The Woodchipper: Stories by Joe Ollmann. Drawn & Quarterly, 2026. 9781770468238. 216pp. Includes an introduction plus notes on each of the five stories in a short afterward.
When I picked this book up, I flipped through it and immediately found a few pages I love including: the “endpapers” (not real endpapers because it’s a paperback), the dedication (it seems to have an illustration of one of the worst hotels I’ve ever stayed in (it’s in Toronto)), and Ollmann’s introduction in which two young people talk up collections of “graphic shorties” like his. The latter includes amusing comments on Ollmann’s work by his daughter and the late Tom Spurgeon.
The stories themselves are just plain enjoyable. “The Woodchipper” is not a Fargo-esque crime tale; it’s a story about an accident that didn’t happen, and how a guy deals with the non-aftermath. “Nestled All Snug” is a claustrophobic holiday story that takes place in a bookstore. (Ollmann reveals in the afterword that he works part-time in one.) “Meat” is about a young woman who works as a security guard for a company up to some shady crap, and her new friendship with a woman who protests outside the company’s gates. Plus there are two more.
Ollmann’s bio at the end says: “… Still loves making comics. Still disappointed by humanity.” It’s a statement that’s amusing because it’s extreme. And I get it. I continue to write a lot about people behaving badly in libraries, arguably their worst moments. And I love these folks. They are amusing even when I’m the focus of their anger. And I think Ollmann would be similarly amused. I feel like we’re both on humanity’s side, and that’s why I love this book.
