Jason (1) (1965–)

I’m a great fan of Norwegian comic book writer and artist Jason (John Arne Sæterøy). I believe I have and have read all of his books, in single or collected editions, in English and translated into Spanish. Sometimes it is not clear in what language Jason has written (not that it really matters, since most of them are wordless or almost silent). His latest work, called Lost Cat, is about fifty percent wordless and was probably written at least partly in French (if we are to go by the show more indication that Jason has lived for many years now in Montpellier) and the translation has been done by Kim Thompson of Fantagraphics fame.

Jason’s style is instantly recognizable. His characters have some animal features but, genetically, are clearly humans of male or female persuasion and traits. And yet, part of the fun, is that the reader must pay close attention to such things as dark or light hair, mouths or beaks, feet or flappers, short or long ears, or a wide variety of eyes. Architectural detail, especially roofs, and interior decoration also help with clues and to carry the story forward.

Jason’s storylines are convoluted. Time does not follow a straight line; there are flashbacks, incidents remembered and a lot of reflexive thinking on the part of the main characters which is represented as a first rate example of visual stream of consciousness. Jason is a master at this, requiring from the reader an effort that becomes rewarding satisfaction when everything clicks together.

Lost Cat is all the above and more. It is a mystery tale that develops a bit slowly starring a private detective, a dark secret, some lonely characters and a lost cat (or perhaps two of them). There is love, sex, a bit of violence and lots of dry humour and pointed psychological observations.

I always have to read Jason’s books at least twice. His latest was no exception. There is much to be gained from a second or third reading because what seems superficial at first turns out to be profound or to have a meaning not immediately discernible. Fantagraphics announces that, like the cat in the story, Jason is now disappeared. I truly hope that someone will rescue him soon for delight of all his admiring fans. show less

If you've seen Seven Psychopaths, then you're well-primed for this slight comic, by the author of the screenplay and Jason, the famously laconic and unexpected graphic novelist.

And while slight, 100,000 Graves packs a punch. Gwenny finds a treasure map in a bottle and realizes it's the same one her father found and followed years ago, never to return. Having been left alone with her (crazy?) mother, Gwenny hires a band of pirates and bluffs her way into one of them swearing to protect her. show more

Of course, in a twist that should be expected from the two creators but still hits, the island is revealed as an executioner's training academy, and anyone who arrives is found guilty and used as practice dummies. Gwenny's protector, mired in quicksand, begs to be left behind. Gwenny then reveals she never knew his secret, and was blackmailing him over nothing. The panels after he tells her to leave, in which he realizes his quickly approaching and lonely death, are heart-wrenching and true. How many of us have pushed someone away and immediately regretted it?

Gwenny's father, it turns out, never made his way to the island and instead used his leaving as a chance to create a new life, leaving his wife and daughter behind. When Gwenny confronts him, there is no shouting or crying: she calmly confronts him and leaves. She is a confident, self-possessed girl, and now that this mystery is solved she can move on.

A beautiful, unexpected, and sparse novella. show less

This hardcover collects four of Norwegian cartoonist Jason's out-of-print books: [b:Meow Baby|910303|Meow, Baby!|Jason|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1179371948s/910303.jpg|895415], [b:Tell Me Something|1362008|Tell Me Something|Jason|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1182996780s/1362008.jpg|1351796], [b:You Can't Get There From Here|692301|You Can't Get There From Here|Jason|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1177290274s/692301.jpg|678639], and [b:The Living and the Dead|418694|The Living show more and the Dead|Jason|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174579687s/418694.jpg|2093534]. Similar to [a:Charles Addams|52274|Charles Addams|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-M-50x66.jpg] and [a:Gahan Wilson|27075|Gahan Wilson|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1220802778p2/27075.jpg], Jason relies on the humorous side of horror in these mostly wordless tales. Perhaps none demonstrates this unique confluence more than the charming and funny Night of the Living Dead-inspired The Living and the Dead. After all, nothing says true love like giving your betrothed the heart from a freshly-dead woman. Throughout the sublime Almost Silent, Jason examines traditional relationships and social norms via a deliciously warped lens, quite probably one constructed by Dr. Frankenstein himself. show less

The more I think about this book the more I like it. At first I was kind of disappointed that it didn't delve deeper into the various issues that would crop up with the death of Hitler, but then I realized that the simplicity was the point of the book. This story was not about would happen if Hitler was killed, it's about a hired assassin finding peace near the end of his life.

Jason creates a world in which assassins can have a legal business that allows people who are having issues with show more others can go to have the problem "taken care of". From noisy neighbors to disgruntled children many people hand their problems over to assassins. Jason depicts the popularity of this option by depicting an office with a line of people waiting for their appointment with the main character who is an assassin for hire.

While business is good, this character has troubles dealing with the fact that he kills people for a living. Sometimes for nothing more than playing their music too loud at night. It affects every aspect of his life, including his relationship with his girlfriend. When he gets the opportunity to kill Hitler, he jumps at the chance. From then on, life gets complicated.

Jason's simplistic art and dry humor really add to the story that is, to its core, the story of an assassin coming to terms with his life. While it would seem that the killing of Hitler would be the main focus of the story, it's actually just a catalyst to the true story, albeit a fascinating one.

Even though some may be annoyed at the fact that this book turns into more of a story about a relationship, I thought that it was a rather brilliant idea. How many times has the killing of Hitler been speculated on in historical fiction? In truth, the subject has been written about time and again, and I was actually hesitant to read this because of that particular issue. I was pleased to discover that this was something very different. I thought this book was very creative, and I plan on reading more books by Jason. I really liked his simple, minimalist form and believe that it adds to this story rather than takes away. show less