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True Story Swear To God Volume 1
Tom Beland is a California cartoonist who is now living on the island of Puerto Rico, with the woman of his dreams he met at a bus stop a year ago in Disney World. It hasn't been easy, since his freelance clients haven't paid him in months, while demanding more work from him. But all that is going to change as Beland demands restitution... or else!
128 pages, Paperback
First published July 25, 2007
38 people want to read
About the author
Tom Beland
43 books14 followersI'm a 36 year-old cartoonist living and breathing on the island of San Juan, Puerto Rico. I was born in Chicago ILL. and was raised in Napa Valley, California. I graduated from Napa High School in 1980 (GO INDIANS!).
My career in cartoonist started at a very young age. My father, Clarence Beland , was a cartoonist in his spare time and all the boys in my family draw in one way or another. I was the one who became obsessed about it.
I'm a seft-taught artist, although I had some art class experience in high school and a bit in community college as well. I studied on the television and also in Marvel Comics. I was heavily influenced by artist such as Al Herschfield, Chuck Jones, Charles Shulz, John Romita Sr., Gil Kane and others.
Cartooning is an art that is seldom as respected as it is admired. Perharps that's due to it's visual simplicity. But simplicity is something developed out of style and not through laziness. I got my fisrt job at the Napa Valley Register in my early twenties. I was hired as a paste-up artist in the advertising department and soon moved over to the editorial side. There I became a photo technician and a page designer, while submitting cartoons on my own.
After a few years, I left the Register to go to the Vallejo Times-Herald in Vallejo, California just up the road. It was a dream job with a fantastic group of people to work with. I couldn't ask for anything more.
One day I received a press junket to cover the opening of the Animal Kingdom Park at Disneyworld in Orlando, Florida. I spent two days trying out everything and eating some great food.
And that's when I met her.
Lily García was from San Juan, and was also covering the Animal Kingdom opening when we met at a bus stop. We spent all night talking about family, work and life in general. When we parted, we exchanged phone numbers and email addresses and went our ways.
We talked to each other as often as possible and a year later I found myself on a plane and moving to the island to live with her.
Life's been good to me so far.
My career in cartoonist started at a very young age. My father, Clarence Beland , was a cartoonist in his spare time and all the boys in my family draw in one way or another. I was the one who became obsessed about it.
I'm a seft-taught artist, although I had some art class experience in high school and a bit in community college as well. I studied on the television and also in Marvel Comics. I was heavily influenced by artist such as Al Herschfield, Chuck Jones, Charles Shulz, John Romita Sr., Gil Kane and others.
Cartooning is an art that is seldom as respected as it is admired. Perharps that's due to it's visual simplicity. But simplicity is something developed out of style and not through laziness. I got my fisrt job at the Napa Valley Register in my early twenties. I was hired as a paste-up artist in the advertising department and soon moved over to the editorial side. There I became a photo technician and a page designer, while submitting cartoons on my own.
After a few years, I left the Register to go to the Vallejo Times-Herald in Vallejo, California just up the road. It was a dream job with a fantastic group of people to work with. I couldn't ask for anything more.
One day I received a press junket to cover the opening of the Animal Kingdom Park at Disneyworld in Orlando, Florida. I spent two days trying out everything and eating some great food.
And that's when I met her.
Lily García was from San Juan, and was also covering the Animal Kingdom opening when we met at a bus stop. We spent all night talking about family, work and life in general. When we parted, we exchanged phone numbers and email addresses and went our ways.
We talked to each other as often as possible and a year later I found myself on a plane and moving to the island to live with her.
Life's been good to me so far.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
August 13, 2010
An achingly sweet and heartfelt book-- I hope things worked out for these two, but I don't think I'll read much further in the series. Why? Well, there's not much to it. Beland's art is great but the story, honestly, is just kinda boring. Not poorly written (he's got a good ear for dialogue), not poorly constructed... it's just not precisely a story. Memoir, sure. Visual diary, precisely. But there was not (in at least the volume I read) a plot other than Beland recounting what happened when he met this wonderful woman and how they fell in love. That was kinda it. No challenges, few problems-- everything actually seems to be working out, short the long distance. I can't FAULT him for this, exactly-- it's what happened to him in his real life, after all, it just didn't carry me through.
