Realist

Acclaimed Israeli cartoonist Asaf Hanuka's weekly strips unfold an emotional autobiography full of humor and melancholy, wild imagination, and quiet desperation. Collected for the first time in English and including neverbeforecollected strips, The Realist delivers both honesty and whimsy from a master of his craft. With echoes of R. Crumb and Daniel Clowes, Hanuka moves readers with his depictions of everyday life, commenting on everything from marriage to technology to social activism through intimate moments of triumph and failure.

As Michael Scott would say on Casual Friday, “it’s in the jeans”. When I was a kid, my parents took me to one of those Fourth of July celebrations. There were hot dogs, lawn chairs, all of the usual dressings of “America’s Independence”. And at the end of it all, the obligatory fireworks. I should have taken wonder at the lights in the sky, big shiny flashes of color. But instead, I freaked. The lights were too bright, too loud. I held my ears and screamed.

Some years later, the unfortunate cultural event “Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace” rode it’s waves across the country. My parents raised me right, and I was already a massive Star Wars fan. They had to buy me earplugs to see the film, for one specific reason: I was scared of Darth Maul’s voice. That dude was too scary for my young brain to even comprehend, and the idea of him speaking would send me into hysterics. Can you remember any of his lines from the film?

I also have fond memories of the ocean. One year, I took off my shoes to play in the sand. I was having fun, looking in tital pools and building sand castles. While I was basking in the waves and enjoying the natural world, my shoes were carried away by the tides. Again, I panicked. My shoes! I need those to walk! Rather than buying me new shoes, my parents and I just waited. Soon enough, my shoes were brought back to the shore. After that of course I did get new shoes, as those were trashed.

My family always went on vacations. Nowhere far, but I have a lot of fond memories of California. The surge of green highways that welcome you to San Diego. The disgusting metropolis of empty ambition that is Los Angeles. And of course, the incredible architecture and culture of San Francisco. Though my favorite trips were always the ones to Colorado. The mountains, the trees, and of course my grandparents. I was born in the Mile High State, three miles from Columbine High School.

I had a cat in the 2nd grade named Max. I loved Max, I named him after Max Steel, which was a failed CG series about a generic hero named “Max Steel”. I didn’t care about how well Max Steel was doing, the ratings were irrelevant to me. Matter of fact, I don’t even remember the show. All I do remember is that my dad’s name were in the credits. Max was torn apart my an owl one night. I found half of him in the front yard on the way to school. I couldn’t go to school that day. My dad quietly threw half of Max in the garbage. A few weeks later, 9/11 happened.

I always thought of my dad as a super hero. Every Saturday morning I would sit on his lap, and he would draw pictures of my favorites. Daredevil, Spiderman, even Batman if I begged him (he was never a fan of DC). I always thought of him as a rock, allowing the waves of life to crash against him. No matter what, he has always been there providing for me. Thing is, no man is an island, and no man is a rock. But he raised me the best he could, and he still does.

At least my dad was able to raise me in America. Asaf Hanuka started a family in Israel. I don’t know if you pay attention to the news, but being the promised land has caused tremendous problems for that country. And of course, the holocaust took a tremendous toll on the Jewish people. Imagine raising a kid in that environment?

Well you don’t have to imagine it, because Asaf already did. And he’s sharing it with you.

I awoke Iapetus

Sing for a while

All the roads reach out to you

Stay for a while

Now I breathe on

Save the work for the afternoon

It's true,

I'll be there for the baby.

I am.

Now I have lost the appetite

Staying for a lie

All the roads that once were right

Stay the way,

they are.

Save the work till the afternoon

It's true...

I'll be there for the baby.

It's true...

It's you.

I'll aways side with you.

'Till I fall.

- Devin Townsend, “Lady Helen” 

For more on Realist or other Boom titles, go to Boom! Studios.

Geek-o-Rama received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments and opinions are those of the individual reviewer.