Ant Colony
Drawn & Quarterly
Available: 01/28/14
11.1 x 8.71 · 112 pages
Ages -
9781770461376
CDN $21.95
· cl
With dust jacket
Canadian Title
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BEST OF THE YEAR NODS FROM THE GLOBE & MAILL, AMAZON.COM, QUILL & QUIRE!
The Toronto cartoonist's first full-length graphic novel follows a clutch of misfit ants, trying to maintain some semblance of civilization in the shadow of war. Psychedelically gorgeous, uncomfortably funny."-Sean Rogers, Globe & Mail Best Books of 2014
The debut graphic novel from a dazzling newcomer with a singular, idiosyncratic style
In the few short years since he began his pamphlet-size comic book series Lose, Michael DeForge has announced himself as an important new voice in alternative comics. His brash, confident, undulating artwork sent a shock wave through the comics world for its unique, fully formed aesthetic.
From its opening pages, Ant Colony immerses the reader in a world that is darkly existential, with false prophets, unjust wars, and corruptpolice officers, as it follows the denizens of a black ant colony under attack from the nearby red ants. On the surface, it's the story of this war, the destruction of a civilization, and the ants' all too familiar desire to rebuild. Underneath, though, Ant Colony plumbs the deepest human concerns-loneliness, faith, love, apathy, and more. All of this is done with humor and sensitivity, exposing a world where spiders can wreak unimaginable amounts of havoc with a single gnashof their jaws.
DeForge's striking visual sensibility-stark lines, dramatic color choices, and brilliant use of page and panel space-stands out in this volume.
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Michael DeForge was born in 1987 and grew up in Ottawa, Ontario. After a few years of experimenting with short strips and zines, he created Lose #1, his first full-length comic, which won Best Emerging Talent at the Doug Wright Awards. He has since published a handful of comic books, which have received industry praise and two Eisner Award nominations. His illustrations have been published in The New York Times and Bloomberg View ; his comics have appeared in Believer, Maisonneuve, and the Adventure Time comic book series.
