Welcome to Tallahassee's Book Brigade!
When Jeffrey came busting into the office yesterday and announced that I would be doing book reviews for you guys, I said, "What? Why me? Why not have one of those screaming blondes who are always running around here do it?" He just cocked his head to one side and looked at me. "Oh... right," I said, "good point. Well what about you, then?" He scoffed, "I don't read comics. C'mon! Besides, you're always tryin' to tell people what to do. Now you can tell 'em what to read!"You know if somebody had more leafy greens in his diet, somebody wouldn't be so surly all the time.
But I digress!
Today's review is of House Of Sugar by Rebecca Kraatz. House Of Sugar is a collection of strips that originally appeared in a Canadian newspaper, and also as a webcomic. I have to admit that prior to picking up this book, I was completely unfamiliar with Ms. Kraatz or her work. After reading the book, I like to think that she is the kind of lady who looks casually sexy in 1940's house dresses and has really shiny hair. We would hang out on white porch furniture, and have fresh lemonade and that war cake made with chocolate and mayonnaise, and play canasta.
House Of Sugar is beautiful and poignant, offering a glimpse into Rebecca's younger years and family histories coupled with a pure love for old Hollywood and an obvious longing for a time early last century when everyone just seemed classier. While most strips are just 'one shot' vignettes, there are a few storylines that run their course over a few strips. (My favorite example of this is "Mr. Desmond," a six part story of the oldest man she ever knew.) When read in one sitting, all of the stories of House Of Sugar mesh together into a heartfelt narrative. I really enjoyed reading it, and can easily see myself picking it up again.In short, highly recommended! You can buy House Of Sugar for yourself here, and support both Rebecca Kraatz and the spirit of independent publishing!
Have a magickal day, all!
Loves, Tallahassee
16 Comments:
Tallahassee"s Book Brigade sounds like the perfect brigade for me to join.
Hopefully when The Big Switch happens, we can have our own message board. That would be awesome!
At this point I'm really hoping Tallahassee is a real person, or my years of psychology classes at university will try to supervene on my love of Jeffrey.
Also: "magickal"? Is Tallahassee the first Wickan online comic assistant? That's hot, in a dark and chocolatey kind of way.
Perhaps even in a dark, chocolatey, mayonnaisey kind of way.
mayo should never be dark or chocolatey
Yeah, I've been pretty much been trying to figure out if Tallahassee is real since Jeff mentioned going to a show with her (not continually trying to figure it out - i also have other things to do with my time)
Whether she is real or not, she certainly has amazing taste. I checked out the web comic and was forced to read the entire archive (but that doesn't take long) and I have to add my recommendations to those of Tallahassee.
i'm still undecided about tallahassee's exsitence. i imagine that if she is real, tallahassee is a fake name, but i'm not sure she's real AT ALL.
the book review, although different, bore many similar characteristics of jr's writing syle.
hmmm
It actually reminded me a lot of Chris Onstad's writing style, especially with the Achewood character blogs.
So maybe Talahassee is real! Talahassee, why don't you tell us! And if yo are, why do you have such a ridiculous name? What the fuck was wrong with your parents?
It's like the poopmonster. poopmonster is real, but his name ain't poopmonster. Tallahassee Econolodge is a joke on Paris Hilton if you didn't get it. Get it now? GET IT >>>???!!!
anyway: jeffery probably won't tell us if tallahassee is real, just like he doesn't explain if weedmaster p is real (okay, but obviously for very different reasons.) Remember that time that Weedmaster P took over the comic? Was that one of Jeffery's friends who smoked a lot of pot or was it jeffery PRETENDIFAKING? we'll never know. it is better that way. maybe somebody else wrote the review. maybe jeffery wrote it.
these are all things you know.
Well, "Tallahassee Econolodge" is an anagram of both "Alcohol teases olden age!" and "Stolen loco eagles ahead!"
Clearly, Jeffrey is trying to send us a warning. But which one? I can only hope we solve his riddle before it's t
OLD ALCHOHOLIC STOLEN EAGLES ON A TRAIN RIGHT IN FRONT OF US!!!!
*dives out of the blogo-car*
"coupled with a pure love for old Hollywood and an obvious longing for a time early last century when everyone just seemed classier"
Hm that sounds kind of like me. I'll have to pick it up!
All of us are just fragments of Jeffrey's broken mind from what happened to him in The Barn. He has turned omnipotent because he doesn't have a long enough vacuum attachment to retrieve the pieces.
That said...
Yo Tallahassee!
Leafy Greens won't do it, they actually have more of the opposite effect. Heavier sweeter foods like bananas and squash will calm that internal critic inside him.
Anyways I'm looking forward to seeing more of this segment even though I don't have much time to read.
Mmm, brilliant comic. It'll make a perfect stocking stuffer!
And now I want fingercurls...
I love you Tallahassee.
You're a gal pal, a gal could love.
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