The Complete Works of Fante Bukowski

Fante Bukowski #1-3

by Noah Van Sciver, Ryan Boudinot (Introduction), Josh Bayer (Contributor)

Living in a beat-up motel, consorting with the downtrodden and mid-level literati, Fante Bukowski must overcome great obstacles: a love interest turned rival, ghostwriting a teen celebrity's memoirs, no actual talent ― to gain the respect and adoration of critics and, more importantly, his father. Van Sciver has created a scathing, hilarious, and empathetic character study of a self-styled author determined to prove that he's just one more poem (or drink) away from success.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Humor, Graphic Novels Comics, The United States Of America, Bande Dessinée

452 pages, Hardcover

First published March 4, 2020

About the author

[copied from: http://nvansciver.wordpress.com/about/]

I am THE one and only Noah Van Sciver, cartoonist/comic strip artist and illustrator. I’m best known for my alternative comic book series Blammo and my weekly comic strip 4 Questions which appears every week in the alternative newspaper Westword. My work has appeared in The Best American comics 2011, Mad magazine, Sunstone, The Comics Journal, MOME and numerous comics anthologies. I’m currently hard at work on my first graphic novel The Hypo which will be published by Fantagraphics books upon its completion. I’m a cancer and I hate seafood, and adventure.

Reviews

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meet Fante Bukowski (FB) - down and out writer who has the whole 'system' against him! His real name is Kelly Perkins (his nom de plume is a combination of John [Fante] and Charles [Bukowski]). The only problem FB has is that he has no talent! Noah Van Sciver lets us glimpse into the world of the struggling artist: the highs and lows on the roller coaster of daily existence - as FB must decide if his 'art' is really worth suffering for. Issues of family and friendship are explored as FB finds that he is more and more isolated from those who care about him. The 6 poems that are included in the book are really not that bad: ekphrastic poems in the tradition of The Flowers of Evil by Baudelaire - well, kind of - but still better than the worst I have seen!

[Goatllama · Rating 3 out of 5]

The amusing bits were front-loaded. Everything after felt just a bit too self-indulgent (this is not to mention a self-insert that really didn't add enough to justify). I didn't want Fante to be sympathetic; attempts at such were abortive and ineffectual. And knife murdering Norma as an ersatz manic pixie dream girl... *barf*

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty standard satire of an author as an enfant terrible. Writer Fante Bukowski is so awful and entitled in the first book that I doubted I would have tried the second if I had read it as a stand-alone work, but since it was but the first chapter of this collection of all three books in the series, I powered on and slowly the jackass ground me down and I started to see some of the charm hidden under the cringe and stupidity. Mostly though I think I was won over by the trio of women who suffer his buffoonish presence.

FOR REFERENCE:

Contents: Introduction / Ryan Boudinot -- Fante Bukowski Book One / Noah Van Sciver -- Fante Bukowski Book Two / Noah Van Sciver -- Fante Bukowski Book Three / Noah Van Sciver -- 6 Poems by Fante Bukowski / Noah Van Sciver -- Visual Tributes by Various Artists / Josh Bayer, Marc Bell, Box Brown, Nina Bunjevac, Anya Davidson, Max de Radiguès, Simon Hanselmann, Jesse Jacobs, Steve MacIsaac, Pierre Maurel, Bryan Moss, Ed Piskor, John Porcellino, Cristina Portolano, Joseph Remnant, Eric Reynolds, Giulia Sagramola, Zak Sally, Leslie Stein, and Alessandro Tota, illustrators -- Works Cited

[Doug Chase · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fante Bukowski is the self-declared creative genius most of us know much too well. In fact, he may even be us. Or at least, he may be me. I'm laughing with him, I promise, not at him. This complete collection of the Fante Bukowski comics by Noah Van Sciver is both a pain and a pleasure to read.

[Betzim Gdolot · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fante Bukowski is another “laugh at the main character who lacks self-awareness” comedy that follows the life of Fante Bukowski, an amazing author (in his own eyes), who is on a quest to become the very best writer.