That said, this wasn't my sort of book but I think there's certainly appeal for people looking for a good love story.
That said, this wasn't my sort of book but I think there's certainly appeal for people looking for a good love story.
January 10, 2020
We all want to be loved the way Tom loves Lily.
This book is a sweet ode to the woman that changed his life and encouraged him to follow his dreams.
My only complaint is that the lettering was a little hard to read sometimes (could just be my nearly 40 year old eyes).
Really enjoyed this.
This book is a sweet ode to the woman that changed his life and encouraged him to follow his dreams.
My only complaint is that the lettering was a little hard to read sometimes (could just be my nearly 40 year old eyes).
Really enjoyed this.
August 11, 2008
One of the sweetest stories I've found in modern comics. Beland somehow manages to tell a heartwarming love story on a page, with (sorry, Tom) subpar artwork. Hard to describe what I love so much about it, but I think it has something to do with how he captures the sentiment in such a simplistic, understated way. It's hard to recount such personal experiences without coming off sappy, or fake, or pervy; but Beland recounts his tales with an honesty and a frankness to which I can really relate.
My comic guy gave me my first two issues as an engagement present, so maybe I am a little biased and blinded by the promise of pending marital bliss. But I hope the stories hold up under time, because I love the lessons I take away from them.
My comic guy gave me my first two issues as an engagement present, so maybe I am a little biased and blinded by the promise of pending marital bliss. But I hope the stories hold up under time, because I love the lessons I take away from them.
May 28, 2011
A nice enough story of two people falling in love and having to deal with living in different countries. Not all that interesting though. It was pretty much ruined for me, though, by the spelling and grammar mistakes (arguement, boarderline, 'your great'). Plus there were some speech bubbles coming from the wrong person, like when there's a speech bubble coming from Lily that says "Hi Lily". Each time that happened I'd have to stop and figure out what was happening. I could understand a cartoonist getting spelling wrong (which is why you should get someone else to check it) but you'd think a cartoonist would get the speech bubbles right.
April 13, 2009
This isn't my usual superhero comics fare, but the entire series got such an excellent review from the AroundComics podcast I decided to give it a try.
Its a great slice-of-life true story of boy meets girl, boy moves to foreign land to be with girl, boy takes a long time adjusting. Lots of sweet moments that should be familiar to anyone who's been in a relationship.
Its a great slice-of-life true story of boy meets girl, boy moves to foreign land to be with girl, boy takes a long time adjusting. Lots of sweet moments that should be familiar to anyone who's been in a relationship.
September 11, 2007
This was the first graphic novel I read and I hadn't realized before that that they all weren't about super heroes or robots or whatever. This is about a man falling in love with a woman and having a long distance relationship. I loved it.
December 13, 2020
I can’t give you an unbiased review. I’m from Puerto Rico 🇵🇷. I’ve been in love like this. Everything in this book 📚 appeals to me. There are so many details of true life in the drawings that it’s uncanny. The words are spot on! True comedic genius with a penchant for simply profound truth.
February 2, 2015
Γλυκό και πιθανόν προβλέψιμο και πιθανόν ρουτινιάρικο, αλλά μου αρέσει. Ο Μπέλαντ έχει ένα ιδιαίτερο στυλ γραφής (όσον αφορά το καθεαυτό γράψιμο) και το σκίτσο του είναι το είδος που μου αρέσει, λεπτό, λιτό, κομψό.
July 6, 2007
A real life, romantic love story told in words and pictures. What starts off as a conversation at a bus stop turns into a long distance love affair. This book is really, really sweet.
January 4, 2011
A beautiful, beautiful story.
Easy to read, too.
Easy to read, too.
February 13, 2011
Throughout the book, he worries that his story might be boring to people. Yeah. It was.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews