Escalator (Paperback)

by Brandon Graham (Author, Artist) "OUTSIDE OF THE BUILDING I LIVE IN IS A NEON SIGN OF A CHEF HOLDING A FISH BY THE TAIL..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Three parts skater-cartooning to one part graffiti art, Graham's eccentric visual style drives this collection of odd, disconnected short comics stories with one foot in everyday city life and the other in the alien goo of a space warp. When Graham experiments with a semiconventional form and deadpan narration, as in the science fiction piece "Ieonium Blue," it's mostly to thumb his nose at the idea that anyone would want to look at anything other than the pictures. The stories are populated by aliens, zombies and lonely guys trying to get over breakups and stale sugarless candies; one is narrated by a man who buys contraband extraterrestrial porn magazines and nearly gets mixed up in some sort of creepy business related to them, but manages to walk away to do his grocery shopping. Mostly these tales are a vehicle for Graham's artwork, with its hyperstylized, detailed machines, gnarled urban landscapes and loose, bold, cartoony characters. It's showy and original, but also fairly undisciplined, and a full book of it gets to be a little hard on the eyes; most of the stories end with a flourish that doesn't have much to do with what came before it. In small doses, though, it's promising, especially "True Crime," a down-to-earth vignette about two friends executing a massive graffiti project on a subway car.
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Product Description
It started here and continued to gain momentum. Escalator: a collection of Brandon Graham's short comics with a cast of sumo heroes, Graffiti writers, truck drivers from the future, and alien pornographers as they try to get through their lives with all the demonic possessions and cannibal school girls that get in the way.

Product Details

• Paperback: 120 pages
• Publisher: Alternative Comics; illustrated edition edition (February 2, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1891867814
• ISBN-13: 978-1891867811
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 6.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #865,196 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, Detailed, Captivating..., March 5, 2005

By	Mara Spumoni (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

I loved this book. It's filled with details that I didn't even catch until I reread the same stories over and over again. Little creatures pop up in the margins spouting funny sayings. The attention to detail is shown in every panel, from the beautiful cityscapes Brandon creates to the clothing of each individual character. The stories vary from science fiction to Brandon's own experience in the highly difficult world of New York City. The artwork is excellent, and the writing is funny, amusing, introspective, and sometimes a little bit sad. Look for more of this artist's work, (and buy "Escalator" while you're at it!)

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ESCALATOR a Must-Buy, May 18, 2006

By	Kirk A. Gauthier (Dundalk MD U.S.A.) - See all my reviews

It's honestly some of the best original comic book work I've read in a long time. Reading it, I felt like I'd just discovered something that no one else has seen before. Brandon has such a unique method of telling a story, and each story is so fresh and unlike all his other stories.

I highly recommend buying and reading this book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely gorgeous., April 30, 2006

By	Rhianna Charko "Mully" (Vancouver, BC) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I'm not a comic person, at all, but something about Brandon's comic drew me to it. The art is gorgeous and unique, the panes are well composed and the stories are interesting and captivating. I highly recommend it.