The story is funny and has its moments, but I felt the ending was abrupt and left some unresolved questions (what happens to his friends and family?).

An okay read overall with some enjoyable laughs.

[Nazım]

Olmadı, olamadı. Ekim ayından beri elimde sürünüyor kitap. Maalesef bu yıl yarda bıraktığım 4.kitap olma şerefine bugün itibari ile yükseldi.

Ana karakterimiz kendisine Fante Bukowski ismini yakıştıran, kabiliyetsiz, hayatı için yoktan acı ve dert yaratan, underground bir yazar olma gayesinde, kendini beğenmiş, hayatın acılarına "sanatı" için katlanmanın gerekli olup olmadığını sürekli düşünen ve ailesinin parası ile geçinen kımıl zararlısı, at balgamı, iblis idrarı bir adam. Kadıköy'de Moda ve Yeldeğirmeni civarında çokça bulunan tiplerin amerikan versiyonu.

Kitap bir bakıma bir hicviye ama ı-ıh. Yürümedi bende. Fante Bukowski'den nefret etmekten bile keyif alamadım.

Belki bi gün tekrar denerim.

[Garrett Zecker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Noah Van Sciver took it upon himself to curate the biography and complete collected works of the most famous underappreciated poet that Ohio has ever seen. Between getting his rent paid for by philanthropists that truly know what kind of genius lies within (his parents), rubbing elbows with the literary elite and handing out his self-published limited-run poetry chapbook, elbowing his way into a book contract because of who he knows (the publisher’s prostitute), and writing one of the most anticipated autobiographies of one of the greatest living (Disney child) stars, Bukowski is at the forefront of honing and honoring his craft and genius as we follow him through his career. He is the unappreciated genius of our time, and no one even knows he exists – and those who do just have no idea how very central he is to the zeitgeist of American Letters.

This is an absolutely hilarious graphic novel from Van Sciver – and I enjoyed every minute with it. Bukowski is very much like an Ignatius J Reilly character, albeit both more aware of himself and less aware of himself, somehow... And even with all the drinking and the prostitutes and the bad poetry and the disrespect for everyone around him that loves him so much, you still can’t help rooting for him.

Fantagraphics has released a beautifully bound and produced collection of all of Van Sciver’s Bukowski comics and bound them into a fun, well-made, tongue-in-cheek slant on a Library of America release complete with a lot of funny winks throughout. I loved this book, and while I took it out of the library since it is a bit expensive, I think I will be buying myself a copy for myself regardless. He is exactly that kind of egotistical, self-serving narcissist character that we all know one of and we all hate to love so much. This book was a real lot of fun.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun, entertaining joke book cleverly designed as a Modern Library Edition complete with a ribbon marker (too bad they couldn't have made the book the actual dimensions of the real thing but Fantagraphics might have gotten into legal trouble over it). Noah Van Sciver's cartooning is nice and loose and unfussy here and his three-part chronicle of the magnificently untalented, immensely borderline writer wannabe Fante Bukowski is entertaining and funny. It's best read in doses over several days: you don't want to spend too much uninterrupted time with such a challenging, cringe-inducing protagonist (at least I didn't). The concluding section of portraits of Fante by noted alt-cartoonists like Anya Davidson, Steve MacIsaac and John Porcellino is a swell bonus.

[Jake Nap · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fante Bukowski delivers a brilliant satire of self indulgent, delusional, struggling writers that really is laugh out loud. I truly enjoyed every page and I love Noah Van Sciver’s sense of humor and art style. His story telling techniques mostly compose of the Jack Kirby style of starting with a splash page then doing lots of 6 panel grids. I enjoy this approach. The book has a consistent visual language to it that allows for a steady pace and enjoyable reading experience.

[Drew · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s good.
I like Van Sciver’s storytelling even when I think he hates it and probably wants the reader to hate it, but his style, pacing , and colors make the pages attractive despite his rotten protagonist.

He has a real bone to pick with the 90s Alt lit scene (which probably deserves it), not having spent much time among that crowd I can imagine Fante is not even the worst.

[Jiro Dreams of Suchy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fante is just the worst dude you’ve met at every college party… you love to hate him.

