The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil,Used

About the AuthorSTEPHEN COLLINS was born in 1980 and grew up in Penge, South London. He began cartooning for The Times in 2003, and has since won several awards, including the Jonathan Cape/Observer Graphic Short Story Prize 2010. His work has appeared in many publications worldwide, and he contributes regular comics to The Guardian Weekend and Prospect magazine. The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil is his debut graphic novel. He lives near Hertford with his wife.Product DescriptionA NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERThe job of the skin is to keep it all in...On the island of Here, livin's easy. Conduct is orderly. Lawns are neat. Citizens are clean shavenand Dave is the most fastidious of them all. Dave is bald, but for a single hair. He loves drawing, his desk job, and the Bangles. But on one fateful day, his life is upended...by an unstoppable (yet pretty impressive) beard.An offbeat fable worthy of Roald Dahl and Tim Burton, Stephen Collins' The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil is a darkly funny meditation on life, death, and what it means to be differentand a timeless ode to the art of beard maintenance.ReviewSlyly exquisite...What happens over the course of the next 200+ pages is a dilemma Roald Dahl would have relished: The roiling anarchy of There erupts on Herespecifically, on poor Dave's previously cleanshaven cheeksin the form of a great, snarly, twisting, unstoppable beard.If Collins is rightif, as he says, stories are necessarythen let's hope this wry young writer/artist has got a lot more lies to tell us. Glen Weldon, NPRI don't want to spoil it[but] it's kind of Roald Dahlit's very funny, dark, fablelike and about exactly what it's title says. Linda Holmes, NPR's Pop Culture Happy HourThe Gigantic Beard That Was Evil has the tone of a playful fable, from the cracked syntax of its title onwardFor a book about the liberating joys of disruption, though, it's exceptionally disciplined: Collins renders several hundred pages of immaculately ruled buildings and beanfaced people (and the fuzzy curlicues that interfere with them) in meticulous, microdetailed pencil textures. NewYorkTimes.com (Sunday Book Review)With one hell of a title, Stephen Collins' graphic novel makes an immediate impression, and the interior contents are just as gripping as the name.It's a poignant parable about the value of individuality and going against the grain, presented with a charming art style that brings a smooth animated quality to the story without losing sight of the darker aspects of the plot. The A.V. Club (Best Comics of the Year)Filled with elegant blackandwhite sketches and darkly philosophical commentary, Collins's graphic novel details what happens when borders collapse and stories have no tidy endings. TimeOut.comThe Gigantic Beard That Was Evil is an artistic marvel, and that splendor heightens the emotion of the story. The final moments of Dave's story are incredibly inspirational, and The Bangles' 'Eternal Flame' has never been used as effectively as it is in those pages. Whimsical, bittersweet, and visually stunning, this graphic novel is the perfect parable for all ages, praising the value of eccentricity in a world of overwhelming uniformity with the help of unruly facial hair. The AV ClubSublime. Popular MechanicsA book about loneliness, fear, and worry that still manages to have a small glimmer of hope nestled in amongst the burly titular beardGorgeously illustrated.It's easily the most engaging thing I've read all month. Panels (Best Comics of October)[Collins'] art especially as the beard grows and pages full of regimented, small panels breach into 2page spreads of swirling hair is sensuous and soft. The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil is also a welldesigned book, complete with two different finishes on the cover: a gloss on the white lettering and a velvety matte finish on the restIt all works together to create a hushed tone, a kind of gentle mel