The Chuckling Whatsit by Richard Sala
The 1997 magnum opus of the late Richard Sala, master of graphic noir, has been out of print for years and is now available in hardcover for the very first time.Sala weaves the gothic cartooning traditions of Edward Gorey and Charles Addams with a melodramatic murder mystery involving astrology, ghouls, academia, and outsider art. Part noir, part horror, and part comedy, this labyrinthine tale of intrigue follows an unemployed writer named Broom who becomes ensnared unwittingly in a complex plot involving mysterious outsider artist Emile Jarnac, the shadowy machinations of the Ghoul Appreciation Society Headquarters (GASH), and the enigmatic Mr. Ixnay. Sala's deadpan delivery makes this ingeniously layered narrative a roller-coaster ride of darkly pure comic suspense. Sala's drawing style also reveals the influence of everything from Hollywood monster movies and Dick Tracy to German expressionism and Grimm's fairy tales. It's a style that's perfectly suited to the narrative, constantly flirting with Sala's fascination for the grotesque and lending palpable tension to the gruesome riddle of The Chuckling Whatsit.
Richard Sala was born and raised in Chicago. He holds an MFA from Mills College and has worked with Lemony Snicket as well as illustrating a Jack Kerouac script. He lives in Berkeley, California.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781683966975 |
| ISBN 10 | 168396697X |
| Title | The Chuckling Whatsit |
| Author | Richard Sala |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Fantagraphics |
| Year published | 2023-01-17 |
| Number of pages | 200 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |