Graphic novels are not my regular reading material but I like to read one now and then because I find them to be a very different experience. If you would like a really different experience, read Alias the Cat by Kim Deitch. I decided to read this one because it has a cat in it named Waldo! I thought Waldo would just be a minor part of the story since Alias the Cat is not Waldo but a sort of vigilante dressed up in a cat suit. But, it turns out that Waldo is behind everything that happens in the novel.
I’m not quite sure how to describe Alias the Cat to you. It begins sedately enough with Kim Deitch and his wife talking about their stuffed cat toy collection from the 1920s and 30s and how they like to go to rummage sales looking for antique cat toys. And eBay. They spend a lot of time on eBay. One day they happen to come across a booth a the local flea market where a guy was selling stuffed toys. There was a black stuffed cat, Waldo the Cat, that they wanted but the guy would only sell it for $1,000. They wouldn’t pay it but got a long story from the guy about where the toy came from. I won’t go into details but it had to do with a dessert island and the real Waldo the Cat enslaving the island’s natives to make Waldo dolls.
Then Waldo disappears, sort of. He keeps popping up now and then through the middle part of the story. The middle part mainly focuses on Alias the Cat. The Cat was a comic strip newspaper serial long ago but it turns out the serial was based on events that happened it real life. It’s a whole weird mystery that finally gets unravelled at the end by Waldo. And Waldo, it turns out, is actually an invisible cat demon that only crazy people and the occasional sage can see.
The story was pretty good. I liked that there were twists in the plot that I didn’t see coming (don’t worry, I haven’t revealed any spoilers in the above). As for the art, it is pretty good too. It’s all black and white and fairly detailed. Deitch is a good artist. Waldo looks like a mildly demented cartoon cat. And the costume of Alias the Cat appropriately reflects the slightly insane mind of the person who wears it. Everything combined well to make Alias the Cat an enjoyable read. I will count it a successful foray into the genre of graphic novels.
Weeds 
I haven’t read any graphic novels. This sounds good and as you say a different experience. I’ll look out for it. An invisible cat demon sounds really weird.
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So, what was the dessert island like? Lots of ice cream, or more cake-based desserts there. Sorry, I couldn’t help myself. I hope I haven’t opened a dangerous door by picking on a little typo. 🙂
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I’ve never read a graphic novel. I’m kind of worried that if I did so I would feel too much as if I had morphed into my son! Perhaps I ought to get it for him (he is the biggest cat-lover amongst us) and read over his shoulder.
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This book sounds quite bizarre! In a good way 🙂 I haven’t read any graphic novels, unless you count Maus, which isn’t a novel, of course. But that one was quite good, and it would be interesting to try more.
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BooksPlease, the whole novel is sort of weird but it works. And having picture with a story kind of takes me back to being a kid.
Bikkuri, Argh! I’ve been caught making the dreaded mistake I make fun of others for making! I’ve got to get me a new copyeditor 🙂
Litlove, morphing into your son might be an interesting experience. I don’t remember how old he is, but as an FYI, I’d give this graphic novel a PG-13 rating for sex, nudity, and language. Waldo has not been neutered.
Dorothy, bizarre is a good description. I have not gotten around to reading Maus. I plan to one of these days.
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I get really snobbish about people who mess up “there”, “their”, “they’re” and “here”, “hear” and so on; however, I looked back at my old blog and found I was, in my haste, doing the same thing. I’m watching a movie about spelling bees as I type.
Maus is also on the list of things I hope to read. Usagi Yojimbo has also been recommended to me, but I don’t know enough about it to recommend it to others. Usagi means rabbit and yojimbo is like a bodyguard. The character is very funny because they made his ears look like a samurai topknot.
Remember, literature is still literature even if it has pictures included. There are some nice, old copies of LOTR with pictures in them. The Book of Kells also includes pictures.
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LOL! He could probably read it then (he’s just turned 13) but not with me looking over his shoulder. That could result in years of expensive therapy!!
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The few graphic novels I’ve read I’ve enjoyed a lot but I feel so lost as to what to read next in the genre you know. I’m going to see if I can find this one at my library – it sounds really fun.
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Hmmm…I’ve been toying with the idea of doing a graphic novel challenge in 2008 (seems from the comments, I might get quite a few participants), since I’ve never read one. Seems like this might be a good one to read.
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Bikkuri, Usagi Yojimbo sounds like fun. Is it in English or will I have to learn Japanese? And good point about literature still being literature even with pictures.
Litlove, LOL! The therapy could certainly get expensive 😀
Iliana, it is a fun one. Hope you can find it. I feel the same as you, kind of lost about what to read next in the genre.
Emily, that would be a fun challenge! We’d all get a chance to step outside our usual reading habits and hopefully get some good new reading suggestions too!
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I hope I don’t get spam filtered for putting a link in my comment. Here is the Usagi Yojimbo website. UY is written in English.
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Thanks for the link Bikkuri! The art is fantastic! My library has the books, or most of them, and I requested one. They seem to be rather popular though so I won’t have a copy until the end of the month. But that’s ok, not like I don’t have anything else to read!
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