Weathercraft
Encyclopedia
Weathercraft is a 2010 graphic novel
by American
artist Jim Woodring
featuring his best-known characters Frank
and Manhog. It is Woodring's first graphic novel-length work, and like all the other works in Frank's world of the Unifactor, the story unfolds entirely in pictures, with no dialogue, captions or narration.
, seen also with Dan Clowes' Wilson, Charles Burns
' X'ed Out and Chester Brown
's Paying For It
.
When asked in an interview with The A.V. Club
why, after 30 years of doing comics, he had now decided to produce his first graphic novel, he replied:
On the amount of text on the dust jacket
in contrast with the pantomime
of the book itself he said, "I thought it would be funny to have a book that was almost word-free and a dust jacket that was slathered in copy."
Some panels of the book were previewed on Woodring's blog leading up to publication.
and associated characters appear), is executed in wordless pantomime
, with no word balloons or captions of any kind. In contrast, the dust jacket
is quite verbose, and provides clues to the interpretation of the story.
"[A] cyclical telling of Manhog's suffering, punishment and enlightenment", the book actually stars Manhog, with Frank
only appearing briefly, and also features the devil
ish Whim, another recurring character.
After merging with a psychoactive plant known as Salvia divinorum
, Whim proceeds to "distort and enslave Frank and his friends." After much suffering, Manhog sets out on a transformative journey, attaining enlightenment
. Manhog then returns for a final encounter with Whim.
The book is dense and intricate and rewards (or requires) re-readings, and which "blends his understanding of Vedantic beliefs with stylized, Max Fleischer
nightmare
s to explore ideas about the evolution of consciousness
. As if to hammer home this mysticism
, Woodring notes that the Sanskrit
symbol for the sacred syllable Aum
[] is hidden on each page." Every detail of the book has meaning to Woodring, although he accepts and encourages "reader participation" and further or alternate interpretations.
is normally the star.
The significant thing for Manhog in Weathercraft, according to Woodring, "is that [Manhog] feels morally obligated to clean up after himself" after being "responsible for Whim's acquiring a hallucinogenic plant-body...a first for him. He passes up a chance to enter paradise in order to do the right thing."
Whim : As in so many other stories, this devil
ish, perpetually smiling, moon-headed character spends his time tantalizing and torturing the inhabitants of the Unifactor. "[A]t one point [he] merges with a psychoactive plant called Salvia divinorum
" and "distorts and enslaves Frank and his friends."
Frank
: Normally the main character of the stories set in the Unifactor, Frank plays a small but important role in this book, distorted and enslaved by Whim early in the book.
Pupshaw and Pushpaw : Companions and protectors of Frank, they are distorted and enslaved along with him by the now superpowerful Whim.
Frank's Faux Paw : Quadrupedal "bad conscience" of Frank, he plays a minor but critical role in the book. When participating in a forced marriage
that is interrupted by Manhog, he reveals the location of the transformed Whim.
"Betty and Veronica" : Described on the dust jacket as "our grossly inappropriate pet names for the unchristened hags" who "seem to have elemental control over [Manhog's] life". They are "two bird-like hags that mysteriously propel the story from the sidelines through rituals that alter the weather and, in turn, alter Manhog’s course". The pet names are taken from the characters Betty
and Veronica
from Archie
comic books.
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 Jim Woodring
Jim Woodring
Jim Woodring is a Seattle-based cartoonist, comic book author, artist and toy designer. He also produces fine art works in a variety of other media, including painting and charcoal....
featuring his best-known characters Frank
Frank (comics)
Frank is a cartoon character created by American cartoonist Jim Woodring. He is a bipedal, bucktoothed animal of uncertain species with a short tail, described by Woodring as a "generic anthropomorph". When shown in color, his fur is purple...
and Manhog. It is Woodring's first graphic novel-length work, and like all the other works in Frank's world of the Unifactor, the story unfolds entirely in pictures, with no dialogue, captions or narration.
Publication history
The book was published in book form without the benefit of being serialized first, marking a recent trend in alternative comicsAlternative comics
Alternative comics defines a range of American comics that have appeared since the 1980s, following the underground comix movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Alternative comics present an alternative to "mainstream" superhero comics which in the past have dominated the US comic book industry...
, seen also with Dan Clowes' Wilson, Charles Burns
Charles Burns (cartoonist)
Charles Burns is an American cartoonist, illustrator and film director.-Life:Burns is renowned for his meticulous, high-contrast and creepy artwork and stories. He lives in Philadelphia with his wife, painter Susan Moore, and their two daughters Ava and Rae-Rae.His father was an oceanographer for...
