, flowing line that trails off into feathering wisps for a hint of vulnerability beneath the slickness. Moreover, they are an instant visual signature, serving both to deflate the angst and self-absorption of his story and satirically skewer the various alt lifestyles of which he is a tangential part. (For what it’s worth, I think the mockery–of everyone from Christians to vegans–is one of the less considered parts of the book, but still, no one comes out of this looking like an angel.) But more importantly for the book, they’re a template from which he can deviate for extravagant, almost Tom Neely-esque sequences, in which Dahl’s emotions and/or his infection literally explode from within and take over in monstrous fashion. “ - Brooklyn’s own Ditko!, the Silent Barn zine library, chose Monsters for one of their Books of the Week:
“Overall, this book’s greatest accomplishment is creating a partially autobio comic that can be described as honest and revealing without a single pretense or eye-roll.” - Brazilian media website Omelete liked Monsters very much:
“In the description of one reviewer, Monsters HQ is the best education of all time.” - San Francisco’s Women’s Community Clinic has put up a section of their website for reviews of books about sex ed… and guess who they chose to review first?
“Monsters doesn’t sugar-coat HSV. This book lets you know, in great detail, that it’s no fun, painful, and can derail your life if you let it. It deals with a lot of the interpersonal aspects of herpes…. It’s painfully honest. It’s also wryly funny, which emphasizes a really important message about HSV: it’s not the end of the world. It’s not even the end of your sex life…. I recommend this book to people diagnosed with herpes (either recently or in the distant past), those who are dating someone with HSV, folks who think that a herpes diagnosis would mean the end of their sex lives, and, well, really anybody who is sexually active. A lot of folks think that hard data about herpes transmission is what they want, but statistics don’t give you any idea with how to cope with a diagnosis. Monsters fills a real void in the world of herpes information.” - Library Journal had this to say about putting Monsters on circulation shelves:
“This is definitely the most entertaining book you’ll ever read about herpes…. Recommended for mature teens and adults. Although the frank sexual discussion (and images) may not be suitable for every high school library, this is both a strong story about the human dimensions of a virus that affects millions and an accessible treatment of important information.” - Rob Clough of the Comics Journal makes this tall claim about li’l ol’ me, in regards to Monsters:
“Ken Dahl has an acidic sense of humor and stunning chops…. Simply put, Dahl is one of the best cartoonists to emerge from this decade.” - Monsters is the
6th-best comic of 2009 according to all compiled reviews and ratings on the Best Comics of 2009 Meta-List. UPDATE: Wait… make that the 5TH-best comic of 2009! - The Deconstructing Comics podcast gabs favorably about Monsters, giving it 5 outta 5 stars (stuff about Monsters begins around 41 minutes in)
- SUPER KICKASS REVIEW TIME: Rich Kreiner of The Comics Journal doles out much eloquent praise for Monsters in his Best of 2009 review. So much so that it was hard to find just one excerpt. I wept:
“I probably should have mentioned this before, but as a rule Monsters is a clever book and usually very funny … and not just in the savvy, postmodern, ironic ha-ha kinda way. Opera offers a relevant term: ‘dramma giocoso,’ the union of elements of tragedy and comedy within the same production. While this ain’t tragedy, Dahl does his level best to convey the pain, mortification and scientific accuracy of his situation even as his drawings irrepressibly champion the way too human comedy.” - Syndicate Product does indeed like Monsters, as one can readily see from their review!
“After reading Monsters and Welcome to the Dahl House earlier this year, Ken Dahl is fast becoming one of my favorite artists. While a non-fiction memoir about life with the herpes simplex virus seems well, icky, at first, [Monsters is] one of the most compelling books I’ve read all year, and certainly one of the best original graphic novels… I’ve ever read.” -
Monsters was declared one of the best graphic novels of 2009 by the Village Voice!
