Postcards: True Stories that Never Happened

Postcards: True Stories that Never Happened
Edited By: Jason Rodriguez
Paperback: 160 pages
Publisher: Villard
Language: English
July 2007, $21.99
Genre: Comic/Graphic Novel

You’ve seen them at flea markets and in antique shops and used-book stores across the country: Vintage postcards inscribed with handwritten notes, evocative messages that capture a thought, an expression, a concern, a snapshot of someone’s life once upon a time. Jason Rodriguez, acclaimed editor of Elk’s Run, collected a remarkable array of these correspondences, dispersed them among thirty-three of comics’ greatest creators, and asked each to craft a story about the person who sent it. The result is a vividly imagined, gorgeously rendered graphic anthology illustrating tales of romance, adventure, hardship, and mystery. In Postcards, these gifted artists share some of the richest and most inventive work of their careers.

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On one of my many trips to the bookstore I spotted this with a bunch of other new graphic novel releases. I liked the idea of taking old postcards and then creating stories around the picture and the writing that was on them. The people of involved also made it worth picking up especially when I noticed that a friend of mine from Sioux Falls, Tony, did the illustrations for one of the stories. Of course, this means I had to buy it. It was completely worth the money. I absolutely loved it.

The stories range from touching love stories, to inspiring insights and well…downright creepy stuff. Who knew that ‘Send Louis his underwear’ could inspire a creepy little story or that ‘Cora’s Dress’ could nearly break my heart. Of course I am a fan of ‘Meet Me Tonight in Dreamland’ which Jay Busbee and Tony Fleec did. There are 16 stories, each with amazing artwork and takes on such a simple thing as a postcard. Not only do we also get to see the actual postcard and the writing on it before the story, but Jason writes a bit about why he chose that particular postcard and why he gave it to the team he did. Of course some stories are stronger than others (oddly the story from Harvey Pekar just didn’t quite work for me which is strange since Harvey and Joyce usually delight), but I found myself liking them all in the end.

If you want something a bit different this is the way to go. I, for one, am really hoping that there will be a volume 2 in the future.

4 out of 4 happy bibliosnark bookmarks

Marie over at Vintage Postcards can continue your postcard fanaticism.

More: Have your own review? Let me know and I will post it.