Crowded Room, Not a Soul in Sight
by Bosch Fawstin
I wasn’t always an anti-Jihad cartoonist. Before 9/11, I had a number of stories in mind that I wanted to write and draw, stories that were put on hold or forgotten altogether in the shadow of the atrocity. I was working on my first graphic novel, Table for One, when 9/11 hit, and I liked the idea of portraying how an individualist would fare in the mini society of the restaurant world that I created. I had no desire to scrap the story for a more direct response to 9/11 yet, and so the only mentions of the attacks in the book are in some of the conversations between the New York customers in the double-page spread I post below.
I think this audience would appreciate that the hero of Table for One, waiter/writer William Howland, was hated by two different liberal reviewers to such an extent that they wanted to, somehow, kick his ass. I enjoyed the unexpected but telling response that Will got from some people, which is why I have since described the book in shorthand as “Dirty Harry as a Waiter.”
I’ll be posting panels from my next book, The Infidel, featuring Pigman, in a few weeks.
For more on my work, check out my blog.
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24 Comments
Was that Ayn Rand in the last panel?
I find comics fascinating. You can fly through a book but comics must be studied to be understood. I don't know what I'm observing here, but I like it…
Was that Ayn Rand in the last panel?
I find comics fascinating. You can fly through a book but comics must be studied to be understood. I don't know what I'm observing here, but I like it…
A nice snapshot of society post 9/11.
good catch on the Ayn Rand. I think it was. The author/artist quotes her on his website so its probably a pretty good guess.
When you tick off liberal reviewers you know you got something good on your hands.
One or two west-siders expressing anger. Most of the rest completely neutral, or excusing the attacks. The remainder still discussing their useless lives, and how they got rich screwing people over. About right.
Oink! Oink! – cruised your site Bosch – really impressive. E-mailed off to my nephew since he's my link to the Graphic Novel world. I'm middle aged and I never got past MAD as far as comics influence, but I really believe the enduring market, and the emerging one your talents exhibit, remind me of potentially asserting the kind of influence Sci Fi had in the fifties – overtly political on a close reading and under the radar – particularly inspiration to those trapped in Soviet satillite domination. Pigman – will 'pork' – rather than pump you up! Great food for thought – & great use – as a shield against islamofacist ideologes – of pigskin – certainly a higher calling than football!
I just got this and ProPIGanda in the mail today (it arrived fast) — I can't wait to read them.
I'm going to take them to the comic store on the way to work tonight and show the owner. Then I'm going to show ProPIGanda to the moral-equivalent merchants at the newspaper where I work.
Spread the word. Take a lesson from "creeping sharia" and let's institute "creeping conservativism."
Fantastic stuff.
TFO was the single BEST graphic novel I have ever read. Seriously. There was so much thought that went into the creation of this from the visual puns, to the snappy dialogue (which never misses a beat), to the luscious gray tones and expert draftsmanship/linework. I also love how the more deplorable characters (Kripnik my personal favorite) are literally cartoon contrasts to the striking elegance of the main character, Will Howland. This book is worthy–make that REQUIRED–of repeat reading.
Hate to see such talent be overlooked by anyone not aware they can click to enlarge and pan over your nice work Mr. Fawstin, so maybe a few instructions above the panels could be included.
Creeping hell…lets storm the beaches
Yeah, but therein lies the problem. If we storm the beaches, everyone says, "Look at those silly Islamaphobic Republicans. If they hate something, that must mean that it's cute and nice and we should love it. Let's give cookies to all the Muslim Freedom Fighters." People are more likely to believe something if they think they came to it themselves. We don't need to be like a sledgehammer, but instead we need to be like water.
It's the frog in a boiling pot cliche, or "the slow blade penetrates the shield" if you prefer sci-fi.
VERY nice work, love all the comments from the diners and I didn't need instructions to click on the pic to enlarge.
True that…true that !!!!!
Thanks for the good comments, everyone, and special thanks to NeoConJedi for getting both booksl, I hope you enjoy them.
Yes, Bonnie, Robert E. that is most definitely Ayn Rand on the far right bottom panel of the dbl pg spread, good catch.
And Mike, what I can say to that besides that I think you're going to appreciate The Infidel even more.
It reminds me of those old Mad Magazine pieces…"things overheard at a…" *sigh* Anyone else here old enough to remember when Mad was funny?Bets of luck with the book!
Slow blade, from Dune, I recall. Those shields could not handle a nuke, nor being at the bottom of the ocean. Try the roasted frog instead, here's the flamethrower. The time for slow methods is when you have time, but overwhelming crushing force works just fine when you don't.
ProPIGanda is one intense collection. That sense of intelligent rage and focus, and definitely the use of iconography, has been sorely lacking in anything from this side of opinion about the war (or any war since WWII). You clearly grew up with the same comics as I did. Even the pigskin leather gloves shot reminds me of an old Daredevil cover. And SuperJihad is like the Mandarin or something. Who knew that in a new millennium, cartoons would be the cutting edge of free speech? Pigman will be doing the things that Captain America and Superman ought to (even the villain in the new War Machine is a Blackwater type). I really could write a bit about every image, but don't worry I won't.
I'll be starting Table for One tonight and looking forward to reading The Infidel. Great comics, Bosch.
Thats my philosophy when it comes to speaking my mind. The Bible says we are to be the Salt of the Earth. Salt not only makes things taste better, but it irritates, (it also cleanses, and enough of it in water helps you float, really its a pretty amazing thing). When some gets upset because of something you said or did in standing up for what's right, then you're doing something right.
If brute force doesn't work then you aren't using enough? I'd have to say I tend to agree. I look at it like being in a fight, A thousand swift light punches may knock some one out, but one powerful punch to jaw of the guy throwing the thousand swift punches and they're finished.
I enjoyed it. keep up the good work.
Has anyone ever broached the fact that Table For One is a not so subtitle plagiarism of the Fountainhead? At least your hero (apparently yourself) wasn't a terrorist like Fountainhead's "hero" Howard Roark who blows up a building. That guy was a true pud.
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