08: A Graphic Diary of the Campaign Trail

A Graphic Retelling Of The Most Historic Election Of Our Time

Beyond the pandering focus groups, the billion-dollar fund-raising machinery, and the relentless myopia of the 24-hour news cycle, it was clear that something deep in the American psyche was stirring as the rumblings of the 2008 election first began. 08’ follows the epic 2008 presidential campaign and its dramatic cast of characters: the inevitable former first lady with a terrible plan to win, the freshman African-American Senator who skyrockets onto the national stage, and a former POW’s hangdog campaign that overcomes both a Mormon Governor and a thrice-married (occasionally cross-dressing) Mayor.

Taking its cur from campaign classics like Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail ’72 and The Making of the President Series, 08 brings politico journalism into the graphic novel form. Reflect on all the single-issue candidates, the pundits, the meltdowns, the awkward missteps, and the ruthless maneuvers of the scorched-earth campaign trail as they knit themselves into a political tale of the present-day battle for the future of America.

"For everyone who didn't get quite enough coverage and analysis of the longest presidential campaign in American history, 08 provides a brief and breezy graphic account of all that led up to the Obama-McCain November showdown. New Republic senior editor Crowley provides the semaphore-like text ('It started like any other debate. Bush-bashing. Bickering about health care. Iraq'). The b&w illustrations are courtesy of Shooting War's Goldman, who brings a punchy and dramatic rhythm to a rendering that could all too easily have been done by the numbers (though his fixation on wrinkles leaves many faces looking like they are covered with spiderwebs). Unlike most nonfiction comics concerning current affairs, 08 doesn't assume an omniscient narrator, creating instead a rather creaky framing device of a washed-up veteran political reporter, taking a flight with his editor while the editor reads his latest story on the campaign. The voice of this old ink-stained cynic allows the narrative to be a little less vanilla, but it's still not much more than an illustrated time line. Though Crowley and Goldman don't dumb anything down, they still skip past much interpretation." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Sure to be one of the most talked about books of the year, "08" is a stunning work of graphic nonfiction that offers a fresh take on the 2008 presidential campaign. A political writer and narrative artist present a work that stands in bold relief to routine political journalism.

MICHAEL CROWLEY is a Senior Editor at The New Republic and a frequent political commentator of MSNBC.

DAN GOLDMAN is the artist of the critically acclaimed graphic novel Shooting War.