Asterios Polyp
Encyclopedia
Asterios Polyp is a 2009 graphic novel
by American
artist David Mazzucchelli
.
and Italian descent who teaches at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York
. After a lightning strike burns up his apartment, he leaves the city on a Greyhound bus and takes up employment as an auto mechanic in the town of Apogee (somewhere in America), the farthest point his money will take him. The novel is interspersed with scenes from his past (ostensibly narrated by his stillborn twin brother, Ignazio), including his childhood and troubled marriage; as well as dreams and allegorical sequences. Finally, he must confront not only his own flawed nature, but the implacable and amoral whims of the gods
themselves.
.
It was published as a hardcover, with an architectonic design that alluded to themes of form and function within the text, including a dust jacket shorter than the size of the book that revealed the structure underneath. Questioned about the impracticality of his design, Mazzucchelli joked that it was "the most frustrating package [he] could come up with".
It won the first Los Angeles Times Book Prize Graphic Novel award.
It received four 2010 Eisner Award
nominations and won for best new graphic album, best writer/artist and best lettering. It also won three 2010 Harvey Award
s.
Graphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
by American
People of the United States
The people of the United States, also known as simply Americans or American people, are the inhabitants or citizens of the United States. The United States is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic and national backgrounds...
artist David Mazzucchelli
David Mazzucchelli
David Mazzucchelli is an American comic book artist and writer. His latest work is the award-winning graphic novel, Asterios Polyp.-Career:...
.
Overview
The title character, Asterios Polyp, is a professor and architect of GreekGreece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and Italian descent who teaches at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York
Ithaca, New York
The city of Ithaca, is a city in upstate New York and the county seat of Tompkins County, as well as the largest community in the Ithaca-Tompkins County metropolitan area...
. After a lightning strike burns up his apartment, he leaves the city on a Greyhound bus and takes up employment as an auto mechanic in the town of Apogee (somewhere in America), the farthest point his money will take him. The novel is interspersed with scenes from his past (ostensibly narrated by his stillborn twin brother, Ignazio), including his childhood and troubled marriage; as well as dreams and allegorical sequences. Finally, he must confront not only his own flawed nature, but the implacable and amoral whims of the gods
Zeus
In the ancient Greek religion, Zeus was the "Father of Gods and men" who ruled the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father ruled the family. He was the god of sky and thunder in Greek mythology. His Roman counterpart is Jupiter and his Etruscan counterpart is Tinia.Zeus was the child of Cronus...
themselves.
Themes
In plot, structure, and design, this book seems to explore the idea of duality. Some of the false dichotomies touched upon are: Apollonian vs. Dionysian; reason vs. emotion; destiny vs. free will; and nature vs. nurture. The book also uses themes that can be related to modern day life coaching (i.e. If your house was burning down and you only had the time to take three items, what would you take?) Asterios' Greek heritage is one of many allusions to the story of Orpheus and Euridice upon which the story is based.Publication
Asterios Polyp grew out of a story idea that would have filled the entire fourth issue of Rubber BlanketRubber Blanket
Rubber Blanket was an alternative comics anthology magazine edited by the husband/wife team of cartoonist David Mazzucchelli and painter/colorist Richmond Lewis...
.
It was published as a hardcover, with an architectonic design that alluded to themes of form and function within the text, including a dust jacket shorter than the size of the book that revealed the structure underneath. Questioned about the impracticality of his design, Mazzucchelli joked that it was "the most frustrating package [he] could come up with".
Reception
The book has sold over 40,000 copies since its publication in July 2009; it is now in its fourth printing.It won the first Los Angeles Times Book Prize Graphic Novel award.
It received four 2010 Eisner Award
Eisner Award
The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, and sometimes referred to as the Oscar Awards of the Comics Industry, are prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books. The Eisner Awards were first conferred in 1988, created in response to the...
nominations and won for best new graphic album, best writer/artist and best lettering. It also won three 2010 Harvey Award
Harvey Award
The Harvey Awards, named for writer-artist Harvey Kurtzman and founded by Gary Groth, President of the publisher Fantagraphics, are given for achievement in comic books. The Harveys were created as part of a successor to the Kirby Awards which were discontinued after 1987.The Harvey Awards are...
s.
Sources
- Shaw, Dash. "TCJ 300 Conversations: David Mazzucchelli & Dash Shaw". The Comics Journal #300. Fantagraphics Books, December 2009. part 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
External links
- Review in New York Magazine
- Review in The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
- Review in The Austin Chronicle
- Blog post review by Scott McCloudScott McCloudScott McCloud is an American cartoonist and theorist on comics as a distinct literary and artistic medium...
, author of Understanding ComicsUnderstanding ComicsUnderstanding Comics: The Invisible Art is a 215-page non-fiction comic book, written and drawn by Scott McCloud and originally published in 1993. It explores the definition of comics, the historical development of the medium, its fundamental vocabulary, and various ways in which these elements... - (Video) Mazzucchelli talks about Asterios Polyp]