“A graphic retelling of the most historic election of our time,” is splashed across the back cover of 08: A Graphic Diary of the Campaign Trail. Written by Michael Crowley, a senior editor at The New Republic, and illustrated by Dan Goldman, the co-creator of the web-to-print comic Shooting War, 08 (published by Three Rivers Press) slams readers with the good, the bad, the ugly, and the ridiculous of the election that determined the 44th President of the United States.
As expected, the book tells the true story of what occurred throughout the two years that led up to Inauguration Day 2009. On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton entered the race as the coroneted nominee, all the while dispatching her oafish ogre of a husband to campaign on her behalf. Barack Obama, an unknown at the time, also popped into the race as the candidate who was able to spark the imaginations of young voters. There was also John Edwards who, despite his strong populist message, wasted hundreds of dollars on haircuts and consulted for shady hedge funds.
Alongside the three frontrunners, some other guys appeared from time to time: Bill Richardson, a likeable guy with good experience but no takeoff; Joe Biden, a long-time senator who spoke both plainly and obnoxiously; Chris Dodd, who quickly turned into a dud; Dennis Kucinich, a populist whose beautiful Amazonian wife looks like a double of Jean Grey; and Mike Gravel, a worthless political figure only good for a laugh or two.
Meanwhile, the Republican Party hauled out their own stomach-turning crew of candidates. The front-runner was Rudy Giuliani, a horrifying authoritarian who lulled himself to sleep every night by counting crashing planes instead of sheep. Next in line was Mitt Romney, the mannequin-like business guy who scared many conservative voters with his Mormon beliefs. And don’t forget John McCain, the aging war veteran who looked more and more ready to keel over with every public appearance he made, probably only surviving by the grace of the Lazarus Pits.
And like the Democrats, the GOP also had their own list of stragglers: Mike Huckabee, the fraudulent “compassionate conservative” who wanted to roll back the Constitution and replace it with the Ten Commandments; Sam Brownback, an evangelical windbag obsessed with abortion and gay people; Tom Tancredo, a xenophobe who hid under his bed whenever he heard someone speak with an accent; Duncan Hunter, a disgustingly bloated human being who masturbated himself to climax while thinking about war; and Ron Paul, a dopey libertarian used for comic relief.
Crowley successfully walks readers throughout the entire campaign trail from beginning to end. His sharp eye and journalistic savvy brings a strong, clear, and smooth narrative quality to the book, making it both informative and fun to read. Adding to Crowley’s skill is the impact of the typeface used throughout the story. Plain and sans serif in appearance, the actual size and force of the lettering varies throughout the book depending on the importance, shock, and pure absurdity of the various occurrences and events that happened throughout the race for the White House.
Crowley’s reporting is complemented perfectly by Goldman’s illustrative talent. Capturing all of the details of everyone important involved in the various campaigns, Goldman’s exquisite artwork showcases the powerful moments of the race in 2008 along with the surprising and the stupid, exposing the triumphs and the farces alike for what they truly were. He manages to balance a fine combination of both truthful portrayals and sensationalized depictions of the race’s players, revealing the various levels that exist in the political system of the United States.
The only real failing of 08 is the use of two fictionalized reporters, Harlan Jessop and Jason Newbury. The two characters act as proxies for Goldman and Crowley, adding unneeded and annoying commentary here and there in the book. The fictional duet offers nothing to the factual story being told, consistently stating the obvious and acting obnoxiously stereotypical. It seems that Crowley and Goldman both fail to realize that their entire book is itself a commentary on their part, turning the use of the phony reporters into overkill.
None the less, 08 is still a triumph of a book. It proves how viable and important comic books are to both American culture and storytelling, as this fantastic example of graphic nonfiction will endure for a long time to come. 08 will appeal to anyone and everyone interested in the 2008 presidential race; whether they love comics, politics, pop culture, or simply want to learn more about current events, no one can go wrong with this title, as it poignantly satisfies the need to encapsulate recent history for generations to come.
This comic book review originally appeared on Comic News on 19 February 2009.
