Gilded Lilies

by Jillian Tamaki

Jillian Tamaki’s first book, Gilded Lilies, collects many of her previously published illustrations (New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, CBC, The New Yorker) as well as new drawings and comics. Included is a reprint of her mini-comic, City of Champions, as well as a new comic, The Tapemines, an 80-page wordless scroll about feral children in forests of cassette tape. With inspirations including German expressionists Georg Grosz and Otto Dix, as well as Japanese and Inuit printmakers, Tamaki’s unique style often celebrates the inherent beauty in the grotesque, while remaining character-driven and focused on observational narrative.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Art, Canada, Womens, Graphic Novels Comics, Comics Manga

160 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2006

About the author

Jillian Tamaki is a cartoonist and illustrator living in Toronto. A professional artist since 2003, she has worked for publications around the world and taught extensively in New York at the undergraduate and graduate level. She is the co-creator, with her cousin Mariko Tamaki, of Skim and This One Summer, the latter of which won a Caldecott Honor in 2015. She is the author of the graphic novels SuperMutant Magic Academy, originally a serialized webcomic, and Boundless, a collection of short comic stories for adults. Her first picture book, They Say Blue, was released in 2018.

Reviews

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two stories told in a surrealist style, with few words. “City of Champions” is more of a pastiche about Edmonton, while “The Tape Mines” is the more surreal but has more of a narrative. However, with both I found it more rewarding to consider the drawings individually than to keep up the linear momentum.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the insightful humanity of her drawings. I found the book difficult as I kept trying to follow a narrative but finding that it felt like a copy of someone's sketch book. if i read it like that I found I was able to connect to the drawings for what they were.

[e]

A lovely collection of drawings and non-linear comics. Favourite drawings include the fisherman's page (with stream of salmon) and the solitary image of someone sitting alone.

A sense of wacky creativity, like peeking into a sketchbook.

[Beck · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book that anyone who enjoys illustration and comics should own.

[Liz Yerby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Her art is so beautiful! There isn't much story in this book but her art is there and it's so good.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even when I can't make out what I'm looking at, it's still a pleasure. Some story threads, mostly just cool illustrations that capture something beautiful. Super Canadian at parts, super regular human at others. And then there was the cassette tape one, which I couldn't really figure out but liked all the same.

A good one to have around to look at when you don't feel like reading a story but still want to have a thoughtful book in your hands.

[Nicole Miles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful collection of sketches and a few(!) short-form comics. As much as I hate the word "inspirational", this collection is definitely that for an illustrator such as myself. It's a bit of a peek into Jillian Tamaki's sketchbook (and mind) during that time of her life I guess. And her sketches are always so insightful, beautiful and honest.

[Eli Poteet · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy reviewing collections of someone's illustrations. it's difficult to put together clips and form a solid piece. the illustrators style is unlike anything I am familiar with. it was at once genuinely realistic and utterly macabre.

[Ubalstecha]

Bizarre little collection of drawings. Like someone decided to publish a sketchbook.

[Sasha Boersma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely collection of art and short comics. The short comics are thoughtful. The collection itself is a bit random.