Critical Reception: Q & A - Part 1

Peter, Christina and I wanted to collect a few answers to questions we all thought might help create more discussion, opinion and criticism of Adrian Tomine's work.  Here is it!

Q: What do you think of Adrian Tomine's artwork?

A:

John: Simple, cartoony, but modern, features aren't too exaggerated, but are simple enough to be appealing without being extremely realistic.  It reminds me of Herge's Tintin.  In some ways, it feels like what I would be inclined to call The Modern Cartoon.  The art is can be taken seriously, but can still convey elements of fun.  I especially like the big head cartoons.    

Christina: I really enjoyed it. It felt more like the artwork was more along the lines of being cartoon-like rather than comic-book artwork or illustration artwork. I felt that his graphic memoir was short and to the point, yet managed to captivate the audience. I really liked how the story stayed true to it's theme while proving both serious topics and comedic relief.

Peter: I think Tomine’s artwork is really good. Although his graphic memoir may not be in colour and isn't drawn to detail, it gets to the point. It’s enough to allow the reader’s, to get immersed into the characters and experience their story. However, at the same time does not distract the audience from the context of the memoir. Furthermore, the readers are able to get a good sense of what the characters are thinking or feeling by the comical expressions seen on their face; it coincides very well with text of the memoir.

Q: Adrian’s short book Scenes from an Impending Marriage contains many humorous accounts of events leading up to his marriage.  Which of these "Scenes" did you enjoy the most?

A:

John: I really like the string of 1 panel "stories" showing Adrian and his Fiancee doing something that Adrian felt would definitely need to stop the moment they got married  (Eyebrow plucking, Jogging, etc., etc.).

Christina: I thoroughly enjoyed reading Scenes from an Impending Marriage, but I must say that like John, I found that the single panel scenes depicting Adrian and Sarah doing various activities in preparation for their wedding to be the ones that I enjoyed the most. I liked the difference of opinions that were blatantly displayed in those little scenes, yet how Adrian still went along with it. Also the phrase "This nonsense stops the minute we're married" that was depicted in several of scenes definitely showed his displeasure for the activities while providing comic relief (Tomine, 2011).

Peter: To be honest, I enjoyed all of the “Scenes” in the memoir. From the deleting of guests on the list of invites, all the way to selecting a DJ for the wedding party; Brennan and Tomine always had to make a comprise and figure out what they would do about a certain problem. Their responses to each other were always funny. The scene I found to be the most comical however, was the last scene “After Hours”. The couple worked so hard to make the wedding a success and enjoyable for everyone but in the end they only thing they got to enjoy is greasy food Tomine bought in the middle of the night.

Q: After reading “Scenes”, what was your impression of Adrian Tomine as an Author?  Would you seek out his other work?

A:

John: I didn't feel like his humour was any funnier than other cartoonists I've followed in the past, however, I did like the subject matter.  It's unusual to see something published about a wedding, from a popular artist in New York.  

Christina: After reading Scenes from an Impending Marriage, I felt that it was definitely a book that I enjoyed reading. I think that it may have definitely opened me up a bit more towards the non-fiction genre and to graphic memoirs. I think that I would definitely be interested in looking into more of Adrian Tomine's works and I believe that I would enjoy it just as much as I enjoyed reading "Scenes".

Peter: After reading “Scenes”, I believe Tomine is a really good author. From what I got in the memoir and my research, it appears Tomine always tries to present his or others’ life experiences in comical way. He molds his drawings and writings into one world and creates it into a great package. Although his writing may not be serious and is written in dialogue rather than description, this is what makes it all the more interesting and immersive when reading it. If I get the chance, I defiantly would read another one of his memoirs, most likely being Shortcomings as I mention here.

Q: How would you describe the tone of Scenes from an Impending Marriage?

A:

John:  Light tone.  It wasn't edgy, or dark, or brooding.  It was fun.  

Christina: I would agree with John and say that Scenes definitely has a light tone. It tries to keep it from getting too deep into the negativity, keeping it light and enjoyable for all. It also managed to convey each situation in a more humorous tone providing entertainment to the readers. 

Peter: As I said, I defiantly think that “Scenes” is going for a comical tone. It takes the typical experiences a couple goes through, even outside of preparing for a wedding and presents them in this graphic novel. This is defiantly seen on page 43 with the “Eyebrow Tweezing” (Tomine, 2011, p.43). Tomine tries putting humor on situations that may have appeared serious or important to his at the time, but for others and maybe himself as he looks back, to be really funny. This is something many readers likely experience, they like to look back at certain time and find a way to laugh about it.

Q: What makes "Scenes" such a compelling memoir?

A:

John: It's a quick read, it's fun, it's about the 'Big Day'.  These may not be good reasons for other graphic memoir fans, but it definitely caught my attention.  

Christina: I think that Scenes from an Impending Marriage makes such a compelling memoir because it's something that anyone who is getting married and planning their wedding goes through. Even for the people who aren't at that stage in their lives, who have either heard of the horror stories in planning for a wedding, or watched shows/movies like Wedding Planner, are able to relate to what Adrian has shared in his memoir. Another reason why it is so compelling is because it has pictures that people can enjoy looking at and isn't 200 pages long. It is a short and concise telling of his prenuptial state with his fiancee which, I believe, will continue to stay in people's memories.

Peter: I think the main part that makes “Scenes” a compelling memoir, is the way it’s presented. As a graphic novel, the readers can experience it better and look back at their own events and have a good comparison. At the same time, it allows the readers to see the amount of commitment and compromise that to go through a relationship. All couples have their ups and downs but it is important they find a way to cope with their individual problems and find a way to look back and laugh about it; Tomine presents this well in his memoir.

That wraps it up for the questions today!  Hope you enjoyed reading them.