GROSS MAN!

Contrary to what my title seems to imply, I loved Austin Grossman and his hilarious presentation. A for awesome! However, before I go on a random tangent vaguely related to the books we've read, I have to say that the man instantly reminded me of Dr. Impossible in that bookish, semi-awkward (in a good sense!) way. I can't help but wonder if the book stems from Grossman's own attempt at materializing his very own comic world but in a style more comfortable/familiar to him: as a novel! If Grossman is the comic fanatic I assume he is, then what greater way to show your appreciation for the comic world than to bring into another realm of printed material? True, you could argue it the other way, but there's a time and place for that (which is neither now nor here).

Like Brittany, I now also wonder how I would have read the book had I known that Feral and Elphin were homosexuals. Maybe I didn't read deeply enough, but I had no idea! For a second, I thought he was just throwing it out there for shock appeal. But you do have to wonder what difference it would have made. Racism, sexism, etc.-ism, I think that the critic had a point, but in way, it's hard to judge how something OUGHT to be when it is such a subjective and personal piece of work. If it wasn't included, it wasn't included. To do so now might be playing to a type of tokenism, which might just exacerbate the situation. Honestly, the book was like warm porridge... just right.

:)