The Moe Chronicles: Tales of a Young Urban Failure

by Erik Moe

Erik Moe admits that his cartoon novel is somewhat autobiographical, though he claims to be less of a loser than its hero. People who know him say otherwise.
His alter ego, the clueless protagonist of The Moe Chronicles, just can't get ahead. His superb Cary Grant imitation is wasted on unappreciative women. While he languishes in a dank cubicle at work, he watches utter cheeseballs rise through the ranks to claim the coveted window offices. His efforts to follow in the footsteps of Ernest Hemingway and become a tormented artiste land him no royalties but only a black eye. He may be a loser, but he always loses big.
With hilarious and terrifying accuracy, Erik Moe's artistically rendered narrative captures the extraordinary pathos of his generation - the couch-ridden, microbrew-swilling, glued-to-the-boob-tube masses. Like no other work of its time, The Moe Chronicles speaks to the unemployed, underemployed, and unwillingly employed, as well as to anyone who has gone for 237-plus days without a date or who secretly believes that, with just a bit of luck, they could have been a rock star.

Genres: Humor, Comics

Hardcover

First published August 1, 1996

Reviews

[Iman Danial Hakim · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's kinda funny.

[Pabarrett]

Tales of Young Urban Failure by Erik Moe (1996)

[Kacper · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a cute little book, like if "A Fan's Notes" was made into a cartoon strip ;-)

[Bandit · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute but nothing special, this autobiographical tale told in the very minimalistic (think stick figures) drawings. Just reads like a very typical Gen X story, very 90s.

[Matt Mazenauer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simple. Nothing particularly special, yet ends up being just endearing enough to speed through. For something written in '96, it's not as dated as you'd fear.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Office Space meets the original Clerks

[Dan O'Connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is hysterical.