Thursday, Dec. 12, 2002

Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Kim Deitch

Kim Deitch, an overlooked veteran of the 1960s "underground" comix movement, may finally get his due with this trade-published novel. It follows the career of Ted Mishkin, a brilliant animator of the 1930s driven to madness by a (possibly imaginary) malevolent, bipedal cat named Waldo. Using a charming drawing style reminiscent of 1930s cartoons Deitch explores the nature of reality, the mystery of inspiration, the exploitation of pop culture and the redemptive power of art.