inkdick: february 25 2009 king-cat
I checked out John Porcellino’s King-Cat Classix from the library. I’m surprised I never got hip to his work sooner than now, but I’m actually really glad that I got in to his work at this point in my life.
This collection collects a lot of his auto-bio work from his early to mid 20s after graduating from college. He perfectly captures the depressing lull in life that takes place between college and adulthood, the place in life that I’m in now. My early to mid to maybe late 20s. The nowhere age. I think if I read this just a year ago, I would not fully “get it.” But as a 23 year old just out of art school now working in a part time job instead of living my dreams, I get it. I’m living it. It is almost comforting to know that I’m not alone in this post-graduation, pre-adult life world. I feel like less of a freak and less of a loser. And it gives me hope that this point in my life can be overcome.
March 2nd, 2009 at 4:01 am
i’ve been wanting to read this for a while now, so i just ordered it through my library… thanks!
March 2nd, 2009 at 10:39 am
I’m surprised you haven’t read more porcellino; it’s fairly representative of the kind of comics that I assume (correctly or not) that you like. Have you read “Perfect Example” yet? The thing you said about a “depressing lull” is a perfect description of the feeling I got from that book, except it’s more about the space between childhood and your teenage years. I remember reading that as a high school freshman and really relating to it in a strong way.
March 2nd, 2009 at 7:16 pm
Did you ever watch Wonderfalls? It was another show that very well captured the essence of post-graduate life (but not auto-biographical and with some wacky hijinks thrown in). Also perfectally captured the essence of working retail in the tourist market when you have a degree that has no concrete job market.
March 5th, 2009 at 3:57 pm
Glad to know I’m not alone either. What striked me most about Wonderfalls, is the total absence of motivation and goals. A feeling of pointlessness of it all that’s easy to get carried away with I think. Especially now.