Graphic Novel Friday: Dead in Desemboque

Every other Friday, Omnivoracious will turn the spotlight on one or more graphic novels, with future installments also including news and special features. You can let me know who or what you'd like to see featured by commenting on this post. (In October, Graphic Novel Friday will return to its normal weekly schedule.)

If you like crazy Mexican westerns, you'll love the new graphic novel from the always fascinating Soft Skull Press: Dead in Desemboque, written by E. Arellano, illustrated by W. Schaff, R. Schuler, and A. Thibodeau. Some sections use black-and-white art techniques akin to sophisticated woodcuts, albeit woodcuts with the quality of watercolors. Others use a more traditional approach similar to R. Crumb, conjuring up surreal Day of the Dead celebrations and spaghetti Westerns. There's a storyline running through this melange of imagery, and it's often bawdy and surreal. But it's the art I kept going back to.

Arellano is a Hispanic novelist and indie musician, and Dead is apparently in the tradition of pocket-sized comic books called historietas sold in Mexico to readers of all ages. Soft Skull Press calls Dead the first one to be sold north of the border. Whatever you want to call this very cool graphic novel, it's something readers should take a look at--definitely recommended.