Of all the events of the coming year, nothing excites us more than the return of Lynda Barry. Surely on the shortlist of the best writers ever in the comics format, Barry has created a body of work unparalleled for its subtlety and perception of the doubts and triumphs of adolescence. An early adapter of the cross-platform cartoonist role, her novel The Good Times Are Killing Me, received rave reviews and was turned into an equally well-received play.
Barry, a classmate of Matt Groening, Charles Burns and Gary Panter at Evergreen College, has been fairly quiet during the current indie comics renaissance, but that should change this year when Drawn & Quarterly begins a major reintroduction of her work, starting with her first new book in years, What it Is, due in the fall. D&Q is also reprinting five volumes of her seminal Ernie Pook’s Comeek weekly strip. This week the D&Q blog spotlighted a new story called “Near Sighted Monkey”, above. Is it any wonder we’re excited?
Hoo Ha! this is great news!
On top of her great D+Q projects, remember that Lynda is also the guest editor the Best American Comics 2008. We’re in the process of putting the book to bed right now and Lynda is working on an illustrated introduction. The book will be out in October.
Matt: DID NOT KNOW THAT! Even better!
And I understand she’s a guest at the San Diego Comic Con this year. Can’t wait!
Her novel “CRUDDY” has to be one of the greatest reads of the 20th Century.
“Her novel “CRUDDY” has to be one of the greatest reads of the 20th Century.”
agreed, that book messed with my head when I read it, now I got to go re-read it.