Gentleman Jim

This slim volume a reissue of a 1980 work has seminal significance in thedevelopment of the graphic novel.British cartoonist Briggss renown restsmainly with his... » 

This slim volume a reissue of a 1980 work has seminal significance in thedevelopment of the graphic novel.British cartoonist Briggss renown restsmainly with his work for children Fungus the Bogeyman 2005 etc.. Thisgraphic novel is plainly aimed at adults in its illustrated tale of a toiletcleaner Jim Bloggs whose innocence and imagination land him in trouble as hetries to conjure a richer future for himself and his wife. Something a bitmore exciting more adventurous something with more of a challenge hedaydreams as he scrubs and mops. Theres not much opportunity for selfadvancement in toilets. So he begins daydreaming about being a war hero or afamous painter or an executive whatever that is before returning home tohis wife Hilda who matches his innocence and hardly serves as a check on hisimagination. Shes ready to follow him to Texas where he can be a cowboy andshell find work as a bar floozy Ooh that would be nice says the middleaged housewife. I hope Im not too old. though neither of them seem torealize just how much it might cost to costume themselves properly let aloneafford the fare overseas to the American Southwest. Jim then decides to becomea modern day Robin Hood robbing from the rich to give to the poor yet all hecan afford are a toy sword rubber boots and a donkey instead of a horse.Through a series of hilarious mishaps and misunderstandings his life changesirrevocably but not in the way that hed planned.A short sweet and meaningfulvolume. Kirkus Reviews «