Inspired by Dostoyevskys short story; The Double tells the story of Simon; a timid man; scratching out an isolated existence in an indifferent world. He is overlooked at work; scorned by his mother; and ignored by the woman of his dreams. He feels powerless to change any of these things. The arrival of a new co-worker; James; serves to upset the balance. James is both Simons exact physical double and his opposite - confident; charismatic and good with women. To Simons horror; James slowly starts taking over his life.
2012-11-02 2012-11-02File Name: B00IZ07Z5U
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Beautiful Abuse and Wonderful Warpage. The Bible of Blanchard.By Truman ChipotleOh my goodness there is a lot going on in this eye-popping brain-feast of a book! Wonderfully warped; well-traveled artist Jim Blanchard walks us through twenty years of his graphic art (1982-2002) on a visual tour that is relentlessly intense but incessantly rewarding. I like how this monograph is divided into five sections (Rock Art; Retina Damage; Comix; Portraits/Art For Hire; Weird Wimmin) each one curated by Blanchard himself; with just enough text (recollection; memoir and narrative) to provide cultural and chronological context; but not so much that it ever gets in the way. (The artist is often giving a tip of the cap to those who influenced; guided or aided him along the way; or recognizing those with whom he collaborated). It was a very busy twenty-year journey but Blanchard helpfully provides the setting (for example; the early 80s hardcore punk zine culture as he embraced it from his peculiar vantage point of Bartlesville; OK or the 1987-1989 Northwest rock music scene as viewed from the eye of the hurricane in Seattle) and then lets this amazing treasure trove of his art do the rest of the talking.Ive had this book in my hands off and on for about three weeks now and I keep dipping back into it and finding things I had overlooked; or discovering new details in pieces I had already given a first look. And I suspect that Ill keep doing this for a good little while. There is so much to digest: the ridiculously intricate detail of "Aztec God" from issue 12 of Blanchards 80s fanzine "Blatch"; the hundreds of tiny bat-like shapes that make up the craggy face of Charles Bukowski in a masterful portrait done for Forced Exposure magazine; the sordid; grainy nighttime voyeurism of "Nothing Happened" from Blanchards own 90s comic "Bad Meat"; the seemingly pulsating/vibrating portrait of African percussion/exotica master Chaino from Cool and Strange Music magazine; to name just a few. (The portrait of Faye Dunaway that another reviewer mentioned is also a standout; and was an early indication of the direction Blanchards work would take in the 2000s and beyond).When you consider that most of this material has been out of print for a while now; this volume is not only a great deal; as far as the sheer mother lode of content for the price; but its also essential if you have been even a casual follower of Blanchards varied work at any point in the past. It is also an ideal introduction to his work for the uninitiated. Just be warned; theres a reason that the artist (as he mentions within) originally gave this collection the working title "No Relief In Sight". A new melting of the mind and rattling of the retinas awaits with each turn of each page; particularly when surveying his 80s and early 90s work!0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. An incredibly detailed amalgamation of styles and mediums compromising an ...By DevAn incredibly detailed amalgamation of styles and mediums compromising an impressive portfolio from the depths of an obviously disturbed mind printed on high quality paper.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. You Gotta See ThisBy George PetrosI had the pleasure of working with Jim Blanchard a few times over the years. He is an excellent illustrator who specializes in capturing idiosyncratic nuances of crazy characters real and imagined. He portrays anxiety and alienation as if those conditions were the universal norm. Of course he conjures up beautiful environments; his rendered characters explode upon marvelously textured backgrounds. And dont forget his wide array of styles; from primitive-ish to psychedelic to photorealistic; all awash in Americana. At long last his work from 1982 through 2002 is enshrined in a Fantagraphics tome. So; run out and buy this book because it captures twenty years of American psycho-history. Jim Blanchard: Master of cartoons; comics; portraits and crazy drawings. Youll love his stuff !!! - George Petros; Brooklyn; NY; 02-05-17 A.D.
