And Then I Read: THE LOVELY HORRIBLE STUFF

Images © Eddie Campbell.

Eddie Campbell’s latest 96-page hardcover is all about money. It covers a wide range of money topics, from Eddie and his family’s own finances to dealing with parental finance problems to how money affected people like Shakespeare. The second half of the book has Eddie and his wife visiting the remote Pacific island of Yap, which is famous for its form of money: gigantic stone disks that took a great deal of labor to produce on another island and carry home through dangerous waters in small, frail boats. When the Yap islanders finally got their money home, it generally sat in one spot and was simply allowed to change owners when used, in effect the model for modern banking and finance. Eddie investigates this unusual monetary system and all the stories and characters around it, making for amusing reading. The entire book is pretty funny, in typical Campbell fashion, with bits of wry irony and grim reality raising their heads here and there.

Eddie’s art is kind of loose and messy, but he gets his intent across clearly, and his style seems to fit his personality and subjects quite well. I feel the same way about Eddie’s hand-lettering. A little hard to follow at times, but worth the effort because it suits him so well.

Recommended.