I'm honestly only taking away a star because of the painfully tiny lettering that could easily be used to blind the reader, and which made me think that the creator wanted the audience's eyes to feel uncomfortable, given the subject. But I have no proof of that, so let's get to the good stuff.

The Impending Success of Zoe Thorogood - Comic Lounge The Impending Success of Zoe Thorogood - Comic Lounge

Graphic Policy believes in journalistic integrity and transparency. We will disclose when a product has been given for free for review and/or when no cost has been incurred to the staff so that you may be able to make a fully informed decision as to the opinions provided. As a depiction of young friendship, Billie Scott is great, just don’t expect too much from it about blindness. In fact, the impending blindness of the title works out to be not much more than a MacGuffin. As Scott herself says near the end: "this journey was never about my blindness.” It seems a shame that a story about a visual artist going on a road trip to ‘find what they’re looking for’ while going blind doesn’t utilize the allegorical and metaphorical resonances that blindness as a literary device offers. This memorable cast of characters also provides Thorogood with an opportunity to create a kind of art within the art as she draws the sketches of the subjects that lead to Billie’s paintings. This comic shows that she is fascinated by people and their inner workings, and Billie Scott has a sense of hope and wonder despite its protagonist’s loss of sight. Along with Billie, Thorogood populates her comic with a wonderful cast of characters from folk punk artist Rachel (who keeps getting thrown out of bars) and bride-to-be Sara to Falklands war veteran Arthur and mysterious “cool girl” Iris. Billie builds relationships with them that directly influences her art. Ma quando tutto sembrava ormai statico e piatto giunse alla sua porta una bella notizia: la famosa galleria New Arts l’aveva ingaggiata per realizzare dei dipinti. I have been pumped about this release for a while. I was extremely surprised when I realised the fact that this is the artist's first graphic novel, at age 21 no less.

What makes Billie Scott different to traditional depictions of life in poverty or the working poor in British pop culture is its upbeat conclusion. Stories by the aforementioned Curtis and Nolan generally sideline class or economic concerns. Mainstream British journalists are pretty contemptuous of anyone who’s not like them (not surprising given 61% are privately educated). Ken Loach’s brand of social realism would never conclude in such an upbeat manner. Billie Scott’s sense that things can be good even when they’re not shares more commonalities with British soap operas such as Coronation Street, although episodic TV’s reliance on cliffhangers pushes those shows towards overly dramatic plot devices.

The Impending Blindness of Billie Scott - Goodreads The Impending Blindness of Billie Scott - Goodreads

The introvert hits the road, meeting colorful characters and really trying to get to know them before painting their portraits. And, as the cliche goes, she might just learn about herself too. It's all a little too on the nose, and I was slow to warm to it, but the characters, art, and dialogue won me over by the end. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what Zoe Thorogood does next.A sweet and moving story. Billie Scott has finally gotten her big break in the art world: 10 original paintings for her own gallery in two weeks. But tragically, she soon learns she is going blind. Billie leaves the comfort of her apartment in search of ten portraits and of course who she meets along the way will change her too. Finalmente le cose sarebbero andate per il verso giusto e un nuovo percorso artistico sarebbe iniziato. The Impending Blindness of Billie Scott' ist das Debüt von Zoe Thorogood und hat nach ihrer eigenen Aussage auch schon autobiografische Züge. It’s surprising that given all the bad things that may well happen over the next twelve months, many of the negative effects of which will mostly affect younger generations, a new book by a relatively young author delivers a positive visualization of the present and near future. Perhaps this is going to be our new survival mechanism moving forward, it’s not like dour realism has helped us much in a material sense. Unlike Scott, I’m not sure art can change the world, not in the way she implies here. What I can say is that art represents how people are thinking, and it’s an impressive and positive sign as to the resilience of both an emerging generation and the artistic impulse that The Impending Blindness of Billie Scott presents a UK where all the stuff that matters still matters.

The Impending Blindness of Billie Scott by Zoe Thorogood The Impending Blindness of Billie Scott by Zoe Thorogood

This was NOT my kind of book I guess.. Currently giving it two stars, because I find it physically hurting to give one, but honestly? I might still change this rating in the end. Creative, unique, and wonderfully illustrated story of an artist with an especially sobering deadline on her artwork. I loved some of the surreal panels that depicted eyeballs especially--eyeballs on hands, eyeballs dangling from the sky, even weird cyclops parents !tratta di una lettura a fumetti molto carina, con personaggi freschi e ben delineati. E che dire delle illustrazioni, sono fantastiche It was so mediocre and silly it didn’t even make me feel anything especially negative, or feel at all. I have seen really profound original things created by young people these days, so I can’t take the age and inexperience as an excuse. Billie Scott was a shut-in who figured she could live her life after she became a successful artist, but once her big break happens she finds out she's going blind. So now she's off to live her last weeks of sighted life and try to do something with her big art show as she questions what direction the rest of her life is going to take. It's wholesome, it's sad, it's happy, it's even inspiring! Finishing it makes you want to go out and create some art of your own with whatever passion you have. Billie Scott is an artist who just got her big break— right before finding out she'll be blind in two weeks.