The Werewolf at Dusk and Other Stories. David Small. Liveright. New York. 2024. 175pp. $25
One great way to approach David Small’s delightful new “graphic novel” is as a collection of bedtime fairy tales for discerning adults. And, no, I am not inferring that this is a book to keep away from the youngest readers. There is nothing explicit to be found here. What I mean is that this is a delicious book for world-weary folks who want to be entranced by a dance made up of words and pictures. There’s nothing pretentious to be found here either. Just a very smart, whimsical foray, beginning with the titular tale involving a werewolf who has somehow outlived its purpose, just too long in the tooth.
Tiger! Tiger!
Ah, but there’s plenty more like the piece, “The Tiger in Vogue,” a true beast in the jungle, a mighty tiger on a date with a fair damsel. A night at the opera, no less, and the tiger and his beauty are seated prominently in the loge, so classy and upscale! In the very next box, the tiger’s real master looks on, monitors the potential monster’s every move, ready with god-like power to keep the beast at bay or release its true nature. Now, this is a bedtime story!
One wall that folks like me are working to tear down is this nagging feeling that some people still have that they’ve got graphic novels figured out and it’s not for them. Well, this book should make clear that the comics medium is always capable of a pleasant surprise and delight. Graphic novels run the gamut: maybe text-heavy; or character-driven; or fact-driven. And some make the most of embracing the best of both words and pictures and pursue a particular vision. Small does what a certain number of artist-cartoonists, like Blutch, do so well: they do as they damn well please! Small is not afraid to let pages go by with nothing but drawings and, if the drawings are this enchanting, well, why the hell not? And the same with the text: why not use as much or as little as needed? This can trip up some stubborn readers but, trust me, let the master do his thing. It all adds up to a style, an attitude, and a way of life that simply says, “Stick with me, I’ve got a few things to share with you.” Believe me, Mr. Small is not going to waste your time.
