Synopses & Reviews
When ten Oregonians travel to the Gulf Coast in August 2010 to plumb the devastation wrought by the Deepwater Horizon spill, they discover that "Oil and Water" is just the first of the insoluble contradictions. Between the tarred sands of Grand Isle and the fouled waters of the Louisiana bayou, they come to find out that Gulf Coast residents are economically dependent upon the very industry that is wreaking havoc on their environment. In the shadow of the greatest ecological disaster of our time, they are forced to reassess their roles as witness, critic and environmental steward.
In this 120-page graphic novel -- written by Steve Duin, a columnist for The Oregonian, and illustrated by New Yorker cartoonist Shannon Wheeler -- readers will tour the shark-pocked beach at Grand Isle with the local head of Homeland Security; step aboard the crabbing boat of a 20-year-old Mississippian who works 16-hour days and spends his nights dreaming of M.I.T.; enter the "Hot Zone" where volunteers work desperately to save brown pelicans drenched in British petroleum; and hear shrimpers, Vietnamese and good ol' boys alike, describe what happens to their livelihood when 200 million gallons of oil flood the scene. The readers' perspective on what hope and what mission remains along a ravaged coastline, and one awash in both seafood and oil, will be changed as irrevocably as that of these ten Oregonians.
Review
"A powerful eco-report, Oil and Water also manages to be a report on the gap between classes that isn't about who has what, but rather about what "having" means to different groups of Americans." Francisca Goldsmith, School Library Journal
Review
"Reporter Steve Duin and cartoonist Shannon Wheeler visited Louisiana to investigate the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster, and their legwork shows. By contrasting the perspectives of out-of-state do-gooders and hard-bitten locals, Duin and Wheeler tell a nuanced story that goes a long way to evoking what the catastrophe means to those who still live with it." Joe Sacco
Review
"Oil and Water is smart, informative and completely engaging. We experience the disaster through the eyes of Duin and Wheeler's richly developed, beautifully illustrated characters and the result is a stunning graphic novel not to be missed." Jeff Lemire
Review
"The book puts a human face on this event and makes it clear that while the beaches were cleaned quickly, the effects will be felt for years to come." Alex Dueben, Comic Book Resources
Synopsis
In this 120-page graphic novel written by Steve Duin, a columnist forThe Oregonian, and illustrated by New Yorker cartoonist Shannon Wheeler readers will tour the shark-pocked beach at Grand Isle with the local head of Homeland Security; step aboard the crabbing boat of a 20-year-old Mississippian who works 16-hour days and spends his nights dreaming of M.I.T.; enter the Hot Zone where volunteers work desperately to save brown pelicans drenched in British petroleum; and hear shrimpers, Vietnamese and good ol boys alike, describe what happens to their livelihood when 200 million gallons of oil flood the scene. The readers perspective on what hope and what mission remains along a ravaged coastline, and one awash in both seafood and oil, will be changed as irrevocably as that of these ten Oregonians. "
Synopsis
A devastating look at the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history.
About the Author
Steve Duin, twice named the nation's best local columnist by the Society of Professional Journalists, is the co-author of Comics: Between the Panels. Shannon Wheeler is the Eisner Award-winning creator of Too Much Coffee Man. Bill McKibben is the author of Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet, among other titles; he is the founder of 350.org, which in 2010 organized what CNN called "the most widespread day of political action in the planet's history."