Fran, by Jim Woodring

 Fran, by Jim Woodring, 120 pages
Jim Woodring's books are surreal, crazy, beautiful, weird, confusing, and awesome.  I can't even tell you what this was about because I do not know.  But it's an enjoyable trip to take.

Very Casual, by Michael DeForge

 Very Casual, by Michael DeForge, 152 pages

This isn't really a graphic novel, per se, more like a collection of graphic shorts.  I really enjoyed some of them, thought others were just okay, and really liked some of the art.  The cover art was my favorite.  The style overall is very surreal and weird- right up my alley.

Tale of Sand, by Jim Henson & Jerry Juhl, ill. by Ramon Perez

Tale of Sand, by Jim Henson and Jerry Juhl, illustrated by Ramon Perez, 120 pages

Tale of Sand was written by Henson and Juhl as a screenplay, but one that no one wanted to make into a movie.  Reading this graphic adaptation, I can possibly see why- the story is so completely surreal that I'm still not totally sure what just happened. That doesn't mean that it's not excellent- it is- it's just really confusing and not something to breeze through quickly. The basic storyline is one of a man in the desert, trying to survive.  He's being chased by football players and sheikhs, fighting tanks with sound effects, and desperately craving a cigarette and a drink- but the story is one of basic survival and self-introspection.  The illustrations are excellent- think Salvador Dali meets Looney Tunes.  Anyone who considers themselves a Jim Henson fan (beyond the Muppets) should read this just to know what it's about.