Graphic Novel Review: Days by Simon Moreton

Posted on September 15, 2020 at 10:42 am by Gene Ambaum

Days by Simon Moreton. Avery Hill, 2014. 9871910395004. 148pp.

The minimalistic art in Days includes stories from Moreton’s autobiographical SMOO and anthology work. Style-wise it looks to have been drawn with pencils and most of the book falls somewhere between the work of John Porcellino (King-Cat, Thoreau at Walden) and Oliver East (Trains Are…Mint). The first story in the book astounded me — it’s about the town of Marlow, where Moreton moved when he was 11. Quick scribbles seem to capture the town mostly by noting its shadows. It ends with a meditation on aging and a drawing of an older guy in a pool that’s probably my favorite image in the book, though there’s a lot more to love: simple (but more detailed) drawings of houses, the birds of Falmouth, and simple drawings of people that capture so much of their character. I’m going to read every book and minicomic by Moreton that I can find.

No idea how this British graphic novel from 2014 ended up on the shelves at Seattle’s Kinokuniya, but I want to send out some love to whoever is buying all of the indy books for that section of the store. If you’re in town and love comics, I want to tell you it’s not just manga and toys upstairs.