Arguments against the supremacy of digital readers begins and ends with Lynda Barry books. No e-reader captures the same textural flow of images side by side or the thrill of initial glimpses as a page turns over. And with Barry, each new page is like going through a door to even greater landscape. More than a collections of drawings, her books function on numerous levels. They are art objects meant for sipping and savouring. As instructional tools, they offer de facto examples of how she learned technique and developed a style by copying those she admired. Everything is part how-to, part documentation of her earliest drawings and cartoons, and part diaristic ruminations on what she learned from undergrounds comic illustrators. Not just about drawing, but also about how to look at the world. Since it’s subtitled Volume 1, we can only be thankful that more of these books are on their way. Until then, it deserves savouring repeatedly.
