Nowhere. Jon Claytor. Goose Lane. 2026. 448pp. $29.95.
Jon Claytor‘s graphic novel reminds me of Dash Shaw’s debut graphic novel, Bottomless Belly Button, also about the dynamics of family dysfunction; also having a large page count; and also drawn in a nontraditional loose and spare style. There are certainly no set rules to how you can go about creating a graphic novel but, like any art form, a raw and unfinished look is what it is. In general, graphic novels tend to have a more polished and finished construction. So, if you’re going to go for it and lean into a more sketchy approach, be ready to deliver. There are certain comics artists who have managed this quite nicely, like the great Jules Feiffer. But even his spontaneous style takes a lot of work to achieve.
When you have a new wave come in, like Dash Shaw, the purists might bristle at the shock of the new. It can take some getting used to. And so it is with what one can dash off on an iPad these days. I’m actually not against quick and dirty drawing. I tend to favor it. In fact, I’ve gone back and forth over the years with wanting to stay true to my instincts to dive in along with my need to refine and edit. One memory that stays with me is, many years ago, when I was showing around an early mini-comic to some cartoonists and editors at a comics festival. One editor suggested I check out the work of Blutch, a legendary cartoonist with a lively brush. And one cartoonist asked if he could read my whole book and to check back with him later. Much later, I finally got a response. He dashed off a note on my comic: “Don’t rush!” The thing is, sometimes you want to rush, you just can’t help it!
So, with all that said, I have to hand it to Jon Claytor, he has managed to jump into the fray, and offer up a credible addition to the growing trend of pared-down digital comics. Claytor’s background is in a form of graphic recording. He has documented numerous workshops and discussions, specifically on youth at risk, and the results are wonderfully vivid and crisp, similar in spirit to what he does here in this quirky coming-of-age graphic novel. Nowhere is basically about teenage growing pains and everything related to it. Claytor’s background and his inventive energy serve the story well. Claytor’s approach is spot on and a lot of fun. Some stories, especially long episodic pieces like this one, really can make good use of a more spare and quick drawing style. There are a number of good reasons to pursue this route not the least of which is that is makes practical good sense. Sometimes you just need the most efficient way to tell a story; and sometimes a story functions well with a limited means to an end.
I see this story has a lot of vampires, space aliens and zombies running around in a stifling small town that our hero, twelve-year-old Joel, is struggling with. Joel has had to move around too much and it has added to his anxiety. His latest home, the strange small town of Beauséjour is not going to make it easy for him. It’s populated with all kinds of monsters, or so it seems. Lucky for Joel, there’s one bright spot. He makes a friend of Charlie, a girl his own age. As menacing as all the monsters might be, it’s Joel’s parents’ dreadful lack of direction that is really scary. Overall, this is a refreshingly honest look at the obstacles young people must overcome, whether from monsters or from wayward parents. This is an easygoing and accessible work, full of all your favorite horror tropes and plenty of food for thought. I conclude that Claytor uses just the right tools to tell his highly unusual and highly relatable tale.
