Incredible Doom
A Graphic Novel
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
“Incredibly strong and not a little disturbing.” —Cory Doctorow,
author of In Real Life
Welcome to a new age…the age of the internet.
Allison is drowning under the weight of her manipulative
stage magician father. When he brings home the family’s first computer, she
escapes into a thrilling new world where she meetings Samir, a like-minded new
online friend who has just agreed to run away from home with her.
After moving to a new town and leaving all of his friends
behind, Richard receives a mysterious note in his locker with instructions on
how to connect to “Evol BBS,” a dial-in bulletin board system, and meets a
fierce punk named Tina who comes into his life and shakes his entire worldview
loose.
Unlikely alliances, first love, and minor crime sprees
abound in this teen graphic novel debut about making connections while your
world is falling apart.
“Perfectly
captures the mystery and wonder of the early days of the internet.” —Andy Baio,
author of Waxy.org
and co-founder of XOXO
"A rush of love for brave beginnings—of both the
early internet and the teens who used
it to find themselves and each other." —Eleanor Davis, author of The Hard Tomorrow and How to Be Happy
"A compelling story complimented by pleasingly
minimal art that skillfully evokes a sense of loneliness and isolation.
" —Savanna Ganucheau, co-creator of Bloom
"A sharp and authentic wild
ride that brought me back to my teenage years as a punk with a dial-up
connection.” —Kevin Panetta,
co-creator of Bloom
“A poignant and often hilarious reminder
that technology is at its best when it’s easing the ache of loneliness and
bringing people together." —Jeff Zentner, Morris Award-winning author of The Serpent
King
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
White Midwestern teens Allison and Richard each turn to the early internet to mitigate their pervasive loneliness in this first collected volume of Bogart's gritty webcomic. When isolated Allison, the daughter of an abusive stage magician, gains access to a computer, she connects with Samir, a half-Black, half-Iranian boy who helps ferry her away from harm. Meanwhile, Richard, a Kurt Vonnegut fan and new kid, endures vicious rumors spread by a summer camp peer he once bullied until Tina, a fellow schoolmate and message board leader, intervenes and shows him the possibilities of the internet. In clean, rounded line art that pops against occasional cool blue backgrounds, Allison and Richard separately contend with interpersonal drama until their respective situations unexpectedly draw them toward one another; Bogart's cartooning renders emotional experiences palpable, as in Allison's father's explosive rage and its frightening fallout. If the comic presents without context once-burgeoning technologies that present-day teens may not recognize (e.g., bulletin board systems), its protagonists' nuanced, substantive character arcs offer an accurate look at 1990s-flavored loneliness and geek subcultures. Ages 14–up. Agent (for Bogart and Holden): Charlie Olsen, Inkwell Management.
