Drinking at the Movies [Paperback]

Julia Wertz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 31, 2010

In her first full-length graphic memoir, Julia Wertz (creator of the cult-hit comic The Fart Party) documents the year she left San Francisco for the unfamiliar streets of New York. Don’t worry—this isn’t the typical redemptive coming-of-age tale of a young woman and her glorious triumph over tragedy or any such nonsense. It’s simply a hilarious—occasionally poignant—book filled with interesting art, absurd humor and plenty of amusing self-deprecation. Box by box, Wertz chronicles four sketchy apartments, seven terrible jobs, family drama, traveling fiascos, and too many whiskey bottles to count.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Lizzy Caplan Reviews Drinking at the Movies

In addition to her breakout role as "Janice Ian" in Mean Girls, Lizzy Caplan's film credits include Hot Tub Time Machine, Cloverfield, and My Best Friend's Girl. She'll next be seen in 127 Hours, directed by Danny Boyle. On television, Caplan received raves for her performance as a vegan with a habit for vampire blood in the HBO drama True Blood. Read her review of Drinking at the Movies:

Drinking at the Movies, Julia Wertz's new Fart Party book, may just be her best work yet. My copy is certainly dog-eared within an inch of its life. She exhibits the same hilariously self-deprecating grumpy grump from her previous books, but Drinking brings a whole new layer to the Julia Wertz experience. That's right, I said "the Julia Wertz experience" ... which actually sounds more like a carnival ride to be avoided, one that will leave you inexplicably drunk with holes in your clothes.

In this book Julia is darker, lugubriously introspective, and dare I say, more vulnerable than in her previous works. Yet she's still really, really, obscenely funny. There aren't many authors working today who can illustrate the pervasive despair that sometimes likes to crash on your couch in your 20s--but Julia Wertz nails this. In fact, you should probably get copies for your parents and other assorted relatives who like to mumble things like "youth is wasted on the young" when you complain about stuff. Maybe reading Drinking at the Movies will kickstart your dumb mom's memory, and she'll remember that being in your 20s is actually kind of lonely.

Now I'm depressed. Thanks for nothing, Wertz.

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Review

Praise for Drinking at the Movies
 
“This comic masterpiece should not be gifted to your grandma, unless of course your grandma is, to borrow the phrase, the shiznit. Instead, it should be read by you. Wertz’s hilarious, cutting, filthy wit will either make you want to date, be, or shower her.” —Sara Barron, author of People Are Unappealing
 
"[P]ut it on your radar" — USA Today
 
 “Charming…bold yet subtle…Subtly subverts the expectations of the memoir even as [Wertz’s] drawing style — blocky, simple, with a deceptive lack of polish — speaks to the rough-hewn intimacy of the form…She is laceratingly self-revealing, exposing her failings with a glee that borders on the perverse…What Wertz is tracing is the difficulty of knowing how to live…Title to the contrary, this is not really a book about alcohol. Rather, it's about her development, her transition into adulthood ("Well, sort of"), which Wertz reveals with acuity and grace…A quiet triumph, a portrait of the artist in the act of becoming, a story with heart and soul.” —David Ulin, Los Angeles Times
 
 “Wertz might be best known for her comic The Fart Party, but this is my favorite work of hers to date….Wertz isn’t a girly-girl: She likes to drink whiskey, wear the same outfit every day and look on the darker side of life. I can only dream of sneaking a bottle of Jack into the theater with her.” —Whitney Matheson, USA Today’s Pop Candy blog
 
“This comic masterpiece should not be gifted to your grandma, unless of course your grandma is, to borrow the phrase, the shiznit. Instead, it should be read by you. Wertz’s hilarious, cutting, filthy wit will either make you want to date, be, or shower her.” —Sara Barron, author of People Are Unappealing
 
