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A review by saidtheraina
Bottomless Belly Button by Dash Shaw
3.0
The story of one family - including elderly parents, three adult children, one daughter in law, and two children - as the kids come home for a visit after the news that the parents are getting a divorce. Everyone reacts in their own ways.
For one thing, this seemed pretty blatantly autobiographical. The title infers self-inspection, and one character (and only one) is depicted as having the head of a frog in all but one frame (where he is asking a love interest if he looks like a frog). I admire the fictionalized autobiography as a rule, and I loved how Shaw was able to pick out this one short period of time for his piece.
Also, the craft here is truly notable. Shaw is an innovator, playing with the number of frames per page, placement, including maps, picking out mundane acts... I could go on. Truly admirable and affecting, even though the drawings themselves aren't particularly accessible or beautiful at first glance.
For one thing, this seemed pretty blatantly autobiographical. The title infers self-inspection, and one character (and only one) is depicted as having the head of a frog in all but one frame (where he is asking a love interest if he looks like a frog). I admire the fictionalized autobiography as a rule, and I loved how Shaw was able to pick out this one short period of time for his piece.
Also, the craft here is truly notable. Shaw is an innovator, playing with the number of frames per page, placement, including maps, picking out mundane acts... I could go on. Truly admirable and affecting, even though the drawings themselves aren't particularly accessible or beautiful at first glance.