Synopses & Reviews
Twenty-eight-year-old Nao Brown, whos
hafu (half Japanese, half English), is not well. Shes suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and fighting violent urges to harm other people. But thats not who she really wants to be. Nao has dreams. She wants to quiet her unruly mind; she wants to get her design and illustration career off the ground; and she wants to find love, perfect love.
Naos life continues to seesaw. Her boyfriend dumps her; a toy deal falls through. But she also meets Gregory, an interesting washing-machine repairman, and Ray, an art teacher at the Buddhist Center. She begins to draw and meditate to ease her mind and open her heartand in doing so comes to a big realization: Life isnt black-and-white after all . . . its much more like brown.
Praise for The Nao of Brown:
Lushly rendered, passionately digressive” The New York Times
Dillon turns in a narrative tour de force, featuring a script that works in perfect concert with almost cinematic art reminiscent of Milo Manara, but with far more expressive characters. A triumph of comics for grownups, this is a must-read.” Publishers Weekly, starred review
The art in The Nao of Brown is absolutely gorgeous . . . An intense story about a young woman who fights as hard to get out of her own head as some superheroes fight to save the world.” The Onions A.V. Club
This was the best read I have had in a long time.” Scott Stantis, cartoonist for the Chicago Tribune
Dillon makes his grand return in what can only be described as a visual spectacle.” The Beat
Amazing artwork; a truly novelistic piece of storytelling, full of wisdom and compassion; and a book which is a beautiful artifact, a treat for those of a bibliophilic inclination.” Comic Book Resources
The battles are internal, but no less monumental for all of that. Such inner wars made Sandman a classic, and I have no doubt that Dillons graphic novel will likewise be regarded as a seminal work in comic art.” The Houston Press Art Attack blog
Psychologically complex and surprising.” Paste Magazine
Its a masterpiece, and I really cant recommend it enough.” Comic Book Resources
Penciled and watercolored by hand, the pages glow with a lush realism, even in their darkest moments. The ever present motif of red can either anchor or engulf the reader, but always provides a vibrant glimpse into Naos life.” Asian Fortune News
Review
andldquo;Adult, honest, and uncomfortable, this is a graphic novel that treats its audience as intelligent residents of a world where dreams and fantasies seldom come true.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;Set against the world of romance publishing, ILYAandrsquo;S approach to the topic cleverly subverts our expectations of romantic fiction.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;With ILYAandrsquo;s clever color scheme and quietly poignant artwork driving the tale, Room for Love is a markedly original work, with questions of identity and intimacy woven into the penumbra of a raw and authentic relationship.andrdquo;
Synopsis
andldquo;Romance is dead.andrdquo; Or so says Pamela Green, a middle-aged romance novelist suffering from writerandrsquo;s block. Then, as she crosses a bridge over the Thames in London, her unsettled life collides with that of a ragged young man who has survived for months on Londonandrsquo;s streets, getting by on his wits . . . and his looks. Under extraordinary circumstances, Pamela invites him into her comfortable suburban home. There, in spite of their obvious differences, they soon form an unlikely partnership, their once-separate lives revived and sent off in stark new directions. An intense hothouse drama, fierce and true to life,
Room for Love is an original graphic novel unafraid to play with fire.
About the Author
ILYA is a comic-book writer and artist whose work has been published by Marvel Comics, DC Comics, and Dark Horse in the US; Kodansha in Japan; and numerous independent companies worldwide. His books include the award-winning The End of the Century Club, the kitchen-sink-drama collection Skidmarks, and an adaptation of King Lear in the Manga Shakespeare series. ILYA lives in the UK.and#160;