Spotlight On: Julie Doucet

This week's spotlight is on one of my favorite comic book artists/ writers, Julie Doucet. She is underground comic artist, and is one of the only comic artists whose comics I actually own, instead of just graphic novels. This comic book store in Seattle called Zanadu sold issues of Dirty Plotte, which made me very happy. Doucet has a really neat cartoony style of drawing, but my favorite thing about her work is the writing. Her stories are really funny and interesting, and I never get sick of reading them. Here are some of her works that I have read.

My New York Diary

This is an autobiographical account of Doucet's life after high school and the time that she lived in New York. She writes about how she lost her virginity, art school, and dealing with an extremely annoying boyfriend. Reading Doucet's work makes me really wish that I knew her in real life. She just seems like a really cool person. My New York Diary is overall just a really good read, and her drawings make it that much better.

My Most Secret Desire

My Most Secret Desire is probably my favorite thing by Julie Doucet. It is sort of a dream journal, where she illustrates a bunch of weird dreams that she had. Some are really disturbing, like the one where she is throwing up all of her teeth, and some are just really strange like the masterbation cookies one.

Long Time Relationship

This book doesn't really have stories, but just really cool themed drawings. My favorites are the ones that are based on personal ads. There are also some cool drawing of people from photos she found, and drawings based of fortune cookies.

Elle Humour

This book isn't a graphic novel, but is instead a collection of drawings and collages. This is the kind of book that I wouldn't have purchased if I knew what it was, but I'm glad that I have it because it is really neat to look at.

365 Days

This is something that I really with that I could do, but unfortunately I have zero artistic talent. It is sort of a diary where she has drawings and entries every day for an entire year. I actually haven't finished reading this yet. I bought it a few years ago and I'm not even half way through. I don't think that it is something you are supposed to read in one sitting, however.

So, those are all of the books that I have of Julie Doucet's. I intend on reading the Madame Paul Affair, and My New New York Diary where she talks about her experiences with Michel Gondry.