Talking to My Father’s Ghost: An Almost True Story

Krokus (Loud & Smart) memorializes his recently deceased father with dry humor and affection in this winning graphic narrative. At the funeral—which features a parade of family friends drawn as animals (birds, turtles, bears) with colorful stories about his dad—Alex sees his father’s ghost, who begins to follow him around. Alex is drawn as a raccoon, while his dad is an owl. The two hang out in diners, stroll along the beach, play mini golf, and talk about life and death. Some chats are profound—Alex comes out to his father as bisexual, to which his dad responds, “I know... you wrote about it in your comics”—and others less so: “Don’t tell your mother,” Dad confides, “but I met god and she’s smokin hot!” Between these encounters, Alex asks his living relatives about grief and ghosts, learning family stories along the way. Eventually he and his brother Gerard set out on a road trip to Arizona, where their father owned a plot of land, in the hope of finding some kind of closure. Krokus’ simple and colorful art contrasts with book’s understated tone, which can be summed up by Alex’s observation, “Grief sure can be a doozy huh?” Readers who have known the poignancy of loss will appreciate this. Agent: Edward Maxwell, Transatlantic Agency. (Aug.)