Chester Brown, ein herausragender Comic-Künstler, erzählt in diesem Buch sensibel und schonungslos von seinem Leben mit Prostituierten. Er hinterfragt das Ideal romantischer Liebe und präsentiert seine Ansichten zur Prostitution provokant und sachlich. Browns klare, reduzierte Zeichnungen reflektieren die Komplexität menschlicher Beziehungen.
Louis Riel (1844–1885) war ein kanadischer Freiheitskämpfer, der Ende des 19. Jahrhunderts zwei Aufstände gegen eine rassistische, englische Regierung anführte. Als Rebell und Politiker war Gründer der heutigen Provinz Manitoba und eine Führungspersönlichkeit der Métis, also der Nachfahren europäischer Pelzhändler – insbesondere aus Frankreich, England und Schottland – und Frauen indigener Abstammung. Seine Hinrichtung 1885 löste mehrtägige Krawalle in ganz Quebec aus und wird bis heute von den Frankokanadiern als starkes Unrecht empfunden. Mittlerweile werden seine umstrittenen Handlungen als Grundlage für die Entwicklung der Rechte von Minderheiten und die Kooperation verschiedener Kulturen in Kanada anerkannt, auch dank dieser lustigen, zugänglichen und interessanten Biogra e des Comic-Stars Chester Brown, die als meistverkaufte kanadische Graphic Novel gilt.
Zerrissen zwischen Orientierungslosigkeit, Selbstzweifeln und haltloser Wut gegen alles und jeden: Chester Brown dokumentiert in „Fuck“ seine Jugend im Alter von neun bis sechzehn Jahren. Für Chester beginnt die Zeit der ersten Gefühlsregungen für Mädchen aus der Nachbarschaft, die er bislang nur als Spielkameradinnen wahrgenommen hatte. Die Krankheit seiner Mutter, die sich in zunehmendem geistigen und körperlichen Verfall äußert, und ihr Bedürfnis nach Liebesbeweisen ihres Sohnes sorgen für zusätzliche Verstörung. Chester Browns genaue Beobachtungsgabe, eine pointierte Auswahl der geschilderten Episoden und eine Anordnung der Bilder auf schwarzem Hintergrund, die an Fotoalben erinnert, erzeugen eine persönliche, beinah intime Wirkung.
In one of the best graphic novels published in recent years, Chester Brown tells the story of his alienated youth in an almost detached, understated manner, giving I Never Liked You an eerie, dream-like quality. For the new 2002 definitive softcover edition Brown has designed new layouts for the entire book, using "white" panel backgrounds instead of the black pages of the first edition.
"It has the thoroughness of a history book yet reads with the personalized vision of a novel." -Time Chester Brown reinvents the comic-book medium to create the critically acclaimed historical biography Louis Riel, winning the Harvey Awards for best writing and best graphic novel for his compelling, meticulous, and dispassionate retelling of the charismatic, and perhaps insane, nineteenth-century Métis leader. Brown coolly documents with dramatic subtlety the violent rebellion on the Canadian prairie led by Riel, who some regard a martyr who died in the name of freedom, while others consider him a treacherous murderer.
The critically lauded memoir about being a john, available in paperback for the first time! Paying for It was easily the most talked-about and controversial graphic novel of 2011, a critical success so innovative and complex that it received two rave reviews in The New York Times and sold out of its first print run in just six months. Chester Brown's eloquent, spare artwork stands out in this paperback edition. Paying for It combines the personal and sexual aspects of Brown's autobiographical work (I Never Liked You, The Playboy) with the polemical drive of Louis Riel. He calmly lays out the facts of how he became not only a willing participant in but also a vocal proponent of one of the world's most hot-button topics—prostitution. While this may appear overly sensational and just plain implausible to some, Brown's story stands for itself. Paying for It offers an entirely contemporary exploration of sex work—from the timid john who rides his bike to his escorts, wonders how to tip so as not to offend, and reads Dan Savage for advice, to the modern-day transactions complete with online reviews, seemingly willing participants, and clean apartments devoid of clichéd street corners, drugs, or pimps. Complete with a surprise ending, Paying for It continues to provide endless debate and conversation about sex work.
The idiosyncratic master Chester Brown continues his thoughts on sex workThe iconoclastic and bestselling cartoonist of Paying for It: A comic-strip memoir about being a john and Louis Riel returns and with a polemical interpretation of the Bible that will be one of the most controversial and talked-about graphic novels of 2016. Mary Wept Over the Feet of Jesus is the retelling in comics form of nine biblical stories that present Chester Brown's fascinating and startling thesis about biblical representations of prostitution. Brown weaves a connecting line between Bathsheba, Ruth, Rahab, Tamar, Mary of Bethany, and the Virgin Mother. He reassesses the Christian moral code by examining the cultural implications of the Bible's representations of sex work.Mary Wept Over the Feet of Jesus is a fitting follow-up to Brown's sui generis graphic memoir Paying for It, which was reviewed twice in The New York Times and hailed by sex workers for Brown's advocacy for the decriminalization and normalization of prostitution. Brown approaches the Bible as he did the life of Louis Riel, making these stories compellingly readable and utterly pertinent to a modern audience. In classic Chester Brown fashion, he provides extensive handwritten endnotes that delve into the biblical lore that informs Mary Wept Over the Feet of Jesus.
Chester Brown's "Paying for It" explores his journey into prostitution, blending personal narrative with social commentary. Following his acclaimed works, this graphic novel examines contemporary sex work, featuring relatable experiences and modern transactions. With a surprise ending, it sparks debate on the topic, making it a significant 2011 release.