Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Spotted: Hark! A Vagrant by the inimitable Kate Beaton

Where: The back room at Korzo Restaurant in Park Slope. Jazz was happening there.
Who was reading: Some guy. Comic geek, naturally. But what's supercool is that I also saw him at the Hark! release party earlier that night. 
What are the odds... that two people, of their own independent volition, migrate to the same obscure jazz show in Brooklyn from a comic book signing in Soho?
Actually, not that slim. Weird birds flock together, now, don't they?
For those of you unfamiliar with Kate Beaton... What the heck are you doing reading about some doofy book sighting?! You should be out buying the book, or blissfully drowning yourself in her archives! Archives that include such gems as the following:
Hark! A Vagrant is a webcomic-turned-book that primarily features historical and/or literary figures (with the occasional David Bowie strip thrown in). Beaton looks at history through the lens of our more modern sensibilities, often to great comic effect. She plays with context and bends well-known personalities as it suits her, notably in the case of Nancy Drew. Here, she fleshes out the action scenes depicted on the covers of Carolyn Keene's  beloved Nancy Drew books, showing what someone who has not read the books might imagine them to depict—assuming, of course, the imaginer is completely insane.
Kate Beaton's is one book I'd like to spy more often. And maybe, just maybe, some self-styled Nancy out there will spy me right back.

6 comments:

  1. Yay! The Bookspy is back.
    --your adoring public

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  2. Hooray, Book Spy! We were worried. Taking a look at the archives now...

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  3. Like the sparrows to Capistrano, the Book Spy has returned! Huzzah!

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  4. Glad you're back! But did you flirt with the guy?

    -Maryann

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  5. I'm glad to be back! And really, truly touched that I was missed. I think the feeling is similar to the satisfaction you might get from seeing a good turnout at your funeral. Only, you know, without all that shrugging off the mortal coil stuff.

    I'll try to be better in the future about giving some kind of warning when I'm about to go off-grid for a while. I'll try to be more consistent. I'll try to... to... Why is this starting to sound like an apology to an ill-used lover? I'll just do my best.

    @annonymous #2 This is my favorite analogy all week! But are they sparrows or some breed of cliff swallow?

    @maryann: No! I did not flirt with him. Although I'm sure if I had any social skills we would have really hit it off.

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  6. Your parents are glad that you've resurfaced. We miss you. Please come home.

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