- In its year-end Top 100 Comics of 2009 list (which, from the font, looks like a big deal), Comic Book Resources named Monsters the exact 100th best book of their Top 100 Comics of 2009:
“Ever wondered what it would be like to have herpes? Dahl breaks all the misery down for you in an extremely funny, warm and relatable manner.” - Forbidden Planet, one of the best comic-book stores in the world, picked Monsters as one of their favorite comics of 2009:
“After Welcome To The Dahl House, [Monsters] confirmed Ken Dahl as one of the most original voices in contemporary comics. Just try to create a story about something as unsavoury as herpes and make it insightful, informative, moving and funny all at the same time! And nobody draws a virus like Ken.” - Drawn named Monsters one of their Favourite Comics and Art Books of 2009:
“Monsters barely didn’t make the cut this year, and only because I didn’t read it until just a few days ago, when it quickly secured itself a position on this list. Ken Dahl/Gabby Schulz’s semi-autobiographical graphic novel about herpes is a cautionary tale for, as Jeffrey Brown writes on the back cover, ‘anyone who has had sex, is going to have sex, or wants to have sex.’” - Rob Clough says:
“Dahl is very much an original, who manages to walk the line between intense rendering and clear page design. His figures went from simplistic to naturalistic to cartoony, sometimes all on the same page. MONSTERS is a book that has a lot of narrative text, but it’s just in support of the intensity of the images on every page. Dahl either employs a funny drawing or grotesque drawing in nearly every panel, powerfully underlining the central theme of unearned alienation. It’s a tribute to his skill and sense of humor that this unrelenting intensity doesn’t become overwhelming to the reader…. MONSTERS is both a funny confessional story highlighting the mistakes of its protagonist and an attempt to open a dialogue, and it’s a rousing success on both counts.” - The Portland Mercury says:
“It’s an improbable subject for a full-length graphic novel, but in Dahl’s hands Monsters is educational and deftly funny, a gentle reminder to keep things—even STDs—in perspective.” - The Holy Yost said this:
“Sometimes reading a truly superior comic can either devastate you (me) by making you realize that you may never achieve something so perfect OR it can revitalize you and give you newfound resolve and energy. Anyhow, I highly HIGHLY recommend picking this one up. It’s a compelling story and even more compelling artwork. “ - Bookgasm said this:
“Dahl is as gifted an artist as he is a writer, and even with his cartooning style, he’s able to sneak in some education about the disease without it seeming like a lesson at all. You have to appreciate how forthright he is — let’s face it, not everybody would be up for drawing himself masturbating in the shower — and in letting down his guard, he laughs at himself so you can, too.” - Joe “Jog” McCulloch seems to enjoy it:
“Monsters: A new Secret Acres collection of Ken Dahl’s frank, vivid, and energetically cartooned account of herpes – its composition, its spread and its effects on a man, and other people. I’ve read some of this in minicomics form, and I was impressed by its visual ingenuity and strong sense of humor. Very much worth checking out.” - Read About Comics says:
“Drawn primarily in a 2×2 panel grid, Dahl brings the virus to life, literally, drawing its phantom manifestation to haunt Ken as it weighs on his mind more and more with each passing day. It’s a hallmark of Dahl’s art in Monsters, twisting the physicality of Ken as different emotions race through him. From a caved-in face as a divine figure crushes his face (after getting ripped a new one by an acquaintance), to transforming into a dog while lusting after a passerby, what could have come across as silly or cheesy instead gains an extra physical punch to the gut, with Dahl’s meticulous lines bringing out Ken’s feelings and emotions.” - Matthew Brady at Warren Peace says:
“Who would have thought a comic about herpes could be so funny? Maybe those who are familiar with Ken Dahl would expect it, but those of us who haven’t read his prior work will probably be surprised at how he takes such a serious subject and wrings a great deal of humor out of it, while still educating readers about the disease and delving into the physical and psychological toll it takes on those affected by it. It’s definitely a testament to Dahl’s cartooning skill, as well as his fearlessness when depicting himself in a less-than-positive light.” - The Onion AV Club (scroll down) reports:
“It’s a difficult, punishing read, just as it was clearly a difficult, punishing experience for Dahl, but his evocation of pain, horror, and self-loathing is nonetheless masterful.” - Robot 6 (scroll down) writes:
“Given the nature of its subject matter, Monsters could easily turn into an unreadable self-pity party. But Dahl is too smart — and funny — [a] cartoonist [for] that. It’s that sense of humor, and even downright playfulness, that ultimately makes Monsters such a delightful, warm read. And that’s certainly something I never thought I’d say about a book about Herpes.” - And this from the September ‘09 issue of Diamond’s (now pdf-only) Adult Previews catalog, where Monsters appeared on their cover as a “Featured Item”:
“Part fiction, part deranged educational filmstrip, Monsters explores the physical and emotional traumas of an STD that affects no two people the same. Dahl cements his status among the best cartoonists of his generation with this brutally sincere account of disease and self-acceptance.” - Jeff Lok reviewed the Monsters minis for the Sundays blog:
“He does autobio, but he doesn’t write about his mornings, or how cute his significant other is when she’s at the sink, doing the same things everyone does. He writes about going to jail. About how he got herpes and lost the love of his life because of it. Buy his comics at www.iknowjoekimpel.com. He’s already the #1 seller there. Catch him before he rises into the dawn.”
