Pickle

Pickle is a graphic novel series by New Zealand cartoonist Dylan Horrocks, originally published as single issues between 1993-1997. The story follows aspiring comic book creators in New Zealand and England who collaborate on self-published works while navigating their personal and creative lives. The central character, Leonard Batts, researches the life of legendary comic artist Emil Kopen while meeting fellow artists and becoming involved in their interconnected projects and relationships. Through letters, comics-within-comics, and shifting narrative perspectives, the book explores the comics medium itself and the act of artistic creation. The story structure combines multiple layers of storytelling, incorporating actual comic strips by the fictional characters alongside the main narrative thread. Background details about New Zealand's comics scene and publishing industry are woven throughout. The book examines themes of artistic authenticity, the relationship between life and art, and how creators build meaning through stories. Its meta-fictional elements raise questions about imagination, reality, and the nature of truth in both comics and storytelling as a whole.

Readers highlight the book's authentic portrayal of teenage comic book culture and late-1990s New Zealand counterculture. Multiple reviews note the unique storytelling style that blends personal diary entries with comics. Positive reviews focus on: - Natural dialogue between characters - Detailed black and white artwork - Realistic depiction of teenage friendship dynamics - Nostalgic atmosphere of comic book stores and zine culture Common criticisms include: - Slow pacing in the middle sections - Underdeveloped secondary characters - Abrupt ending that leaves plot threads unresolved Ratings: Goodreads: 3.7/5 (382 ratings) Amazon: 4.2/5 (24 ratings) "Captures that specific feeling of being young and obsessed with comics" - Goodreads reviewer "The art style perfectly matches the DIY spirit of the story" - Amazon reviewer "Started strong but lost momentum" - LibraryThing reviewer

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🖌️ Dylan Horrocks created "Pickle" as a semi-autobiographical comic book series, running from 1993-1997, drawing heavily from his experiences in New Zealand's comics scene. 📚 The series introduced the character Sam Zabel, who later became the protagonist of Horrocks' graphic novel "Sam Zabel and the Magic Pen" (2014). 🏆 "Pickle" helped establish Horrocks' reputation in alternative comics, leading to his acclaimed graphic novel "Hicksville," which explores similar themes about comics culture and creativity. 🌏 The series was published by Black Eye Books, an influential independent publisher that helped launch several notable alternative cartoonists in the 1990s. 🎨 Throughout "Pickle," Horrocks experimented with different artistic styles and storytelling techniques, including mixing fictional narratives with documentary-style comics journalism.