Treeboy. James Hilger. Self-published. 38pp. (currently available at comics festivals).
Once I started, I couldn’t put down this comic. We live in a world where we are constantly putting down one thing in favor of the next thing, and then the next thing after that. Well, I was hooked, compelled to read on, and so I did. James Hilger brings a lot to the table, the kind of set of tools that will serve any cartoonist well: a lot of reading; a lot of observation; and a lot of wisdom. I’ve been reading a book on Chester Brown and his comics, with the delicate line and the morbid originality, kept coming to mind as I read Hilger’s graphic novella. It’s longer than your typical comic book at 38 pages and certainly far more substantial, encompassing an in-depth look at one person’s struggle for meaning. So, yeah, a bona fide graphic novella, one that kept me inspired and intrigued.
If you’re looking for a literary comic, this is it.
Based on his social media activity, I see that James Hilger is passionate about prose fiction and filmmaking along with comics. To my way of thinking, that’s a terrific creative trifecta, as each medium informs and helps shape the other in the creator’s pursuits. Clearly, Hilger has a very strong visual and verbal sense. He’s working off what some of the great cartoonists from the alternative scene of the last thirty or forty years have built, people like Daniel Clowes and Charles Burns, but I don’t cringe at any of his work, thinking he’s just lifting from this or that comics artist. Hilger has allowed himself the time to digest and process and offers the reader his own refreshing take. Hilger dives in with his own anti-hero, one unsure lad named, Alvin Leif Limoncello. And, as bullies and insensitive clods are prone to do, they find a weak spot and take aim. Alvin, due to his quirky middle name, will henceforth be known as “Treeboy.”
Alright, well, originality is one thing. But I’m not suggesting to avoid climbing the same mountains. You just can’t help it, nor would you want to, really. I’m referring to a grand ole coming-of-age tale, with the earnest young person in search of meaning, who thinks meaning can be found in a soul mate. In this case, Hilger takes the traditional route of boy idolizes girl–and later learns from his miscalculations. Getting back to originality, Hilger has come up with a number of new wrinkles to the classic set-up, stuff than surely Clowes and Burns would approve of.
From what I can tell, Hilger is into pursuing his comics the old school way. Everything appears to be physically drawn, all analog, hand-drawn, including the lettering. Perhaps, as a writer, and I’m assuming he gravitated towards focusing on writing, Hilger took up making comics in much the same way that aspiring cartoonists commonly pursued it in the past, just by setting down some paper and picking up a pen. There’s beauty in simplicity, a more direct approach, I think. If it turns out he uses an iPad and Procreate, hey, I still feel it’s all about the mindset. Looking over his work, I imagine someone excited about crafting a truly sound and coherent story and seriously finding the best ways to combine words and pictures. Comics are a lot of things but they’re not always simple. Often, it is a complex endeavor and it helps to come from a multi-discipline background.
A dream girl epiphany.
When Alvin, aka Treeboy, first sets his eyes on his dream girl, it seems to be the portal into another world he’d always been looking for. By the time he has this epiphany, already pushing thirty, he has all but given up on his ideals. But one fateful visit to a McDonald’s drive-thru sets him on a whole new course. If this beautiful and flawless maiden handing him his greasy purchase would connect with him, then all is not lost. There is suddenly hope in the world and that is exactly what Alvin intends to make his own. That is until things don’t go according to plan. Tragic stuff and Hilger knows how to spin that into wonderful storytelling.
Well, it is a pleasure to share with you an outstanding new comic on the scene. It is literally something new. It recently came out and is currently only available through comics festivals. I’m thrilled about Treeboy with its old soul heart and fresh new spirit. So, just to reiterate, this is a one-shot full story with a full-bodied beginning middle and end. It feels like something totally out of left field and that’s a good thing. As Hilger states on his social media: “Treeboy is an intensely personal journey through my growth rings–from acorn to firewood.” Alright then, that makes total sense!