' X'ed Out and Chester Brown
Chester Brown
Chester William David Brown , is an award-winning, best-selling Canadian alternative cartoonist and, since 2008, the Libertarian Party of Canada's candidate for the riding of Trinity-Spadina in Toronto, Canada....
's Paying For It
Paying For It
Paying for It, "a comic strip memoir about being a john", is a 2011 bestselling graphic novel by award-winning Canadian cartoonist Chester Brown, released by Drawn and Quarterly....
.
When asked in an interview with The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
why, after 30 years of doing comics, he had now decided to produce his first graphic novel, he replied:
On the amount of text on the dust jacket
Dust jacket
The dust jacket of a book is the detachable outer cover, usually made of paper and printed with text and illustrations. This outer cover has folded flaps that hold it to the front and back book covers...
in contrast with the pantomime
Pantomime
Pantomime — not to be confused with a mime artist, a theatrical performer of mime—is a musical-comedy theatrical production traditionally found in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, South Africa, India, Ireland, Gibraltar and Malta, and is mostly performed during the...
of the book itself he said, "I thought it would be funny to have a book that was almost word-free and a dust jacket that was slathered in copy."
Some panels of the book were previewed on Woodring's blog leading up to publication.
Plot synopsis
Weathercraft, like all of the works set in Woodring's Unifactor (the world in which FrankFrank (comics)
Frank is a cartoon character created by American cartoonist Jim Woodring. He is a bipedal, bucktoothed animal of uncertain species with a short tail, described by Woodring as a "generic anthropomorph". When shown in color, his fur is purple...
and associated characters appear), is executed in wordless pantomime
Pantomime
Pantomime — not to be confused with a mime artist, a theatrical performer of mime—is a musical-comedy theatrical production traditionally found in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, South Africa, India, Ireland, Gibraltar and Malta, and is mostly performed during the...
, with no word balloons or captions of any kind. In contrast, the dust jacket
Dust jacket
The dust jacket of a book is the detachable outer cover, usually made of paper and printed with text and illustrations. This outer cover has folded flaps that hold it to the front and back book covers...
is quite verbose, and provides clues to the interpretation of the story.
Frank (comics)
Frank is a cartoon character created by American cartoonist Jim Woodring. He is a bipedal, bucktoothed animal of uncertain species with a short tail, described by Woodring as a "generic anthropomorph". When shown in color, his fur is purple...
only appearing briefly, and also features the devil
Devil
The Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly...
ish Whim, another recurring character.
After merging with a psychoactive plant known as Salvia divinorum
Salvia divinorum
Salvia divinorum is a psychoactive plant which can induce dissociative effects and is a potent producer of "visions" and other hallucinatory experiences...
, Whim proceeds to "distort and enslave Frank and his friends." After much suffering, Manhog sets out on a transformative journey, attaining enlightenment
Enlightenment (spiritual)
Enlightenment in a secular context often means the "full comprehension of a situation", but in spiritual terms the word alludes to a spiritual revelation or deep insight into the meaning and purpose of all things, communication with or understanding of the mind of God, profound spiritual...
. Manhog then returns for a final encounter with Whim.
The book is dense and intricate and rewards (or requires) re-readings, and which "blends his understanding of Vedantic beliefs with stylized, Max Fleischer
Max Fleischer
Max Fleischer was an American animator. He was a pioneer in the development of the animated cartoon and served as the head of Fleischer Studios...
nightmare
Nightmare
A nightmare is an unpleasant dream that can cause a strong negative emotional response from the mind, typically fear or horror, but also despair, anxiety and great sadness. The dream may contain situations of danger, discomfort, psychological or physical terror...
s to explore ideas about the evolution of consciousness
Consciousness
Consciousness is a term that refers to the relationship between the mind and the world with which it interacts. It has been defined as: subjectivity, awareness, the ability to experience or to feel, wakefulness, having a sense of selfhood, and the executive control system of the mind...
. As if to hammer home this mysticism
Mysticism
Mysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, i.e. levels of being, beyond normal human perception, including experience and even communion with a supreme being.-Classical origins:...
, Woodring notes that the Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
symbol for the sacred syllable Aum
Om
Om is a sacred syllable of Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.OM and similar may also refer to:-Music:* Om , a stoner metal band* Om , a 1965 album* OM , a 2006 album* Om...
[] is hidden on each page." Every detail of the book has meaning to Woodring, although he accepts and encourages "reader participation" and further or alternate interpretations.
