Sequential Art: MONSTERS by Ken Dahl

"Imagine never kissing anyone on the lips ever again."

After reading MONSTERS and WELCOME TO THE DAHL HOUSE earlier this year, Ken Dahl is fast becoming one of my favorite artists.

While a non-fiction memoir about life with the herpes simplex virus seems well, icky, at first, it's one of the most compelling books I've read all year, and certainly one of the best original graphic novels (although it was previously a set of minicomix) I've ever read. It requires multiple reads to really absorb "Ken Dahl's" (aka Gabby Schulz) story of five years living with herpes. I'm a fan of his clean, yet intricate drawing style, which includes lots of little details in each panel, such as packages in the health food store where he works labeled "Flax Bomb", "Oat Boner" and "Colon 911". Yes, there's lots to look at in MONSTERS.

... Including some nasty, medical textbook-level illustrations of herpes sores on various body parts. On a less graphic and more symbolic level, Ken also draws himself enveloped by a huge bubble of HSV, and has a little sidekick virus he talks to throughout the book as well. There's also a very good primer on HSV, which is fascinating because it's full of facts that they never tell you in the ads for Valtrex. Ken also provides a helpful Resource section at the end of the book. (And if you're order the book direct from Secret Acres, maybe you'll even get some herpes sores temporary tattoos tucked in the pages.)

But MONSTERS isn't all gross illustrations and facts and figures, but the story of a guy trying to figure out how to live knowing that he can (and unknowingly did) give HSV to intimate partners. Do you be responsible, careful and eternally lonely? Do you take a chance and hope you're not symptomatic that night? Or do you just say fuck it and not tell your partner until after you've rolled in the hay? Should you even bother and just try to accept eternal loneliness (and hornyness)? Many questions, not a lot of answers, but a lot of compromises.