I have followed the work of cartoonist Tom Hart for many years and I consider him a friend. Source: basic truth about good art is that it comes from an artist who is compelled to create it. It’s the most loving, joyful, real comic I’ve read in a long time. I know the subject will frighten some people away, but there’s really no need. It’s a book about why we live and why we make art. There are layers of complexity and depth in this book, and a raw intensity that won’t be denied. It’s viscerally powerful, deceptively simple and direct, honest and heartfelt and generous. Rosalie Lightning is a landmark book: the culmination of Tom’s craft and his whole approach to cartooning as a potent, personal, intimate artform. I have a blurb on the back of the book, but really, Dylan Horrocks (himself a terrific cartoonist) probably says it best: The book is also about moving - moving out of New York city to Gainesville, Florida, so they could get out of debt and have a better life for Rosalie…Īnd then trying to move on after her death. He also looks back to movies and stories he experienced with Rosalie: Tom and Leela go for walks and signs like “fire lane” take on new, horrible meanings. …and using images (ones both made and seen) as a way of understanding the world around you: (On first glance, because my son and I watch so many videos and read so many books about musical instruments, I thought that panel in the top right was a guy playing an upright bass-a fitting mis-seeing, as you’ll see later.)Ī lot of the book is about Tom and Leela’s grief, of course, but it’s also about looking and seeing…

You can also read Tom’s posts on his blog about dealing with Rosalie’s death. Tom kept a Tumblr blog while he was working on the book that you can go back and read-if you go to the archive, you can get to the first post, and work your way forward, watch the book take shape. Here’s a little intro video that Tom did that explains the background and shows a lot of great images of him working: Of course, I could, because it is so great. This is a comic book about the unexpected death of Tom’s daughter, Rosalie. I read the story as Tom was drawing it and posting chapters online, but I didn’t read my copy of the paper book until this week, because I didn’t know if I could handle it.

Rosalie Lightning by Tom Hart