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More copies of this ISBNThis title in other editionsFreddie & Me: A Coming-Of-Age (Bohemian) Rhapsodyby Mike Dawson
Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:High Fidelity meets Waynes World in this utterly charming graphic memoir about a young mans life-long obsession with the rock band Queen. All of us have had that one band with which we identify, the band that was always there for us during good times and bad. For Mike Dawson it's always been Queen and Freddie Mercury. Not unlike “Bohemian Rhapsody,” Freddie & Me takes readers on a rock-opera-like journey—from Mikes childhood in the UK, through high school in New Jersey, and into the nineties, when grunge ruled the day and Queen was terminally uncool. As Mike works to navigate the trials and tribulations that accompany the road to adulthood (with Queen behind him every step of the way), he must grapple with the fears we all find ourselves facing: committing to one person for the rest of our lives, pursuing our dream job, coming to terms with our familial responsibilities, and even facing our own mortality. With humor, sensitivity, and some wonderfully imagined appearances by Freddie Mercury, Brian May, George Michael, and Andrew Ridgeley (among others), Freddie & Me is a touching reminder of how our favorite music is the soundtrack for so many of our most important memories and moments. And how one note can bring them all flooding back. Mike Dawson, born in 1975, immigrated to the United States from the United Kingdom in 1986. In 2002 he began the critically acclaimed humor comic-book series Gabagool!, and was nominated for the Ignatz award for Promising New Talent. Mikes comics have appeared in a number of popular anthologies. He lives with his wife in Brooklyn. High Fidelity meets Waynes World in this graphic memoir about a young mans life-long obsession with the rock band Queen. Every music fan has that one band with which they identify, the band that was always there during good times and bad. For Mike Dawson it's Queen and lead singer Freddie Mercury. Not unlike the band's perennial hit “Bohemian Rhapsody,” Freddie & Me takes readers on a rock-opera-like journey—from Mikes childhood in the United Kingdom, through high school in New Jersey, and into the nineties, when grunge ruled the day and Queen was terminally uncool. As Mike works to navigate the trials and tribulations that accompany the road to adulthood (with Queen behind him every step of the way), he must grapple with the fears we all find ourselves facing: committing to one person for the rest of our lives, pursuing our dream job, coming to terms with our familial responsibilities, and even facing our own mortality. With humor, sensitivity, and some wonderfully imagined appearances by Freddie Mercury, Brian May, George Michael, and Andrew Ridgeley (among others), Freddie & Me is a reminder of the role music plays in the background, or the foreground, of important memories and moments, and how one note can bring them all flooding back. "[Dawson has] been obsessed with the British rock band [Queen] and its late front man, Freddie Mercury, since he was a child living in England, and they're the madeleine that triggers memories of his life's significant events . . . Dawson's black-and-white artwork is smoothly paced, fluid caricature in the vein of Joe Sacco or Alex Robinson, and his narration neatly evokes the hyperdramatic worldview of a teenager . . . anyone who was ever obsessed with a creator will recognize some of the whimsical story."—Publishers Weekly "The premise of [Dawson's] comics memoir is, as he puts it, that 'when I think of Queen I can remember my whole life': he's been obsessed with the British rock band and its late front man, Freddie Mercury, since he was a child living in England, and they're the madeleine that triggers memories of his life's significant events . . . Dawson's black-and-white artwork is smoothly paced, fluid caricature in the vein of Joe Sacco or Alex Robinson, and his narration neatly evokes the hyperdramatic worldview of a teenager . . . the individual anecdotes he recalls are amusing, as when he imagines the breakup of Wham! or shows himself as a 10-year-old belting out Bohemian Rhapsody a cappella at a talent show and being hustled off stage . . . anyone who was ever obsessed with a creator will recognize some of the whimsical story."