* Other People's Publications
** Yeah, You Know Me.
It's summertime, and the perfect way to spend it is with the "semi-autobiographical" novel Marble Season by the great Gilbert Hernandez, published by our dear friends at Drawn & Quarterly!
Sure, I s'pose it takes place during the school year, but there's just something about Beto's stories of kids staging backyard plays, shooting marbles, and holding initiations for secret clubs that made me think of my own childhood and running around with no parents around during summer vacations!
Even though it was inspired by Gilbert's own childhood growing up in suburban 1960s California, anyone can relate to the family relationships, to crushes on classmates, and, of course, to the developing love of comic books! (Although I will admit I kept thinking, "Is that s'posed to be baby Jaime?! Is Mario the older brother with bad grades?! Hee!")
Get your copy of Marble Season along with many, many, many other Gilbert Hernandez titles at the Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery, located at 1201 S. Vale Street in Seattle's Georgetown district. Open daily 11:30 to 8:00 PM, Sundays until 5:00 PM. Phone: (206) 658-0110.