Books: Strangers in Paradise

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Strangers in Paradise
Pocket Book 1
By Terry Moore
2004




Available now from Islington Libraries
You can reserve this item for free here:
http://www.library.islington.gov.uk/TalisPrism/

Strangers in Paradise
Pocket Book 2
By Terry Moore
2004




Available now from Islington Libraries
You can reserve this item for free here:
http://www.library.islington.gov.uk/TalisPrism/

Strangers in Paradise
Pocket Book 3
By Terry Moore
2004




Available now from Islington Libraries
You can reserve this item for free here:
http://www.library.islington.gov.uk/TalisPrism/

Strangers in Paradise
Pocket Book 4
By Terry Moore
2005




Available now from Islington Libraries
You can reserve this item for free here:
http://www.library.islington.gov.uk/TalisPrism/

Strangers in Paradise
Pocket Book 5
By Terry Moore
2005




Available now from Islington Libraries
You can reserve this item for free here:
http://www.library.islington.gov.uk/TalisPrism/

Strangers in Paradise
Pocket Book 6
By Terry Moore
2007




Available now from Islington Libraries
You can reserve this item for free here:
http://www.library.islington.gov.uk/TalisPrism/

Before I started reading Strangers in Paradise I had it mixed up in my head with Love & Rockets. I knew that both were comics that were for people who "didn't normally read (urg) comic books" (and that would be the point when they said something about: "it's all just superheroes flying around isn't it?" and I would just silently nod and go "yeah - yeah" and then try and bring them on side by saying: "Oh - have you read Watchmen?" Because - everyone loves Watchmen) and just thought that it was all boring seriousness and serious boringness ("Strangers in Paradise"? I mean that titles makes it sounds like a poem. Urg!) But having taken the plunge I now realised how wrong I was. Because (unlike Love & Rockets - which is more like a Pedro Almodóvar film or something) Strangers in Paradise is pure fantastic awesomeness.

A long-running, mostly self-published black-and-white comic book notable for its large female fanbase starring Katina "Katchoo" Choovanski (a temperamental artist with a violent and mysterious past) and her kind-hearted best friend: Francine Peters-Silver (relationship status? well... it's complicated) this is a series that's less "graphic novel" and more full-blown soap opera. We've got histrionics, unrequited love and massively outlandish plots all held together with expertly built characters whose subtle emotions and thoughts are captured with precise detail by the lovingly drawn artwork. Seriously: if they were actors they would win Oscars and stuff. The whole series has been collected in 6 handy "pocket-book" (which basically means that they're small in page sizeness - but still kinda hefty in page countness) series. And like Mr Neil Gaiman says: "What most people don’t know about love, sex and relations with other human beings would fill a book. Strangers in Paradise is that book.”

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Links: Comic Book Resources Interview.

Further reading: Echo, The Essential Dykes To Watch Out For, Gemma Bovery, Fun Home, Love & Rockets: Heartbreak Soup, The Ballad of Halo Jones

All comments welcome.