[Jake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny, heartbreaking, and wonderfully illustrated. Ordered Joseph Smith and the Mormons immediately after finishing this one. Officially an NVS-head

[Lukasz Dygon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. Witty, self deprecating story squeezing all the sauce from popular clichés about delusional authors.

As a young man, I remember romanticising the life of Charles Bukowski. This book brought back some memories and maybe a glimpse into a universe where I took my love for transgressive fiction too far. Maybe that's why I found myself cheering for Fante a little.

[Tatertot · Rating 4 out of 5]

This made me want to go see more random local performance art

[Austin Farrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

The life of Fante Bukowski and the characters he encounters through his journey to become the next great writer encapsulates the realities and struggles of the modern literary world. Though Fante is often times naive about his conception of a writer, he is nonetheless confident in his sensibilities, leading him into both hilarious and melancholic episodes. He embodies the amateur writer (and artist for that matter) whose ideals of success are becoming known within the commercial community, in his case being published by a major publishing house. We see his ideals contrasted with Audrey, who doesn't want to compromise her work for commercial success while being pressured to uphold her status as a successful reader. There is much to be said about all the points this book touches on and I'm too lazy to get it all down here. I will say if you are interested literary culture, the journey of amateur artists chasing their dreams, or laughing, this book will satisfy.

[Tyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book, front to back, one day during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, March 12th to be exact. I am writing this on Friday the 13th, on a park bench in San Francisco and things seem to be a little calmer, although I can’t seem to get my hands on any toilet paper.

This is a great book and I don’t usually read graphic novels, I only read this because I thought it was a Library of America book. I picked it up and thought, “who the hell is Fante Bukowski?” Now I know and am all the better for it. This book would be just as enjoyable if there wasn’t a pandemic going on. I do wish there was more pot smoking in the book, but whatever.

Fante Bukowski is a writer for the ages, sadly.

[Woody Hayday · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fante Bukowski gets under your skin. Let him get under your skin. Realise and hate the fact in many ways we are Fante, but be carried, all the same, through the thick of his life like you are your own.

An ode to the craft and our weak points it can render.


Woody Hayday

[Devin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so good!

The story of a self absorbed writer with no talent. I couldn’t stop smiling during this read. The predicaments he gets in and his reactions are perfect.

The unsung hero is Norma. She is just the best.

This was my first Noah Van Sciver book and I definitely will be delving deeper into his works.

[Peanut · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't think I would enjoy this as much as I did ! I liked the style but the humour in it was so good, the character development and the lil flashbacks here and there were v well placed, I see ya Noah ! Well played 💅

[François Vigneault · Rating 4 out of 5]

Consistently laugh-out-loud funny.

[Keith Kavanagh · Rating 4 out of 5]

wanted to wait a day or two before reviewing but liked the storytelling, the style's slow but steady evolution but mostly the characters
fairly solid series of comics

[Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was fun to revisit the farcical literary adventures of Kelly Perkins, aka Fante Bukowski, all in one convenient collection. Framed as a retrospective on Bukowski’s work, The Complete Works of Fante Bukowski includes all three of cartoonist Noah Van Sciver’s Bukowski trilogy, including its bonus materials, an interview with the author, and the complete edition of Bukowski’s debut zine (a rare collector’s item after he lost nearly all 20,000 copies in a Columbus hotel fire). Van Sciver’s affectionate skewering of artistic vanity and youthful delusions of grandeur, Fante Bukowski’s journey from the dive bars of Denver to the seedy hotels of Columbus attempting to live the life of an authentic writer despite his lack of originality is as funny as it is human.

Rereading it as a complete narrative really showcases Van Sciver’s talent for crafting a layered and satisfying narrative, full of twists and callbacks, from the literary quotes that introduce each chapter to the book of literary quotes that a young Perkins stumbled upon in his parents' attic. Despite the absurdist humor and over the top situations that abound in Bukowski’s story, there is an endearing heart too, that reading it all in sequence highlights. All in all, I think anyone who has ever had any thoughts (or pretensions) of being a writer can attest, there is a lot of Fante or Audrey in all of us, at least sometimes.

