I had not officially finished Montana Diary by Whit Taylor as I typed this review. And it is only 30-odd pages (another reviewer’s entire review I borrowed: A (very) short comic about a visit to Montana. A little history, a little nature.). It has taken me two days to get as far as I have. Now, I will say that I am sure Taylor is a lovely person and I would like to sit down and have a cup of tea with them. I would like to talk about why this format for a story of this nature. I would like to ask what was your inspiration for the basic black and white sketches for art. They look as if they are a storyboard, holding the place for the finished product. I just want to have a conversation about the who, what, when, where, why and how of things.
It is a quick read as it is terribly short, but I never found the “grab” that made me want to read those 30 plus pages in one sitting. If you want a simple look at a couple and their introspective road trip, this is the book. Because it is supposed to be introspective as Taylor talks about race, politics, environmentalism, nature and interracial marriages. But it is also something that gives you this comment (and entire review) from another reviewer: Spoiler Alert: Author had a crappy vacation. And, that is also true (mice droppings anyone?)
The artwork, while I appreciate the work that went into them (as I have trouble drawing stick people I appreciate anyone who can put drawing instruments to a page and make something that looks like what they want it to) also did not grab my personal tastes. It was an experience to read and view, but that simplistic nature of both the text and art wasn’t for me. The biggest issue I had was that it is a “full book” but looks as if it is a self-published Zine you’d find on a college campus. Of course, there is nothing wrong with that, it is just not my personal preference when it comes to graphic novels or books.
The publisher, Silver Sprocket, offers a subscription where they send you different publications from them. I did this before I had a really deep understanding of the types of items it offers (as the two I had recently read from them (The Confessional: A Graphic Novel by Paige Hender and Hourglass by Barbara Mazzi) were funky but not funky and this was part of my first order. This company has an edge to it, punk, emo and non-mainstream are their thing. And I realized that as I searched their catalog that I should have known better as I had read Good Boy Magazine #1, Catboy, Hell Phone: Book One and Lorna by Benji Nate and those can be “out there.” Now, a cisgender (assuming) hetrosexual (assuming) couple might not seem not-mainstream, but they are certainly not Ozzie and Harriet. Though maybe Ozzie and Sharon, without the bat thing.
