The abominable Mr. Seabrook /

*Starred Review* On the page before the title page, this graphic novel's subject is summarily characterized as writer, explorer, alcoholic, sadist, cannibal. William Seabrook (1884-1945) looked the part, heavy featured and shadowy, like early movie tough guys Wallace Beery and George Bancroft. It's a look well suited to Ollmann's gruff, blocky artwork, rendered in black, white, and blue-gray. Ollmann emphasizes Seabrook's alcoholism, beginning the book with a late-life spree (imaginary) before flashing back to a childhood in which Seabrook developed his other obsessions. Ollmann also stresses Seabrook's inferiority complex and habit of running away from jobs, lifestyles any situation that became too comfortable. Though some of his greatest successes, such as his investigation of voodoo, involved occult phenomena, he resolutely rejected supernaturalism. He was frank and unashamed about engaging in unconventional behavior of all kinds, including the cannibalism he reported sampling in Africa (later, he said he'd been tricked then, but ultimately satisfied in Paris!) as well as his penchant for tying up young women. Committed to an asylum to dry out, he made another candid best-seller out of the experience. Though hardly prepossessing, he fascinated women in the bohemian circles he favored and had three stressful marriages. Thoroughly researched, masterfully and personally written as well as drawn, Ollmann's presentation of this fascinating, thoroughly repulsive man may be the best graphic-novel biography ever.--Olson, Ray Copyright 2017 Booklist

Comprising 10 years of painstaking research, this graphic biography details the life of obscure writer, occultist, traveler, and bondage fanatic William Seabrook, perhaps best known for his book Asylum, an account of his hospitalization. Telling Seabrook's story with his characteristic thick line work, Ollmann wades into the bizarre corners of his subject's life, from the connection he formed as a child to his grandmother's mysticism, to his inability to find happiness in his various vocations, to his crazy adventures, penchant for tying up women, and serial alcoholism. Previously known for his autobiographical work Mid-Life, Ollmann skillfully captures Seabrook's ardent desire to experience life and write about it even as he's killing himself with drink. Seabrook is just the sort of character that Ollmann is so good at rendering: a complicated, misunderstood, and underappreciated mess of a person whose life was fascinating and whose appetites were, quite literally, as strange as they come. As both a narrative and a story in pictures, this is an early candidate for the year's best graphic biography. (Jan.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

While William Seabrook (1884-1945) may not be a household name today, in the early part of the 20th century he was a massively popular travel and adventure author, known for trekking through the Sahara with a group of nomads, exploring Voodoo in Haiti (introducing the word zombie to the mainstream), and spending time with cannibal kings in Africa. He was also a self-destructive alcoholic and obsessive sadomasochist. Based on incredibly thorough research and integrating a large amount of Seabrook's own autobiographical writing, author and illustrator Ollman's offering (Happy Stories About Well-Adjusted People) presents a compelling and empathetic portrait of what might be the single most lost Lost Generation writer. Ollmann's illustrations perfectly captures the unease that drives his subject in tight nine-panel grids, and his fascination with his subject is both evident and infectious. VERDICT Including high adventure, sorrowful drama, and cameos by historical stars such as Man Ray, Aldous Huxley, and Gertrude Stein, this one has all the hallmarks of a classic work of biography and is an early contender for one of the best releases in 2017.-TB © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.