—Publishers Weekly "As a boy in England, Dawson saw the rock group Queen on television; his older brother offered him a cassette of the group's Frankie Goes to Hollywood album and an obsession was born. In his first full-length book, he gives readers a gently nuanced autobiography in which Queena's lead singer, Freddie Mercury; Mikea's little sister, Sarah; their grandmother; and of course Mike himself undergo many of life's stunning changes: emotional independence, self-expression, illness, and loss. When the family leaves England to live in New Jersey, Dawson imports his devotion and spreads his enthusiasm for Queen among his new schoolmates. As an adult, he re-creates these early- and middle-adolescent years with candor, sweetness, and emotional insight. His black-and-white images depict highly individualized characters—including the wide-nosed, orthodontics-wearing author—and panels are constructed to great effect. For teens who have found one particular song or singer to provide the theme music for their lives, as well as for budding artists, Dawson's story is, indeed, rhapsodic."—Francisca Goldsmith, Halifax Public Libraries, Nova Scotia, School Library Journal "The cartoonist, creator of the comic-book series Gabagool!, strings together various life memories from an insecure childhood to an only mildly less insecure young adulthood, tracking along the way his obsession with Queen. High points included Dawson performing Queen songs at a talent show; the low point was probably being mocked by schoolmates after Freddie Mercury's death in 1991. Credit should go to the author for not trying to make his life mirror too closely that of the complex (some would say pompous) arena-rock band—he doesn't overdo his metaphor. Dawson's artwork has a similarly unassuming quality, its slightly exaggerated style occasionally mindful of Peter Bagge's Hate comics, but without the punk extremism."—Kirkus Reviews Review:"It's usually wise for a memoirist to have either an intrinsically interesting life or unusual sensitivity to the meaning of personal experiences. Dawson, unfortunately, has neither. The premise of his comics memoir is, as he puts it, that 'when I think of Queen I can remember my whole life': he's been obsessed with the British rock band and its late front man, Freddie Mercury, since he was a child living in England, and they're the madeleine that triggers memories of his life's significant events. But he barely explains why they mean so much to him, other than that they rock (Mercury's sexuality is mentioned briefly, once), and his recollections are the common stock of geeky, misunderstood adolescent male cartoonists. Dawson's black-and-white artwork is smoothly paced, fluid caricature in the vein of Joe Sacco or Alex Robinson, and his narration neatly evokes the hyperdramatic worldview of a teenager; some of the individual anecdotes he recalls are amusing, as when he imagines the breakup of Wham! or shows himself as a 10-year-old belting out 'Bohemian Rhapsody' a cappella at a talent show and being hustled off stage. While Dawson rambles at times, anyone who was ever obsessed with a creator will recognize some of the whimsical story. (June)" Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.) Synopsis:High Fidelity meets Waynes World in this utterly charming graphic memoir about a young mans life-long obsession with the rock band Queen. All of us have had that one band with which we identify, the band that was always there for us during good times and bad. For Mike Dawson it's always been Queen and Freddie Mercury. Not unlike “Bohemian Rhapsody,” Freddie & Me takes readers on a rock-opera-like journey—from Mikes childhood in the UK, through high school in New Jersey, and into the nineties, when grunge ruled the day and Queen was terminally uncool. As Mike works to navigate the trials and tribulations that accompany the road to adulthood (with Queen behind him every step of the way), he must grapple with the fears we all find ourselves facing: committing to one person for the rest of our lives, pursuing our dream job, coming to terms with our familial responsibilities, and even facing our own mortality. With humor, sensitivity, and some wonderfully imagined appearances by Freddie Mercury, Brian May, George Michael, and Andrew Ridgeley (among others), Freddie & Me is a touching reminder of how our favorite music is the soundtrack for so many of our most important memories and moments. And how one note can bring them all flooding back. About the AuthorMike Dawson, born in 1975, immigrated to the United States from the UK in 1986. In 2002 he began the critically acclaimed humor comic-book series Gabagool!, and was nominated for the Ignatz award for Promising New Talent. Mikes comics have appeared in a number of popular anthologies. He lives with his wife in Brooklyn. What Our Readers Are SayingAdd a comment for a chance to win!Average customer rating based on 1 comment:
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