[Oguz Eren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sanırım herkesin seveceği türden bir grafik roman değil. Ben bayıldım.

En az iki üç Bukowski, Fante filan okumak lazım bundan önce. Anlamak için demiyorum, anlayacak pek bir şey yok; fakat bu grafik romandan zevk almanın yolu, bu yazarların dünyasını biraz tanımaktan geçiyor.

Romanın hayali kahramanı, en sevdiği yazarların soyadlarını kendisine mahlas olarak seçmiş, onlar gibi şiirlerle edebiyat dünyasını sallayacağına emin bir looser; Fante Bukowski.

Mütemadiyen kaybediyor, reddediliyor, aşağılanıyor, sokaklara kadar düşüyor ama kendine inancı hala sağlam. Zorlandığında kaçıyor. Dünyaya en az bir onbeş sene kadar geç gelmiş, uyumsuz...

Bu kalın grafik romanda Fante Bukowski'nin serüveni acımtrak bir mizahla okuyabilirsiniz; ayrıca yazarlık serüveni, ilk eserini vermenin sancıları üzerine de bir çok alıntı okuyacaksınız.

Ben Fante'nin şu sözünü sevdim en çok:

"Artık yetişkin bir adamım, ve ağlayabilirim."

[Utsav Vejani · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably my first graphic novel that I have read. Before reviewing the story, I would like to take a moment to appreciate the brilliance of drawing and art form presented in this book! The details and colors is too beautiful to look. I wonder the amount of patience and consistency required to create something like this. Kudos to Noah.

Ok. So, Fante Bukowski. Man, Noah has been a bit harsh on him. This book is about a wanna be writer, who thinks he's already a great writer, just people not able to understand his art 'cause he's way ahead of his time. Ain't this a delusion we all had at some point in life? This book is funny, dark and quite blatant about cruelty life may offer for talentless self obsessed dreamers.

Read this book and vote for Noah! I am looking forward to read more of his works.

[Stefan · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Definitely a very fun read, and one that I’ve been meaning to get to for a while now. Loved the art and the writing, and it was really interesting to see how Noah Van Sciver’s art evolved through each collection. Some of the jokes in the first third are a bit dated, but as a whole, most of the jokes and writing worked for me. I’ve got more thoughts on the book, but don’t have time now to type it all out. Might come back to this to update. I don’t know. Good book though!

[Calla Bjorklund Jarvie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I kept waiting for this book to get better, but it never did. None of the characters were terribly appealing - I get they all were supposed to be insufferable, but I guess I only can take so much of that. There were little plot threads here and there, but the only real plot is that this seemingly untalented hack wants to be a writer but not put any work into becoming one. That's about it. I came away feeling disappointed I had spent two lunch breaks on this book.

[Edward Sanchez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! You can't help but root for Fante even though he is an elitist jerk he never gets a break. My favorite scene is when he's hitchhiking out of Colorado and he's picked up by the wrong person. It was neat seeing the zine that was mentioned in the book being in its entirety at the end. Great stuff.

[Nolan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love how much everyone is commiting to the bit here but at a certain point its hard to get invested. Funny moments, though, and reading this so close to Walter Scott's Wendy, it was fun to see them as two sides of the same coin.

[Firat Fidan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Üniversite yıllarınızda çevrenizde bolca bulunan ve hatta kimi zaman çoğumuzun da içinde bulunduğu ‘Kadıköy Akmar gençliği’ benzeri bir karakterin kara komik ve trajik hayat hikayesi. Mesajlar, renkler ve çizgiler çok iyi. Eğlenmek ve zaman geçirmek için okuyun 👍🏾

[Gökçe Önal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Karakarga yayınlarından çıkan Türkçe baskısından okudum. Açıkçası karakter gerçek mi, yoksa kurgu mu onu bile tam anlayamadım. Baskıda her 5 sayfadan 2’si kaymış. Noah Van Sciver’in çizgisini sevdiğimden bitirdim ama genel olarak çok bölük pörçük geldi.