Broken Frontier

Proof that size doesn’t matter, Little Nothings is big-time fun.

After a soft debut at this year’s SDCC, next month publisher NBM releases the North American edition of French superstar cartoonist Lewis Trondheim’s Little Nothings Volume 4: My Shadow in the Distance. Essentially a collection of one-page vignettes depicting Trondheim’s good-natured, curmudgeonly view on life’s little pratfalls, Little Nothings is easily one of the most readable books I’ve come across in a long time.

Rendered in simple, easily accessible cartoony style, the Little Nothing books have quickly become something of series of travel journals documenting Trondheim’s many exotic travels as both father and internationally-renowned comics legend. Each episode presents a perfectly captured moment in Trondheim’s life, showcasing both his unique, somewhat cynical perspective and ability to find humor in the most distressing of circumstances.

Ruminations about the pitfalls of international travel and sinus surgery vie with quiet pointed observations of all that’s strange, wonderful, and mad about the world, as the artist shuffles gamely from airport to airport, under-packed suitcase in hand. Trondheim has a knack for gently knocking his audience down off our pedestal, implicating us in society’s often petty, narrow focus yet softening the blow by counting himself among our ranks with just the right touch of self-deprecating sarcasm. There’s true thought behind each of Trondheim’s observations, fueled by a keen insight into the human condition. A natural storyteller capable of tailoring his artistic style to the needs of the story or panel, Trondheim is a true cartoonist’s cartoonist.

Although he may not be well-known on this side of the Atlantic, Trondheim is a true giant of the medium and deserves recognition by North American audiences. Thoughtful, pointed, and at times truly laugh-out-loud funny, My Shadow in the Distance is a hard book to put down. But don’t take my word for it. Thanks to NBM, you can check out a few pages of the newest volume of Little Nothings right here.