Order Monsters for yourself right here!
REVIEWS OF WELCOME TO THE DAHL HOUSE
(updated 8/12/10)
- Optical Sloth seems to like the book quite well:
“Somehow there isn’t a bad comic in this collection, and considering the range of time covered in here (at least a decade), that’s astounding.” - Comxpedia’s Comix Talk just came across the book and had these observations about it:
“These comics are funny and get at another theme Dahl is interested in — the loss that comes with growing old. Whether it’s trying to pick up skateboarding again or visiting the swingset at an empty park at night, there’s something sad but universal about Gordon Smalls. Almost everyone has dreams, skills, or life experiences you just can’t go back to as you get older… I also love Dahl’s artwork. Very expressive work and he shows a range of styles throughout this book.” - “Gordon Smalls Hurts Himself,” one of the stories in Welcome to the Dahl House, was named a Notable Comic (i.e., short-listed for inclusion) in the 2009 Best American Comics anthology.
- Welcome to the Dahl House won the award for Best English Comic at the 2008 ExpoZine convention in Montreal, Quebec. Here’s what they said about it:
“This comic is a great throwback to a kind of lost style of cartooning–adept, scratchy, MAD magazine (Mort Drucker or Jack Davis) drawing servicing hilarious, anti-establishment satire.” - Jesse Reklaw named Dahl House as the best comic book of 2008!
- Syndicate Product says about WDH:
“It’s a mix of quasi-personal and political comics, commenting on military enrollment, peeing in the shower, the commodification of zine culture, a night in jail, jingoism, and getting fucking old. Not surprisingly, I kind of related to the comics about getting fucking old…. well worth the measly six bucks.” - Pop Matters says:
” …As to the art in this volume, “Dahl House” displays impressive range and talent. Alternating between detailed, gritty illustrations and simplistic Sunday paper style art, Dahl manages to extend his commentary on “alienation, incarceration, and inebriation in the new American Rome” to many foray. The fine line work is able to capture the subtility and extent of Dahl’s condemnation of disaffected American culture, while the broad strokes of his other pieces decry a loss of innocence. To see Beetle Baily’s Sarge transformed into a vicious figurehead of the American army is a profoundly unsettling transformation of a classic cartoon.” - Austin English at Sparkplug Comic Books says:
“Sometimes I dont understand why some things get insanely popular and other things remain only popular with a half dozen dedicated followers. To me, Dahls comics have it all—skillfull drawing, sharp writing and PASSION. Somehow, 3 page comics by dahl seem as good as anything else—closer to the emotional pull of a great PROSE novel then an overly ambitious GRAPHIC novel. I believe comics can do great things by emulating the scope and ambition of prose epics…but we shouldnt forget that the casual feel of a inky three page comic in a weird zine is its own hallowed art form and dahls comics in that form and pretty hard to beat.” - Gary Hornberger at Razorcake says:
“What a start to a collection of comics: An old punk walks into Hot Topic and knifes the store worker. Talk about misery. This book is full of the horror of lost youth. The social statement is put up on the tee and jacked straight down the fairway. It’s one thing for an old punker to look back and laugh; it’s another to force him to look back and cry. If there was an old folks home for punk rockers, this would be the coffee table book found in the waiting area. I felt that, in reading this, what we call a mid-life crisis, is coming at an alarmingly younger age. My favorite panel is when a thirty-one-year-old decides to take up skateboarding. The next panel claims that it did not last long: We see a guy with a kneecap the size of a balloon and a caption that says “no insurance.” I also like the story at the end where a young couple at a garage sale are looking at the same skateboard and exclaiming that it should be on a wall in a museum. I’ve been there, let me tell you. If ever there was a book that made you laugh while reading and puts you into a dark cloud of despair when you finish, this is that book. Well done, Mr. Dahl!” - Profane Existence types:
“Right out of the gate this release turned me on with the “Old Punx vs.” series which is pretty hilarious and self explanatory. Following ‘Old Punx vs.” is a scathing commentary on the post 9/11 mentality in the US, told graphically through an experience Mr. Dahl had on a flight on Sept. 11, 2002. This book is worth the six bucks just for this particular comic. Other comics that really caught my attention were: “The Origin of ARMY GUY” featuring Sarge, of Beetle Baily fame, trying to coerce a kid into joining up. “Paul” is a great insight into Ken Dahl’s friendship with a kid that had an unusual family situation and the boy’s innocent sexual experimentation in the shower. “How To Get Arrested: An impromptu skillshare by Gordon Smalls”, is a hilarious tongue-in-cheek look at the shit law enforcement puts you through when you’re arrested. This comic is also another reason to pick up WELCOME TO THE DAHL HOUSE. The artwork is terrific, the writing is slick, intelligent, and hilarious and Dahl’s experiences and ideas are totally relatable. Ace work from Ken Dahl.” - Adam Coozer of ReadJunk claims:
“Now THIS is a mini comic. Jesus Christ. Minicomic collections from Microcosm have largely been some seriously angsty, self-absorbed downer stuff, and Ken Dahl is exactly what I needed to reinstate my love for the genre.
