Killing and Dying is a stunning showcase of the possibilities of the graphic novel medium and a wry exploration of loss, creative ambition, identity, and family dynamics. With this work, Adrian Tomine (Shortcomings, Scenes from an Impending Marriage) reaffirms his place not only as one of the most significant creators of contemporary comics but as one of the great voices of modern American literature. His gift for capturing emotion and intellect resonates here: the weight of love and its absence, the pride and disappointment of family, the anxiety and hopefulness of being alive in the twenty-first century.
"Amber Sweet" shows the disastrous impact of mistaken identity in a hyper-connected world; "A Brief History of the Art Form Known as Hortisculpture" details the invention and destruction of a vital new art form in short comic strips; "Translated, from the Japanese" is a lush, full-color display of storytelling through still images; the title story, "Killing and Dying", centers on parenthood, mortality, and stand-up comedy. In six interconnected, darkly funny stories, Tomine forms a quietly moving portrait of contemporary life.
Tomine is a master of the small gesture, equally deft at signaling emotion via a subtle change of expression or writ large across landscapes illustrated in full color. Killing and Dying is a fraught, realist masterpiece.

In his first full-length work since Shortcomings in 2007, and working with colour for the first time, Adrian Tomine has produced a darkly funny and deeply moving collection of stories which showcases his exceptional range of focus and technique. A masterpiece about the anxieties of being alive in the twenty-first century, Killing and Dying is Tomine's most ambitious and empathetic work to date.

"[Adrian Tomine] has more ideas in twenty panels than novelists have in a lifetime.” ―Zadie Smith
After enjoying over six months on the New York Times Bestseller list and receiving a rave review from the same institution, acclaimed cartoonist Adrian Tomine’s Killing and Dying is now available in paperback, with an updated cover and French flaps. With this work, Tomine (Shortcomings, Scenes from an Impending Marriage) reaffirms his place not only as one of the most significant creators of contemporary comics, but as one of the great voices of modern American literature. His gift for capturing emotion and intellect resonates: the weight of love and its absence, the pride and disappointment of family, the anxiety and hopefulness of being alive in the twenty-first century.
“Amber Sweet” shows the disastrous impact of mistaken identity in a hyper-connected world; “A Brief History of the Art Form Known as Hortisculpture” details the invention and destruction of a vital new art form; “Translated, from the Japanese,” is a lush, full-color display of storytelling through still images; the title story, "Killing and Dying," centers on parenthood, mortality, and stand-up comedy. In six interconnected, darkly funny stories, Tomine forms a quietly moving portrait of contemporary life.
Adrian Tomine is a master of the small gesture, equally deft at signaling emotion via a subtle change of expression or writ large across landscapes illustrated in full color. Killing and Dying is a fraught, realist masterpiece.

A comedic memoir about fandom, fame, and other embarrassments from the life of a New York Times bestseller
What happens when a childhood hobby grows into a lifelong career? The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist, Adrian Tomine's funniest and most revealing foray into autobiography, offers an array of unexpected answers. When a sudden medical incident lands Tomine in the emergency room, he begins to question if it was really all worthwhile: despite the accolades and opportunities of a seemingly charmed career, it's the gaffes, humiliations, slights, and insults he's experienced (or caused) within the industry that loom largest in his memory.
Tomine illustrates the amusing absurdities of how we choose to spend our time, all the while mining his conflicted relationship with comics and comics culture. But in between chaotic book tours, disastrous interviews, and cringe-inducing interactions with other artists, life happens: he fumbles his way into marriage, parenthood, and an indisputably fulfilling existence. A richer emotional story emerges as his memories are delineated in excruciatingly hilarious detail.
In a bold stylistic departure from his award-winning Killing and Dying, he distills his art to the loose, lively essentials of cartooning, each pen stroke economically imbued with human depth. Designed as a sketchbook complete with placeholder ribbon and an elastic band, The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist shows an acclaimed artist at the peak of his career.

