La Gigantesca Barba Malvagia (2013) - Plot & Excerpts
Such a perfect introduction to anyone wanting to dip their toe's into graphic novels. It's a nice switch from reading traditional books. With the whimsical story and drawings, Stephen Collins has come up with a tale that feels modern and also gives off that comfy feeling of the familiar classic work of Shel Silverstein and Roald Dahl. After being so entertained by the images and flow of these grown-up picture books, I can't wait to find more graphic novels and anything else by Mr. Collins. The gigantic beard that was evil...or was it? What happens when a small chin whisker turns out to be an opening to the abyss? What happens when the whisker abruptly decides to unleash it's otherworldly power? Chaos!This was a wonderful comic, which in both art and humor reminded me a lot of Raymond Briggs. I really sympathized with Dave and his location just at the edge of Here...bordering the feared and profane There. Dave tries his best to not ask questions at his job, to not wonder what the data patterns in the spreadsheets and graphs he creates represent. He tries not to think about There, which is just outside his backdoor and concentrate instead on the familiar street in front of his house, the beardless and neat gentlemen and the coiffed and well-behaved ladies and children of Here.Why don't you see beards on the men of Here...? Wait, don't wonder, don't ask! Instead, listen to the same song on repeat and think of how nice and neat and orderly Here is...as opposed to the ever-changing sea...that you can hear just outside...When the chaos and questions finally drive Dave to the brink a Gigantic and Evil beard sprouts from his face. And just keeps growing, until the entire Island of Here is endangered. What will happen to Dave and the Evil Beard?"Beneath the skin of everything is something nobody can know. The job of the skin is to keep it all in and never let anything show." If Dave hadn't burst, I'm sure somebody would have, after all one can only keep neat and orderly so long before one gets tired out and must wear their pajamas the entire day. Even if there is a gravy stain down the front.I really cannot recommend this graphic novel enough, it is delightful, hilarious and really does give one beard for thought.
What do You think about La Gigantesca Barba Malvagia (2013)?
I expected hipstery pseudo- metaphoric fun. What I got was a thousand times better.
—kinghlau
Odd and melancholy in the best ways, lovely illustrations.
—keena
Facial hair run amok. Surreal, dark humor.
—Jackie