Not that Ken Dahl is without deep thoughts, he only expresses them with a little more whimsy and creative juice than your cliched, heavily-inked bleakness. Dahl gets his points across with a light and humorous touch and snappy dialogue that ends up being much more incisive than many of peers…. Ken Dahl dodges those pitfalls with a fun sense of irony, an avoidance of narcissistic tendencies, and a style that is both cartoony and cutting.” - Nik Mercer of Anthem Magazine opines:
“Dahl draws and writes with a whimsical chain-of-though style that is somehow simultaneously incredibly meticulous and charmingly fluid. The persona he describes in his books may be angsty, frustrated, and lonely, but in actuality, Dahl is a levelheaded comic creator who knows exactly what he wants and precisely how to achieve that.” - Lipstikindie.com (scroll down) states:
The character Gordon Smalls is exceptional. His self effacing narrative is so brutally honest one becomes sympathetic to his reckless actions. Wether he is explaining the dynamics around peeing in the shower, swinging into the night sky, or being arrested, Dahl has this reader mesmerized with the depth of his persona. In a scene outside his ex girlfriend’s window, Gordon Smalls is confronted and in his reaction, he slumps into someone who clearly has lived a novel with this person. This is one among many great moments in Dahl’s work. It is Dahl’s honesty both in the text and the art that makes this book stay with me long past reluctantly turning the last page. - Jason Lutes’s Coyote Vs. Wolf announces:
“Besides being a swell guy, Gabby Schulz (aka Ken Dahl) is one of the great unsung talents in American comics. If I could sing at all, I would sing his talent right now in some sort of terrifying streaming audio that would pop in suddenly while you were browsing some other tab and make you frantically click back here to shut it down. So we’re all glad I don’t sing, because it would just distract from me telling you to buy and read Ken’s comics. Welcome to the Dahl House collects various short pieces from hither and yon into one nice, tidy, and oh-so-reasonably priced package that amounts to a delightful, beautifully-drawn screed against American ‘civilization’ in the Oughts.” - Beaucoup Kevin enunciates:
“Wow. Never has agitprop been so laugh out loud funny. When not ranting through his own damn self, Dahl busts out Gordon Smalls, a sort of Buddy Bradley who went to seed. The two-part ‘How To Steal The Food You Deserve’ / ‘How To Get Arrested’ set of skillshares from Smalls had me laughing aloud on the bus, looking like a damn fool.” - The great Tom Spurgeon at The Comics Reporter holds forth:
“If there’s anything connecting the various short comics in an array of styles as generally presented in this small book — the kind that feels like a gift from heaven in its ability to gather scattered, lost work — it’s the surprising amount of tenderness that comes through its pages … This is a fine little book, and I’d love to read more.”
order it today, right here!
INTERVIEWS WITH KEN/GABBY
(updated 12/26/09)
- Vermont’s alternative newsweekly, Seven Days, interviewed me (by phone) and reviewed Monsters for their 2009 Winter Reading issue in December.
- Brian Heater interviewed me (in person) for The Daily Crosshatch at the 2009 SPX: {part 1} {part 2} {part 3}
- In May 2007, Steve Bissette interviewed me (via email) for his Tyrant blog: {part 1} {part 2} {part 3} {part 4} {part 5}
- The Link, Montreal’s independent newspaper, interviewed me (in email) after I won the 2008 Expozine award for best English-language comic: {here}