“Wertz’s first full-length graphic novel captures everything that is the glorious twenties—that is if you’re a broke comic artist who’s struggling to pay rent and keep your head afloat above the fray that is life in New York City. Wertz capably—and more importantly, believably—gets to the nitty gritty of post-collegiate life.” —Kirkus Reviews
 
 “Delightful.”—Time Out New York
 
 “Charmingly awkward…Confronts the vices of Jane Everywoman while simultaneously allowing us to see through her unique perspective.” —Bust.com
 
“Wertz’s self-caricature is one of the most memorable in comics…Wertz is careful not to tip her hand too far in any direction. While the autobiographical and travelogue aspects of the comic dominate key sections of the book, they never threaten to completely take over or overwhelm Wertz’s gags…Frequently hilariously disgusting…Her (cranky and quirky but lovable) identity remain[s] fully intact.” —Rob Clough, The Comics Journal
 
“Brilliant old-school comic strip timing...[Wertz has] added some new qualities not found in her earlier work: a sense of narrative beyond the individual strip and—it is true—some serious drawing chops…She has found a way to maintain the unique style she developed when she started cartooning in her early 20s while developing the craft to fill in background details and nuance in expression…Drinking at the Movies is her best work yet, a book that feels in many ways like the proper launch of her career.”—Jared Gardner, The Comics Journal
 
“Wertz opens up with a warts-and-all look at her first year in New York…Strips away much of the whiskey coating that Wertz usually uses and leaves us with an honest image of what life is like for her…Do yourself a favor and get yourself a copy of this book.” —Stumptown Trade Review
 
“F-ing fantastic...Knee slapping hilarity…Her art can be described as a bit simplistic. That's no insult. She's found her own style and it completely works…If the late Harvey Pekar went on a drunken bender and crapped out a kid onto a pizza box, it would be Julia Wertz…Pick this book up…You'll laugh a lot, possibly tear up and have a sudden craving for pizza and beer.” —Comic News Insider

 
Praise for Julia Wertz and The Fart Party:
 
“I wish the little 2-D Julia was my ‘Indian in the Cupboard’…I’d make an easy chair out of a ring box, fasten it to the front of my bike, give her a pen cap full of whiskey, and off we’d go!”
—Fiona Apple

“Simple, candid, and very funny.”
—San Francisco Examiner
 
 “Like the best work of the slacker era, The Fart Party communicates the joyous underbelly of an underwhelming existence.” —Douglas Rushkoff
 
“Fart Party is friggin’ hilarious.” —New York Magazine
 
“Julia Wertz is the next big thing in comics. Fart Party is cute, raw, reckless and laugh out loud funny.” —Keith Knight, The K Chronicles
 
“There’s something enchanting about Wertz’s comics….she’s hilarious, profane and occasionally self-conscious. In a good way. The best way.” —Paul Constant, The Stranger

“Wertz brings to light the funny and real moments of day-to-day life in New York…the honesty of her experiences translates across age, gender, and geographic demographics. She’s fun to laugh at.”
—Stumptown Trade Review 

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press (August 31, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307591832
• ISBN-13: 978-0307591838
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 0.5 x 9.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (83 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #88,260 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Julia Wertz was born in the San Francisco bay area in 1982. She is the author/illustrator of the unfortunately titled autobiographical graphic novels The Fart Party vol 1 and vol 2, published by Atomic Books. Her lastest book is Drinking at the Movies, published by Three Rivers Press, chronicles her move from San Francisco to New York. She currently lives in Greenpoint in Brooklyn, NY with a cat named Jack who's really just the worst. For new comics weekly, visit fartparty.org

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An autobiographic gem, even if there are a few flaws..., August 26, 2010

By 

N. S. Michael (New Mexico) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Drinking at the Movies (Paperback)

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I first came upon Julia Wertz when she edited (and contributed to) I Saw You.... Even in those precious few panels, I knew I had a winner. Self-deprecating to a fault (is that a pun), honest and (don't take this as a backhand) only mildly funny. To me, that last bit made her comics that much more authentic and real and, while I haven't gone out of my way to track down her works, I HAVE been keeping an eye out for whenever they cross my path... as they did so in Drinking at the Movies.

