Now I Go Swimming

I was always sort of distantly aware of the comic book culture somewhere on the fringes of my own artistic interests, but it never occurred to me until recently that I made a good deal of graphic novels when I was younger.  I didn’t give them a name, but I look back through sketchbooks and find them.

Me: I never labeled them in my mind… I just drew boxes with people in them saying things.

Sara: That’s what a graphic novel is, Angela.

 

My uncle Paul’s friend Josh has been immersed in the scene his entire life.  My last day at Opening Bell, our presences converged next to the sugar/milk/half&half bar.  We discussed a little about recent readings, and he invited me to a club that he founded which meets in some museum in Dallas.  I feel like I’m beginning an entry into a secret society.  When someone shares that they’ve read what you’ve read, there’s a sort of flash between each other’s eyes, and you know that you both understand… I guess it would be akin to sharing similar experiences.  If you go through something incredibly intense with another person, you stay connected on some level pretty much forever.  And these picture-full books seem even more experiential than the words-only books.