I have gotten used to posting four pictures for each entry but this time I felt it wasn’t enough to represent the intensely dense graphic novel/art book Ninja. You may know the artist as the drummer for the noise rock band Lightening Bolt. I also know the name Brian Chippandale because while at RISD I wanted to collect every poster he and the other artists from Fort Thunder pasted on the streets of Providence, RI. Fort Thunder was a work and living space for artists and a venue for all kinds of interesting events from concerts to Halloween mazes to wrestling matches. It was on the second floor of an old textile warehouse until 2001 when the building was destroyed to make a Shaw’s grocery store parking lot. Other artists you may know from Fort Thunder include Matt Brinkman, Jim Drain, Brian Ralph, Paul Lyons and Leif Goldberg. You may also have heard of their free weekly tabloid Paper Rodeo which showcased their and many other comic artists work. Ninja is four years of Brian’s work and his first book. It’s based on comics he made in sixth grade and those are actually included in the book. The book is big, too large for my “big books” shelf at seventeen inches high. This large format suits it so well. It’s packed with comics, every page covered in sometimes non-linear storylines and a huge cast of characters. Then there are beautiful pages of art seperating the chapters. The end pages of the book are also incredible: layers and layers of silkscreened dots making crazy patterns. I want my walls covered in it. It just amazes me that someone could make all this and not be insane. I met Brian at the NY Art Book Fair (and he was very nice) where he signed my copy of Ninja with a guy saying “good morning” although I distinctly remember thinking it was late afternoon. PictureBox, the publisher, had a table at the fair where I spent the majority of the money I allowed myself for the day. Check out their online shop here where you’ll find plenty of reasons to spend your money too.

© Julia Rothman 2007