American Virgin Vol. 1: Head [Paperback]

Steven T. Seagle (Author), Becky Cloonan (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Sex and spirituality wrestle in the first story line of this intriguing new comic. The eponymous Adam Chamberlain is a youth evangelist who believes God wants him to remain pure until his fiancée, Cassandra, returns from Peace Corps service. When he hears that Cassie has been raped and murdered in Africa, he sets aside his belief in forgiveness and seeks vengeance, accompanied by his worldlier stepsister and a mercenary they pick up in Pretoria. Besides encountering cultural differences that conflict with his neat American version of Christianity, Adam also begins seeing visions of a cheerfully topless Cassie who gently questions his biblical interpretations. Many people Adam encounters want to watch him get violent—and laid—because that would justify their own shaky principles. That probably includes most readers, but so far Seagle has kept the character naïve but smart, likable and even admirable in his efforts to stay pure, whatever that means. Indie artist Cloonan's work is raw enough to fit the ugly experiences Adam must assimilate, though all her people wear the same grimace and too much mascara. Adam's development may wind up closer to Tezuka's Ode to Kirihito than Ennis's Preacher; right now, though, all possibilities are open, and that's part of the story's attraction. (Nov.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Young evangelical minister Adam Chamberlain tours the country, enlisting teens in his abstinence movement and promoting his best-selling book, Save Yourself to Save Yourself. But his moral certainty begins crumbling when girlfriend Cassie, a Peace Corps worker in Africa, is violently murdered by terrorists. The horrific act sets off a spiritual crisis, since God had told Adam that Cassie was the only woman he would ever be with. Adam, accompanied by his black-sheep sister, Cyndi, flies to Africa to retrieve Cassie's body and launches a search for the murderer that further broadens the boundaries of Adam's limited worldview. American Virgin is an unusual offering for a mainstream-comics publisher. Its real-world setting, strong sociopolitical viewpoint, sexual content, and lack of genre elements make it read like an indie-comics title. Writer Seagle has tested the mainstream in such comics as It's a Bird (2004) and Sandman Mystery Theatre, however, and artist Becky Cloonan has worked on indie successes Demo (2005) and East Coast Rising (2006). Their collaboration should appeal on both sides of the mainstream-indie divide. Gordon Flagg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Vertigo (November 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401210651
• ISBN-13: 978-1401210656
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 0.3 x 10.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,107,069 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #65 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Comics & Graphic Novels > Graphic Novels > Mystery

More About the Author

Steven T. Seagle is an American writer who works in the graphic novel/comic book, television, film, live theater, video game, and animation, industries.

He is best known for his acclaimed graphic novel memoir IT'S A BIRD... and, as part of Man of Action Studios (along with Duncan Rouleau, Joe Casey and Joe Kelly) as co-creator of the animated Cartoon Network series BEN 10 and GENERATOR REX. Man of Action Studios recently launched its own comic book imprint published through Image Comics. Seagle has contributed to the line with the graphic novel SOUL KISS. Seagle and Rouleau also created the Marvel Comics super-hero team Big Hero 6.

Seagle is also a founding member of Speak Theater Arts, creators of innovative live stage productions. Most recently he co-wrote, co-directed and produced two live stage comedies. N*GGER WETB*CK CH*NK (www.NWClive.com) continues to tour nationally after three years generating explosive laughs, a massive fan base, and impressive reviews including full-page features in both The LA Times and the New York Times. ArmeniaMania! (www.armeniamania.com) staged two preview performances as part of the Los Angeles Grand Performances series and will open in LA early next year. Seagle also co-directed one of the national world premiere stagings of The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later, An Epilogue with a celbrity cast and a full musical compliment.

Seagle's original comic book series HOUSE OF SECRETS was sold as a feature to Marc Canton/Warner Brothers, and Seagle wrote the screenplay (unproduced). The same week he also sold the genre action pilot CARNIVAL(not Carnivale) to FOX in association with Spelling Entertainment (unproduced). In that same week he sold the action/comedy DOT'S BOTS to Mainframe Animation completing an amazing week and an "unproduced" trifecta.

