Mini-Madness: Raina Telgemeier

TAKE OUT #1-6: written and drawn by Raina Telgemeier. Available from her website at http://www.goraina.com.

As many of you know, I love mini-comics. In their own way, I think they are as pure of an expression that you'll find in comics today. Some folks make them and put out absurdist stuff that would only find a cult audience anyway. Some artists use them to collect strips, sketches, and other assorted materials in a cheap format. And some, like Telgemeier, use the format the way they would use standard sized comics: to explore personal themes and journeys. I have room in my heart for all three kinds, personally.

TAKE OUT sees Raina explore herself from childhood to current adulthood, examining her oddly frightening moments, such as the first time her father shaved his beard, to her laugh-because-it-isn't-you moments like beating the New York subway system to get down to the platforms for free, but then missing her train on multiple occasions. Karma can be a wretched mistress.

Telgemeier doesn't fall into some of the basic traps that many autobiographical artists do, in that she isn't telling too much information about herself. Many creators are so struck by their own lives that they'll take a personal story to a point beyond unpleasantness, but Raina finds a happy medium, for instance showing off her personal obsession with musician Ben Folds in a way that is endearing, not creepy. Frankly, I wish she'd do seminars on that technique.

Issue four contains my personal favorite story, "Letter To Matt," in which Telgemeier describes the aftermath of going to her friend's "Pimps And Hos" party. While the party was delightful, the trip home in her "ho" outfit had more than its share of grief. Knowing someone myself whom this has happened to, it had a humorous ring of authenticity that left me laughing. And having read almost four full issues about the quietly subdued author at that point, seeing her depct herself dressed like a streetwalker and keeping a straight face was hilarious.

In a sea of bad comics hitting the stands right and left, it was very refreshing to read these wonderful minis and see such quality work and effort in them. I will, unquestionably, be keeping my eyes open for future work by Telgemeier, mini comics or otherwise. She's a talent to keep watch upon.

/Mason