Customer Reviews

Postcards: True Stories That Never Happened

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4 star:		(1)
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Bought this book as I am a big fan of quite a few of the people involved, however I can say I wasn't sure what to expect. The basic primise of it is that different writers and/or artist got ahold of real postcards that had been mailed to different people, then proceeded to write a story of what the letter's on the postcards were about. It's a simple idea. Wish I had thought of it. However...after reading it I know I never could have produced something like this.

The stories in the book range from funny to sad. From Creepy to Inspireing. I honestly can't recomend this book enough to people. I also hope that we see more Postcard stories from all the people involved.

Postcards: True Stories That Never Happened edited by Jason Rodriguez is just the graphic novel to make you fall in love with the genre. I know you probably hear graphic novel and think: comic book, superheroes, men in tights, gore, geeks, teenagers. While that may be true of many, this one sets the golden standard to be something better. Rodriguez bought several antique used postcards and became entranced by the short messages on them. A few lines jotted while on vacation or away that spoke volumes to the receiver and whispers at mysteries to us today. 16 short stories by different artists and writers tackle postcards with cryptic, funny, and sentimental verses on them. Each writer imagined the writer and recipient and how the postcard fit into their lives. Sometimes the story answers a question, other times it's the question itself. The simple black and white artwork is evocative in each story. Send Louis His Underwear has short sketchy lines hinting at the darkness within. Homesick's long clean lines somehow manage to convey both the time of the Depression and the feeling of depression. Some stories are stronger than others, but all in all, this is a fantastic collection. It was impossible to put down, and when I did, I was sad it was over. I wanted more: more stories, more answers. From silly to haunting to desperate, these tales run the gamut.

Jason Rodriguez, editor of Elk's Run, was intrigued by the history behind various postcards he discovered in antique shops. The postcards had been filled out and mailed, complete with postage and destination stamps. Not having access to the actual events and people behind the postcards, he decided to disperse them to authors and comic artists so that they could create their own personalized version of the stories that could be behind each card. The result, Postcards: True Stories That Never Happened, is a collection of these graphic creations contributed by thirty-three artists, including several from DC and Marvel Comics.

The black and white illustrations are creations of the individual artist, which means each style is as unique as the matching storyline. A recurring theme throughout is sadness and melancholy set in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, usually during particularly trying periods in history such as war or depression. Each story opens with a photo of the actual corresponding postcard, allowing the reader a glimpse of the authenticity of its origins. To see the sender's handwriting noting a specific event that was a part of their life reminds the reader that actual people who really existed are behind each piece of correspondence. In an increasingly detached technological society, simple relics such as these remind us of our common humanity.

In several introductions, Rodriguez offers his own interpretation of a postcard and how the artist to whom it was assigned surprised him with a completely contrasting idea. It's evident that few of these postcards can actually be taken at face value, as there can be so many possibilities behind the brief jottings. We can only ponder what actually took place. Most are sad, a few border on the edge of morbidity. Some are told in true comic book fashion, which means the ending is left open for a future edition. These are a little frustrating as the reader becomes engrossed in the story and is then denied closure. It's far from an optimistic collection, but absolutely thought-provoking.

Armchair Interviews says: You may never look at a postcard the same way again.

Its a good collection of stories. Some are funny, some are sad, but they aren't far from real stories today.

I guess I wasn't paying close enough attention when I first heard about this book. I thought it would be short stories written based off old postcards found that had messages on them. And that's kind of true. Only thing is, I didn't realize the stories would be comic book stories! I'm sure the description says it somewhere, but I heard about this book from Daily Candy and didn't catch that little nugget of information. So, it's different and interesting. Definitely creative. I just would have preferred getting short stories over comics.