Characters
Manhog : "[A] freakish creature that is often depicted as hedonistic villain whenever he isn't being forced to suffer." With some notable exceptions like the short story Gentlemanhog, Manhog is normally a secondary character in the stories set in the Unifactor, where FrankFrank (comics)
Frank is a cartoon character created by American cartoonist Jim Woodring. He is a bipedal, bucktoothed animal of uncertain species with a short tail, described by Woodring as a "generic anthropomorph". When shown in color, his fur is purple...
is normally the star.
The significant thing for Manhog in Weathercraft, according to Woodring, "is that [Manhog] feels morally obligated to clean up after himself" after being "responsible for Whim's acquiring a hallucinogenic plant-body...a first for him. He passes up a chance to enter paradise in order to do the right thing."
Whim : As in so many other stories, this devil
Devil
The Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly...
ish, perpetually smiling, moon-headed character spends his time tantalizing and torturing the inhabitants of the Unifactor. "[A]t one point [he] merges with a psychoactive plant called Salvia divinorum
Salvia divinorum
Salvia divinorum is a psychoactive plant which can induce dissociative effects and is a potent producer of "visions" and other hallucinatory experiences...
" and "distorts and enslaves Frank and his friends."
Frank
Frank (comics)
Frank is a cartoon character created by American cartoonist Jim Woodring. He is a bipedal, bucktoothed animal of uncertain species with a short tail, described by Woodring as a "generic anthropomorph". When shown in color, his fur is purple...
: Normally the main character of the stories set in the Unifactor, Frank plays a small but important role in this book, distorted and enslaved by Whim early in the book.
Pupshaw and Pushpaw : Companions and protectors of Frank, they are distorted and enslaved along with him by the now superpowerful Whim.
Frank's Faux Paw : Quadrupedal "bad conscience" of Frank, he plays a minor but critical role in the book. When participating in a forced marriage
Forced marriage
Forced marriage is a term used to describe a marriage in which one or both of the parties is married without his or her consent or against his or her will...
that is interrupted by Manhog, he reveals the location of the transformed Whim.
"Betty and Veronica" : Described on the dust jacket as "our grossly inappropriate pet names for the unchristened hags" who "seem to have elemental control over [Manhog's] life". They are "two bird-like hags that mysteriously propel the story from the sidelines through rituals that alter the weather and, in turn, alter Manhog’s course". The pet names are taken from the characters Betty
Betty Cooper
Betty Cooper is a fictional character of Archie Comics, the blonde-haired daughter of Hal and Alice Cooper. Betty likes sports, and is also a cheerleader. Betty was created in December 1941. Her older brother Chic Cooper and older sister Polly Cooper have both moved out of Riverdale, their hometown...
and Veronica
Veronica Lodge
Veronica Lodge is a fictional character in the Archie Comics books series.-Fictional history and character:She is called both by her name Veronica and her nickname Ronnie...
from Archie
Archie Andrews (comics)
Archie Andrews, created in 1941 by Vic Bloom and Bob Montana, is a fictional character in an American comic book series published by Archie Comics, as well as the long-running Archie Andrews radio series, a syndicated comic strip, The Archie Show, and Archie's Weird Mysteries.-Character and...
comic books.
Reception
The book was included on numerous "Best of 2010" lists, including:- The 2010 Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
Book Prize for Graphic Novels (as Finalist) - Publishers WeeklyPublishers WeeklyPublishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
's Best Books of 2010 - Douglas WolkDouglas WolkDouglas Wolk is a Portland, Oregon-based author and critic. He has written about comics and popular music for publications including The New York Times, Rolling Stone, The Washington Post, The Nation, The New Republic, Salon.com, Pitchfork Media, and The Believer...
's Best Graphic Novels of 2010 at TIME.comTime (magazine)Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
– Techland (ranked #6)
Foreign editions
| Translations | ||||
| Language | Title | Publisher | Date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dutch Dutch language Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second... |
Weersomstandigheden | De Bezige Bij | November 2009 | |
| Norwegian Norwegian language Norwegian is a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is the official language. Together with Swedish and Danish, Norwegian forms a continuum of more or less mutually intelligible local and regional variants .These Scandinavian languages together with the Faroese language... |
Værverk | Jippi Forlag | November 2009 | |
| French French language French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts... |
Weathercraft | l'Association | 2010-01-09 | |
| Italian Italian language Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia... |
Weathercraft | Coconino Press | July 2010 | |
External links
- Weathercraft by Jim Woodring - Video Preview
- Jim Woodring talks about Weathercraft
- Interview at The A.V. ClubThe A.V. ClubThe A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
- Review at Comics Alliance