Adrian Tomine’s cult comix series Optic Nerve is finally collected into one sharp-looking hardcover volume. Described as the Raymond Carver of comix, Tomine constructs tales of emotional disconnection with an ear for painfully real dialogue. Combined with his deft black and white depictions of urbane lifestyles, Tomine’s fans have often accused him of eavesdropping in on their most intimate moments and, with forensic skill, laying their lives bare. The conflicts between emotional gratification, narcissistic neediness and moral discernment mark the title story in which a socially crippled man nurses an obsessive crush on a young woman. He watches close up, paralyzed by his guilt, as her beauty catches the eye of his neighbor: a hip, selfish young man with a short attention span. One of Optic Nerve’s most popular stories, `Hawaiian Getaway,` features Hilary, telephone service rep who is having the worst week of her life. She lost her job, her apartment, and her grandmother. Close to the edge, she is losing her grip. Reaching out to random strangers on the phone, Hilary is looking for someone to help her. In "Alter Ego" a successful young author has writer`s block. He can`t, or won`t, decide between another ghostwriting gig and finishing his second ‘real’ novel. He stalls on committing to his novel and his girlfriend when a chance postcard leads him to flirt with fantasies of changing the past. Finally, "Bomb Scare" documents the early unease of his generation by setting this coming-of-age story during the tense months of the Gulf War, the event that ushered in the 1990s.

http://www.drawnandquarterly.com/shortcomings/

The 2007 "New York Times Book Review" Notable Book now in paperback Lauded for its provocative and insightful portrayal of interpersonal relationships, Adrian Tomine's politically charged "Shortcomings" was one of the most acclaimed books of 2007. Among many interviews and reviews in outlets around the country, Tomine was interviewed by Terry Gross on NPR's "Fresh Air" and also in "The Believer," "New York" magazine, and "Giant Robot." "Shortcoming"s landed on countless "best of" lists, including those in "Entertainment Weekly" and "The New York Times"; was praised by Junot Diaz in "Publishers Weekly"; and was the subject of a solo review in "The New York Times Book Review" that drew comparison between Tomine and Philip Roth. The groundbreaking graphic novel now returns in paperback.

Collecting the first four issues of Adrian Tomine's acclaimed comic series optic nerve, this book offers sixteen concise, haunting tales of modern life. The characters here appear to be well-adjusted on the surface, but Tomine takes us deeper into their lives, subtly examining their struggle to connect with friends and lovers.

The comics that first launched Tomine into his luminary career, in a special-edition box set Redesigned to coincide with the release of "Shortcomings" in paperback is a brand-new edition of Adrian Tomine's first book, "32 Stories," that collects his inaugural mini-comics in a special edition. This onetime printing includes facsimile reprints of the seven mini-comics packaged in a slipcase, as well as an additional pamphlet containing a new introduction and notes by Tomine.

Funny and insightful

Faber Stories, a landmark series of individual volumes, presents masters of the short story form at work in a range of genres and styles.
Between his second and third tours of duty, a soldier returns home.
To his former home, that is, using an old key while the new tenant is at work. Is he re-entering his old life or borrowing someone else’s? Where is the line he will not cross? Each day is the same: he exists in a state of suspension, barely knowing how he passes the time – until someone else intrudes on the intruder.
Adrian Tomine, graphic master of alienation and regret, expertly expands the form to express the unsaid and the unbearable in this unforgettable evocation of a post-traumatic life.
Bringing together past, present and future in our ninetieth year, Faber Stories is a celebratory compendium of collectable work.

Les intrus (Killing and Dying) révèle les coulisses, les possibilités qu'offre le roman graphique et explore ironiquement la perte, l'ambition créative, l'identité, et les mécanismes familiaux. Avec ce travail, Adrian Tomine (Blonde platine, Scènes d'un mariage imminent) réaffirme sa place, non seulement comme l'un des créateurs de BD parmi les plus reconnus, mais aussi en tant que grande voix de la littérature américaine moderne. Son don pour capter les émotions et son intelligence résonnent ici : le poids de l'amour et de son absence, la fierté et la déception familiales, l'anxiété et l'espoir de vivre au XXIe siècle. Dans six histoires interconnectées, et terriblement drôles, Tomine dessine un portrait silencieux et mouvant de la vie contemporaine. "Amber Sweet" montre l'impact désastreux de la fausse identité dans un monde hyper-connecté ; "Une brève histoire sur une forme d'art plus connue sous le nom d'Hortiscuplture" détaille l'invention et la destruction d'une nouvelle forme d'art en courtes séquences ; "Traduit du japonais", est une vitrine luxuriante et haute en couleur de la narration par l'image ; l'histoire éponyme, "Killing and Dying", aborde la parentalité, la mortalité et l'art du stand-up. Adrian Tomine est un maître du petit mouvement, aussi habile à faire passer les émotions via un changement subtile de l'expression que par l'étirement de paysages colorés. En cela, Adrian Tomine est un digne héritier de Daniel Clowes et de Chris Ware. Le patchwork de Killing and Dying en fait un chef d'oeuvre tendu et réaliste.

