‘IT WILL BE A LONG TIME BEFORE I WRITE ABOUT SUPERHEROES AGAIN'
Comic effect
Long renowned for his innovative novels, JONATHAN LETHEM is now exploring his fascination with cartoon strips. Allan Radcliffe wonders what the sketch is.
('H (mil (‘ur/oonx. The title. \xhile perhtipx tin ironie inxoetition of .\/(III (lllt/ XII/H’I'Hltlll. (ieorge Berntird Shtm‘x ttike on the Don
Juan legend. ix tilxo redolent of tlitit ol‘t—uxed term of
depreeitition. ‘ho_\x tiiid their to_\x.' 'l‘he mtile prottigonixtx tieroxx .lontithtin l.ethem‘x xttirtling Cttllt‘t‘littll UI‘ IlIIIL‘ \Itttl'l \lttl‘lL‘x tll'L‘ L‘L‘l'lttilll) IL'I'I xtrtinded h_\ their intihilit} or unuillingnexx to eonipletel} ino\e on from the l‘ormtiti\e e\entx tind reltitionxhipx of their childhood.
In “the \'ixion’. l‘or inxttinee. ti )iitiiig nitin tittendx ti xinixter dinner ptirt_\ throun h} tin old high xehool tietiutiinttinee. ftiinoiix htiek in the dti} for helie\ing hiinxell the inetii‘ntition of ti .\Itir\el eoniiex red- xkinned tindroid. uhile ‘Supei' (iotit .\ltin‘ ehtirtx the protrtieted In” from intrepidit} of" ti hipp_\ixh minor xiiperhero. 'l‘he reltitionxhip het\xeen men tind eomie hookx ix ti gilt to tilt tiuthoi' eonxixtentl) preoeeupied \xith hlui'ring the linex in hix l‘ietion hetueen i‘eeognixtihle retilit} tind Iitllll;l\_\. llere. l.ethem'x penehtint for the ltinttixtie ix moxt tihxurdl} illuxtrtited iii ‘.-\eeexx I‘iillllil\,\.. \xhieh ix xet in ti l'titui'ixtie etir- elogged d} xtopiti. Yet. tix l.ethem tieknou ledgex. thexe xtoriex ptirtieultii‘l} tillo\\ him to de\elop themex introdueed in Hip l-m'rri'u of.\'o/i'riii/i'. hix 2MB noxel tihoiit the l'riendxhip hetueen txxo ho_\x grim ing up in Brookhn during the l‘)7(lx.
‘Supei‘ (iotit .\Itin‘ ix ti gi'etit etixe of tin tilterhirth xtor_\: ti eompi'exxion of lotx of themex in The I‘itl'll‘t'xx Uf'So/i'riii/i'f he xti_\x. ‘l \\;l\ thinking tihout .-\llen (iinxherg tind the \xti} he xeemed xo hetitititul tind intigietil in the (itlx and him dil‘l'ieult thtit \\;t\ to
xtiutire \\ ith \xhtit he ltiter heetime.‘ 'l‘lie e\perienee of
l'ollouing Super (iotit .\ltin‘x dommtird trtiieetoi'} ix tikin to the deep deprexxion thoxe old enough to rememher the xprit of petiee tind lo\ e felt tix the xttige tit the xeeoiid \Voodxtoek l'extixtil \xent tip in IiIillllL'x l.ethem himxelf tidniitx xonie ol' the xtoriex in the eolleetion moxt nottihl} '\'i\ien Rellw in \xhieh ti mtin lindx hinixell hi'oiight i'epetitedl} into eonttiet \xith ti \tiguel} I‘LlllllIlitl' \xomtin tire '_itixt ltlixCl'LtI‘IC'.
'l‘he dtirknexx ix tilxo iii—keeping \xith l.ethem'x xomeuhtit unorthodox ttixte in eoniie hook ligurex. ‘l'm heing \ei'} eoiil'exxioiitil tihout heing attracted to non-heroie elitirtieterx like |)oetor l)oom relereneed in the xtor} "The |)_\ xtopitinixt" and The Thing from "The I’tittttixtie I’otit'." 'I'htit xtiid. I think it \xill he ti long time hel'oi'e l \\ rite tihout xiiperhero ehtirtieterx tigtiin.‘ Indeed. it‘x ol' interext to find l.ethem uxing the xhort xtoi') form to e\plore hix interext in comic
hookx. 'l'he tiuthor htix often referred to the line of
digrexxion thtit. he l'eelx. intikex him more ntiturtill} ti noxelixt. Still. he did tiehiexe hix lirxt xueeexxex \\III1 xhort xtoriex tind returnx to the form interrnittenth.
‘In the proeexx ol' deeiding to \\ rite xhort xtoriex tigtiinxt m} hetter inxtinetx. l hegtin to full in lo\ e \xith their purit} tind hi'exit_\.' he \it}\. '.\I} l‘irxt line ix no\elx. hut noxel \xi'iting ix Ver} mueh ti retilm \\ here _\ou hti\ e to lo\e the ehtirtieterx tind hti\e full and eomplietited feelingx \\ ith them.‘
Men and Cartoons is published by Faber on Thu 6 Jan.
=Z= Jonathan Lethem One of the less overly-flashy enfants terrible of the US scene brings us a collection of stories about little men who think they‘re heroic. See preview. Faber.
:3: Mark Gatiss It‘s our last chance. for now, to plug the former League of Gentleman's literary career as he introduces us to Lucifer Box Esq. The Vesuvius Club '8 main character is a charming cad of the highest order having his nefarious cake and chomping on it all over Edwardian London. See review. Simon & Schuster.
:2: Alex Chun (Ed) Expect a bundle of naughty fun with The Classic Pin Up Art of Jack Co/e. a selection of vaguely lewd and distinctly old-fashioned sketches which act as an archive of American innocence. See review. Fantagraphics.
=2: The Private Lives of Books Celebs from culture. sport and politics have contributed books that have a special significance for them in this exhibition. National Library of Scotland, Edinburgh, Thu 16 Dec- Thu 6 Jan.
:2: Our Favourite Books at Christmas Pretty much does what it says in the title of the event. with an appearance from the estimable Mr Richard Holloway (pictured). National Library of Scotland, Edinburgh, Thu 76 Dec.
>2= Lin Anderson The Greenock-born author talks crime with her second novel starring forensic scientist Rhona MacLeod. Blackwel/s, Edinburgh, Sat 18 Dec.
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