Here we have Julia's tale of New York pseudo-bohemianism. Have I invented a new and impressive term for the paradigm? No... no, I haven't... I just don't know how else to describe her experiences in NYC without falling onto some fake verbage.

From her decision to take the plunge to her drinking problems to her comparisons and homesickness for San Francisco and everything in between, Drinking at the Movies is like watching my life as a car wreck in slow motion... if I were a woman and any amount braver than I am now (being deathly afraid to take a step in any direction, lifeward). And when I say that, I don't mean we're the same people seperated by gender and courage... what I mean is... well, there's a situation for just about every post-twentysomething still trying to find their place in the world to identify with.

Now, let me warn you... if you've never read any of Julia's work before, the art can put you off. Her style is rough. Definitely more mature than a good many indie comicers out there, but you can never shake off the feeling that these are all just the doodles of a bored high schooler. For me, that's a plus. Others might not be able to look past it. One particular bit that detracts occurs when her brain obsconds with her common sense and decency, literally leaving her cranium... forcing a doodle Sherlock Holmes and Dr.Watson to find it. Art-wise, it was annoying... and, to me, it didn't help narrative-wise, either.

Still... as an indie-autobiography, Drinking at the Movies works. I enjoyed it and would recommend it to any post-grad out there who still feels like a failure at life.

Cheers, and I look forward to your next book, Julia~

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars a millennial's take on her late 20s, January 27, 2011

By 

doc peterson (Portland, Oregon USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Drinking at the Movies (Paperback)

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Back before cell phones, youtube and a large-scale American presence in the Middle East (yes, the late 80s and first months of the 90s), I read Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture, what at the time I thought of as the battle cry of my generation. What a difference 20 years makes. Reading _Drinking at the Movies_ brought back those halcyon days that I have so romanticized, reminding me of just how awful those post-college years can be.

Julia Wertz vividly, humorously and self-depreciatingly bares her soul as she makes the decision to leave all that is familar (San Francisco) taking a leap of faith and moving to New York City. The crappy jobs, the listlesness and restlessness of early adulthood were all brought back to me as she illustrated her struggles to make her way in the world. As with all of us, there is a happy ending, but the learning curve is steep and there (naturally) a few missteps. While it would be hyperbole to describe the book as "The Graduate" for the millennial generation, I am absolutely certain her graphic novel will strike a chord with her peers as it did with me thinking back to a similar time in my life.

3.0 out of 5 stars Drink a little, it will make it better., January 7, 2012

By 

Working Mom "Working Mom" (USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Drinking at the Movies (Paperback)

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I didn't care for this book at all, so I gave it to my 20YO daughter who I think is more the intended audience. This is what she had to say:
The artwork to me was a major problem. I could not get past her rough style, which looked like the doodles of a high school kid in a boring class. That being said, there are redeemable qualities. The plot was a bit like The Alchemist, where the protagonist goes off in search of something better after hitting a slow and familiar point in their life. Unlike The Alchemist however, Julia Wertz may never have found enlightenment. She is a just moved out kid working low class jobs, and just barely making rent. Her story is going from San Fran to NY, and all the mishaps and thoughtful moments along that road. It's an interesting story; she has a rough look on life, and it shows in her stories. She constantly berates herself, and criticizes her every move. This makes her comics more realistic, and easier to relate to. She, like many, has no idea. And she does not pretend to have an idea either.
The prevailing mood of the book is one of apathy. There are no real highs or lows of feeling or character. It's a kind of numbness wrapped in a few funny comments. Sometimes she's too realistic to be perceived as funny, which just lends to the aforementioned realism of her book.
I feel that this was a worthwhile read, although my life was not changed by it, and I certainly could have lived without it. I may keep an eye out for her other works though.