In 1991, Adrian Tomine self-published the first issue of Optic Nerve . Consisting of three xeroxed sheets of paper, and with a print run of twenty-five, it was a less-than-auspicious, largely unnoticed debut. In the following three years, though, Optic Nerve developed at a startlingly rapid pace: the artwork and writing evolved with each story, production quality improved, page counts increased, and by issue seven, sales had reached 6,000. In 1994, Drawn & Quarterly took over the publishing duties of Optic Nerve , and the original seven issues sold out and were left out of print. 32 stories presents these rare, early editions, collected for the first time in a single volume.

Resenha Especializada
“Neste belo e sincero trabalho, Adrian Tomine apresenta o retrato mais honesto e revelador possível de uma indústria à qual não posso mais suportar me associar.”
ALAN MOORE, V de Vingança, Watchmen, Do Inferno

“Um olhar dolorosamente honesto, e muitas vezes hilário, por detrás da cortina da vida ‘glamourosa’ de um quadrinista. Tomine relembra os estresses, as gafes e as realizações da sua vida, enquanto empreende um exercício de autoconsciência. Uma leitura obrigatória para os fãs de Tomine e para todos os aspirantes a quadrinistas.”
RICHARD McGUIRE, Aqui

“Eu não consegui largar este livro. A vulnerabilidade de Tomine e sua disposição em compartilhar os momentos mais constrangedores de sua vida (variando entre deliciosos, absurdamente engraçados e profundamente revigorantes) são um lembrete para sermos mais corajosos, porque, afinal, o que temos a perder?”
LISA HANAWALT, produtora e desenhista da animação da Netflix BoJack Horseman

“Um livro maravilhoso sobre sentir-se morbidamente complexado e, ao mesmo tempo, desejar se conectar com outras pessoas, mesmo que isso nem sempre - ou melhor, quase sempre – transcorra da maneira desejada. Captura perfeitamente o que é ser um quadrinista, mas também o que é ser uma pessoa.”
ROZ CHAST, Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant?

“Em uma série de histórias autobiográficas que vão desde sua infância até os dias atuais, Tomine lança um olhar irônico e implacável sobre seu ego frágil, as recompensas duvidosas de sua bem-sucedida carreira e o absurdo da indústria dos quadrinhos.”
The Guardian

“Adrian Tomine passou de ‘garoto prodígio dos zines’ (segundo Daniel Clowes) para um mestre da forma [...] As vinte e seis histórias aqui reunidas traçam uma vida inteira de neuroses e humilhações, borrando os limites entre os traços de personalidade e os ‘ossos do ofício’.”
The New York Times

Sobre o Autor

ADRIAN TOMINE nasceu em 1974, em Sacramento, Califórnia. Seus trabalhos anteriores incluem Shortcomings e Intrusos, que se tornou um best-seller do New York Times. Desde 1999, suas ilustrações são publicadas regularmente na capa e nas páginas da revista New Yorker. Adrian vive no Brooklyn, em Nova York, com a esposa e duas filhas.

Adrian Tomine es uno de los creadores más significativos del cómic contemporáneo y una de las grandes voces de la literatura norteamericana moderna.

Adrian Tomine reafirma su don para capturar emociones y pensamientos sobre el peso del amor y de su ausencia, el orgullo y la decepción en la familia o la ansiedad y la desesperanza de sentirse vivo en el siglo XXI.

En "Amber Sweet" muestra el desastroso impacto de una doble identidad en un mundo hiperconectado. En "Una breve historia del arte conocido como hortiescultura" nos detalla la invención y destrucción de una nueva forma de arte en las tiras gráficas. "Traducido del japonés" es un cuadro a todo color donde las cosas se explican mediante imágenes congeladas. La historia que da título a la novela gráfica, "Intrusos", se centra en la moralidad del humor de un comediante de stand-up shows. Seis historias interconectadas, oscuramente divertidas, donde Tomine desarma al lector con el gesto preciso y la emoción exacta para retratar la vida contemporánea no tal como nos gustaría que fuese, sino tal como es.