Graphic Novel Review: Perfect Example by John Porcellino

Posted on August 24, 2021 at 6:31 am by Gene Ambaum

Perfect Example by John Porcellino. Drawn & Quarterly, 2021. 9781770464681. 132pp. http://www.powells.com/book/-9781770464681?partnerid=34778&p_bt

The short comics in this collection show Porcellino at the end of high school in 1986, mostly in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. Music is a big part of his life, and so is skating. Thrifting, dropping f-bombs, fucking off in gym class, getting hassled by his parents about his hair, trying to work up the courage to approach girls, road trips with friends, a general sense of not fitting in — it all felt familiar, though I was never any good on a skate board. Porcellino’s art makes it feel as fresh as when I first read it. Highly recommended to former teens of the 80s and anyone else with good taste in comics.

At the end of the book in place of an author bio is a resume and relevant information, including a brief overview of Porcellino’s life, which puts these stories in context. If you enjoy this one at all check out his other books — this is one of three D&Q’s reissues of Porcellino’s work this year.