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The Great Northern Brotherhood of Canadian Cartoonists

Review

The Great Northern Brotherhood of Canadian Cartoonists

 

Before beginning Wimbledon Green, bestselling and highly revered artist and writer Seth began crafting The Great Northern Brotherhood of Canadian Cartoonists. As he explains in his foreword, he was mostly just dabbling in his sketchbook, not really sure what, if anything, he was planning to do with the extensive pages, images, and stories he was working on. When it grew lengthy and somewhat out of control, he took pieces of it to inspireWimbledon Green, and he put TGNBCC aside. When he returned to that work, he had to redo much of the story and art, but what he came out of it with is pure enjoyment.

The book gives us a tour of the club, the brotherhood, and its headquarters. The main conceit is that this is a world where cartoonists are revered, make tons of money, and are seen as heroes. In page after page—mostly nine-panel grids on each page—Seth details a vivid Canadian fantasy land where artists are so honored that they have formed this brotherhood in order to catalog and honor their best works, and best people. It’s certainly not a self-serving honor that Seth gives here; instead it’s a warm, welcoming, truly cozy place that feels immediately accessible and wonderful to enter.
 
Seth himself narrates this cartoon history (most of it made up, some of it true, all of it engrossing). Despite not all being true, it’s a wonderful introduction to the works of some true great (notably, people like Doug Wright, for example) and it’s a welcome addition to the incredible library of works that Seth has already created.

Reviewed by John Hogan on October 11, 2011

The Great Northern Brotherhood of Canadian Cartoonists
by Seth

  • Publication Date: October 11, 2011
  • Genres: Graphic Novel
  • Hardcover: 136 pages
  • Publisher: Drawn and Quarterly
  • ISBN-10: 1770460535
  • ISBN-13: 9781770460539