Quimby the Mouse

Writer(s): Chris Ware
Artist(s): Chris Ware
Publisher: Fantagraphics
ISBN: 978-1560974550
Price: $14.95
Page count: 56
Year Released: 2003
Status: in print
Original Source: The ACME Novelty Library 2, 4
Other Collected Edition(s): none
Genres: fantasy; humor; short stories
Recommended for Fans Of: Krazy Kat
Possible Objectionable Material: violence
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Also in This Series: n/a

Plot Summary
Quimby the Mouse is a large-format (11" x 14") collection of tiny, tiny comic strips (the average panel size is about a half-inch square), many of which star Ware's Mickey-esque mouse, Quimby, or a pair of unnamed siamese twin mice. Most of the strips are wordless pantomimes drawn in a cartoony style, but the cartoony style belies the sad, angst-ridden nature of the stories. Also, as usual, Ware experiments with form in this book, and the layout of many of the strips are more complex than the standard left-to-right, top-to-bottom way of reading. Jimmy Corrigan also shows up in a few strips (but he's not necessarily the same Jimmy Corrigan from the eponymous book).

My Own 2 Cents
Of Ware's ACME Novelty Library collections, Quimby is probably my least favorite. The pantomime stories can be startlingly effective one at a time, but a book full of them lessens their impact. Still, for the stalwart Chris Ware fan, Quimby is well worth a look.