Seagle's comics work has received numerous Eisner Award nominations, including twice for best writer - in 1995 for his work on SANDMAN MYSTERY THEATRE(DC/Vertigo) and in 1999 for the same title and his story "Drive By" in ONI DOUBLE FEATURE #10 (Oni Press). Seagle's work on AMERICAN VIRGIN has been nominated twice for the GLAAD Meida Award for Best Comic Book. Seagle's run on UNCANNY X-MEN was awarded the Wizard Fan Award for Favorite Ongoing Series. His original graphic novel SOLSTICE was named Comic Book Resources 2007 Graphic Novel of the Year.

Seagle is a former college instructor having taught at Ball State University, Pasadena City College and Mt. San Antonio College where he also served as a coach for the Forensics team during many of their national championship seasons.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not entirely what you might think, August 12, 2007

By 

James Moore - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: American Virgin Vol. 1: Head (Paperback)

You might expect a book, about a young evangelist who preaches abstinence, to just ruthless trash Christianity. And surprisingly, it doesn't do that. Instead, this book is a character study on what happens when someone's deeply held convictions get turned on their ear by circumstances well beyond his control.

It's well written, well drawn, and unless your someone who gets offended by the thought that maybe the Bible can't be the answer to everything (or lots of drawn breasts), you will enjoy.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Outstanding Character-Study, January 3, 2010

By 

J. Giermann "[e11even]" (somewhere...) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: American Virgin Vol. 1: Head (Paperback)

Here is the story of Adam Chamberlain, a passionate youth Evangelist preacher who believes in destiny, true love, & saving oneself for their destined true love. & Adam has found his own destined true love in Cassandra, a sweet girl who is currently away working for the Peace Corps in Africa. But Adam can't deny it: he's young, he's horny, & he can't wait until their wedding day. But their wedding day shall never come, as Cassandra is kidnapped & slaughtered by a mysterious group of terrorists. & Adam finds himself consumed in grief & confusion & thirsting for ice-cold, immoral revenge.

This fragile situation & Adam's damaged emotions are handled with maturity & depth. As a starting note---before any grim tragedies---Adam is a likable Evangelist. He preaches without being preachy. He's honest & true & never condescending as I feared he may have been (we all know how outrageous some religious folks can get & how biased some literature can be). He gently explains the good within Christianity's laws & why he believes in them so strongly. But Adam soon finds his foundation crumbling. Cassandra was his destined true love---his only true love, the only one he could ever be with---& she was butchered in cold blood like live-stock. Will Adam forever be alone (& subsequently a virgin)? Will Adam seek sweet, violent revenge? Will he turn his back on his powerful morals in his rage & loneliness? These are some genuinely intriguing questions & they are given some genuinely intriguing answers. & American Virgin proves to be a truly compelling character-study.

As for the art, I'm not much of a fan for it. It seems almost sloppy, with dull colors, but it does its job in conveying emotion well enough. The covers on the other hand are superb. The first few bear an enchanting strangeness, & Joshua Middleton's are lush & beautiful eye candy.

Overall, American Virgin is one of the most thoughtful, endearing narratives (graphic or written) that I've read in a long while, & if you long for rich characterizations in your stories you should give it a hearty try.

5.0 out of 5 stars great, October 30, 2011

By 

mch - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: American Virgin Vol. 1: Head (Paperback)

Book's presentation is nice, glossy cover, full color pages. Illustrations are great, story is very interesting.
Other than what i first thought, each book of American Virgin is a sucession of the previous. If I had known this before i would have purchased more than one at the time in order to avoid the annoying waiting in between chapters.
Head has 4 chapters, and also includes extra interviews with the comic's characters, and also writters and artists.