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Author Topic: True Story, Swear to God  (Read 2301 times)

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jay-ell

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True Story, Swear to God
« on: January 14, 2009, 05:00:41 pm »
About two months ago, my brother-in-law called and asked what Pedro would like for Christmas.  "Comic books," I wryly suggested.  "What's the best book you've read this year?  I bet he'd love to read something new and different."  What I didn't say is, so would I. 

I felt a little guilty asking my BIL for what was basically a present for me with Pedro's name on it, until I found out he'd told BIL the same thing in an e-mail later that day.  And I looked forward to getting our new book -- that is, his new book -- a few weeks later. 

Anyway, come Dec. 25, Pedro opened his package and studied the cover of a thick, heavy book.  "What is it?" asked his mother. 

"It's a comic book," he said. 

"What's it about?" asked his other brother. 

"Ummm..." Pedro searched the book cover for a clue.  "It's a...True Story.  Of...real-life romance." 

BIL laughed uproariously.  Pedro had read the description right off the cover. 

I spent the next couple of weeks playing my new video games, spending time with my kids, and resuming the struggle to get my freelance writing career off the ground.  And then, one afternoon, I picked up True Story and started to read.  And read.  And read. 

I've read a fair bit of sequential art in my lifetime, but I've never seen anything like True Story.  It's a great choice for a girlfriend you'd like to introduce to comics, but don't mistake it for an illustrated romance novel.  It's funny, honest, and sweetly self-aware. 

I highly recommend you check it out.  It's a fast read, a fascinating story, and it comes with a streamlined art style that is easy on the eyes.  (I've been suffering from Fables-fatigue lately, so the art here is a particularly welcome change.) 

True Story, Swear to God, by Tom Beland

Anyone else read it?  I'm curious as to what other folks might have thought. 
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"I always hear 'punch me in the face' when you're speaking. But it's usually subtext." -- Martin Freeman as John Watson

Mr Trout

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Re: True Story, Swear to God
« Reply #1 on: January 14, 2009, 06:16:33 pm »
Until I clicked the link I thought you were talking about the comic True Porn which is also quite good. I haven't read "True Story" yet but next time I'm at my local comic book shop I'll have to check it out. I really love (faux?-)autobiographical comics most of all.

Have you read any of Phoebe Gloeckner's stuff? She has stated the stories are fiction, which is reassuring 'cause they are pretty raw and disturbing. She also does really interesting medical-style illustration like this. (NSFW)



[Edit: Fixed links, I think -Cort]
« Last Edit: January 15, 2009, 01:21:28 am by CortJstr »
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lprkn

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Re: True Story, Swear to God
« Reply #2 on: January 15, 2009, 12:59:49 am »
I've heard a lot of good things about TSSTG, but I have yet to check it out. Now I'll definitely have to take a look, since the last JL recommendation I followed was Ex Machina, and it was excellent. Another thing I've been meaning to read is The Alcoholic, anybody know anything about it?

Mr Trout, your links are broken and I am too dumb to translate them. Help?
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Mr Trout

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Re: True Story, Swear to God
« Reply #3 on: January 15, 2009, 07:19:33 pm »
Sorry about those broken links, and thank you CortJstr for fixing them! I have not read "The Alcoholic" but after skimming a description it looks pretty good. It has been a while since I have been actively reading comics and it is nice to see a lot of quality suggestions.

Has anyone else read "The Playboy?" It's about a teenage boy who finds a Playboy magazine and it is his first real exposure to pornography. He has been raised by pretty fundamental Christian parents and as a result has a lot of guilt issues about sex/masturbation. Everytime he has attained "release" he tries to get rid of the magazine by hiding it under a board in a field. This of course isn't really getting rid of it permanently - he goes back to collect it after the shame has worn off - but it is more of an action of removing the perceived cause of his guilt.

I identified very strongly with the author as my childhood experiences almost directly mirrored his. I would actually throw my porn in the trash though, burying it as deeply as I could, and rarely had the opportunity to retrieve it.
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jay-ell

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Re: True Story, Swear to God
« Reply #4 on: January 15, 2009, 08:16:53 pm »
See, I guess I'm just a woman or something, but I never really understood the direct, 1:1 correlation between porn and masturbation for you guys. 

What.  The.  Heck. 
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littlefallsmets

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Re: True Story, Swear to God
« Reply #5 on: January 15, 2009, 09:39:17 pm »
Pornography is important.
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theinevitable

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Re: True Story, Swear to God
« Reply #6 on: January 15, 2009, 09:40:40 pm »
that is the kind of thing that... I don't get what is hard to get.
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miles

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Re: True Story, Swear to God
« Reply #7 on: January 15, 2009, 09:40:59 pm »
Quote from: jay-ell on January 15, 2009, 08:16:53 pm
See, I guess I'm just a woman or something, but I never really understood the direct, 1:1 correlation between porn and masturbation for you guys.

Really? You don't get it? It's just so natural.
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CortJstr

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Re: True Story, Swear to God
« Reply #8 on: January 15, 2009, 09:43:18 pm »
Quote from: jay-ell on January 15, 2009, 08:16:53 pm
See, I guess I'm just a woman or something, but I never really understood the direct, 1:1 correlation between porn and masturbation for you guys. 

What.  The.  Heck. 

This is like saying, "what's so important with having hot water in the shower?" Sure, you can shower without hot water, but who would want to?
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jay-ell

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Re: True Story, Swear to God
« Reply #9 on: January 15, 2009, 10:05:50 pm »
So, I talked to my girlfriend about this, and apparently *I* am the freak, here. 

Apparently, it is odd to be able to read erotic fiction or see naked pictures of attractive people and go, "Oh, that's nice.  What should we have for dinner?" 

And apparently, I don't need to visualize or fantasize about anything in particular to become aroused.  I either am or I'm not, and external stimuli doesn't really have a lot to do with that.  Well, not visual stimulus, anyway.  Or auditory.  I guess I'm so exclusively tactile-oriented that nothing else really does the job. 

But according to my best friend, that makes me a freak of nature. 
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smick

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Re: True Story, Swear to God
« Reply #10 on: January 15, 2009, 10:48:28 pm »
Yea. That's weird.

To me you are now some kind of monster that I need to drive out of town.  Perhaps using some form of hay fork, or burning wood.
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Doc

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Re: True Story, Swear to God
« Reply #11 on: January 15, 2009, 11:37:56 pm »
Quote from: smick on January 15, 2009, 10:48:28 pm
or burning wood.

Now I'm aroused again.
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jay-ell

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Re: True Story, Swear to God
« Reply #12 on: January 16, 2009, 05:18:45 am »
Quote from: smick on January 15, 2009, 10:48:28 pm
burning wood

I think this means it's time for a trip to the doctor and a round of penicillin. 
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smick

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Re: True Story, Swear to God
« Reply #13 on: January 16, 2009, 11:38:36 pm »
All swipin' at the air and yellin' "RRRRRRRR CLAP BAAAAAAD!"
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