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What I Did.
A matching volume to 2009'’s Almost Silent, What I Did collects three of Jason’s acclaimed 1990s graphic novels into a handsome, definitive omnibus format.
"Hey, Wait...," which was the first of Jason's books to be translated to English, tells the story of two childhood friends. A dreadful event midway through the story changes their lives forever, and the story becomes the summary of lives lived, wasted, and lost. Jason's sparse dialogue, dark wit, and supremely bold use of "jump-cuts" from one scene to the next make "Hey, Wait..." a surprising and engaging debut.
"Sshhhh!" is one of Jason’s virtuoso silent performances, the cradle-to-grave life of one of his bird-headed characters. A sharp suite of short tales, ranging from funny to terrifying to surreal to touching, all told entirely in pantomime. Jason's clean, deadpan art style hides a wealth of emotion and human complexity, leavened with a wicked wit.
And the one Jason fans have been waiting for is the long-out-of-print "The Iron Wagon," an ingenious, atypically (for Jason) talky murder mystery set in early-20th-century Norway, adapted from a classic Norwegian novel by Stein Riverton — albeit starring Jason’s patented blank-eyed animal-headed characters and told in moody two-color panels.
"Hey, Wait...," which was the first of Jason's books to be translated to English, tells the story of two childhood friends. A dreadful event midway through the story changes their lives forever, and the story becomes the summary of lives lived, wasted, and lost. Jason's sparse dialogue, dark wit, and supremely bold use of "jump-cuts" from one scene to the next make "Hey, Wait..." a surprising and engaging debut.
"Sshhhh!" is one of Jason’s virtuoso silent performances, the cradle-to-grave life of one of his bird-headed characters. A sharp suite of short tales, ranging from funny to terrifying to surreal to touching, all told entirely in pantomime. Jason's clean, deadpan art style hides a wealth of emotion and human complexity, leavened with a wicked wit.
And the one Jason fans have been waiting for is the long-out-of-print "The Iron Wagon," an ingenious, atypically (for Jason) talky murder mystery set in early-20th-century Norway, adapted from a classic Norwegian novel by Stein Riverton — albeit starring Jason’s patented blank-eyed animal-headed characters and told in moody two-color panels.
268 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2010
7 people are currently reading
332 people want to read
About the author
Jason
117 books708 followersJohn Arne Sæterøy, better known by the pen name Jason, is an internationally acclaimed Norwegian cartoonist. Jason's comics are known for their distinctive, stone-faced anthropomorphic characters as well as their pace reminiscent of classic films.
Jason was born in 1965 and debuted in the early 80's, when still a teenager, in the Norwegian comics magazine 'KonK'. His first graphic novel Pocket Full of Rain (1995) won the Sproing Award, one of the main national awards for cartoonist.
In 2001 Jason started a fruitful collaboration with the American publisher Fantagraphics, which helped him gain international notoriety. Besides Norway and the U.S., his comics have appeared in Sweden, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Brazil.
Jason's stories feature a peculiar mix of dry humour, surrealism and tropes from a variety of pulp genres, such as noir novels and monster movies. His most celebrated works include: Hey, Wait... (2001), a tale of childhood and trauma; You Can't Get There from Here (2004), a re-telling of the myth of Frankenstein; The Left Bank Gang (2007), featuring fictional versions of Hemingway and other writers living in Paris in the 1920s; I Killed Adolf Hitler (2008), a story that mixes romance and time travel; The Last Musketeer (2009), a love letter to old sci-fi imaginary featuring king's musketeer Athos; Low Moon (2010), one of his many collections of short stories; Werewolves of Montpellier (2010); Isle of 100,000 Graves (2011), a pirate story co-written with French cartoonist Fabien Vehlmann; Lost Cat (2013), a thriller with a surreal spin.
Jason won a Harvey Award for best new talent in 2002 and Eisner Awards in the category 'Best U.S. Edition of International Material' for three consecutive years (2007-2009).
He has lived in Denmark, Belgium, the U.S., eventually setting for Montpellier, France in 2007.
Jason was born in 1965 and debuted in the early 80's, when still a teenager, in the Norwegian comics magazine 'KonK'. His first graphic novel Pocket Full of Rain (1995) won the Sproing Award, one of the main national awards for cartoonist.
In 2001 Jason started a fruitful collaboration with the American publisher Fantagraphics, which helped him gain international notoriety. Besides Norway and the U.S., his comics have appeared in Sweden, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Brazil.
Jason's stories feature a peculiar mix of dry humour, surrealism and tropes from a variety of pulp genres, such as noir novels and monster movies. His most celebrated works include: Hey, Wait... (2001), a tale of childhood and trauma; You Can't Get There from Here (2004), a re-telling of the myth of Frankenstein; The Left Bank Gang (2007), featuring fictional versions of Hemingway and other writers living in Paris in the 1920s; I Killed Adolf Hitler (2008), a story that mixes romance and time travel; The Last Musketeer (2009), a love letter to old sci-fi imaginary featuring king's musketeer Athos; Low Moon (2010), one of his many collections of short stories; Werewolves of Montpellier (2010); Isle of 100,000 Graves (2011), a pirate story co-written with French cartoonist Fabien Vehlmann; Lost Cat (2013), a thriller with a surreal spin.
Jason won a Harvey Award for best new talent in 2002 and Eisner Awards in the category 'Best U.S. Edition of International Material' for three consecutive years (2007-2009).
He has lived in Denmark, Belgium, the U.S., eventually setting for Montpellier, France in 2007.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
October 17, 2024
I have separately reviewed each of the three volumes What I Did collects, but in case you might consider buying this or getting this out of the library, this represents a terrific range of his work: The Wonderful and intimate "Hey, Wait," a sad and minimalist story of two kids whose lives are forever altered by a single tragic moment; "Sshhhh!" a collection of ten completely silent short stories featuring a bird man, and "Painted Wagon," an unusually word-filled adaptation of a century-old Norwegian mystery by the same name.
If you are convinced enough by my flurry of recent rave-y Jason reviews, I like the individual volumes, but maybe this is the single volume in which I would invest. I keep sayin', how many times do I have to tell ya, he's a comics god!
If you are convinced enough by my flurry of recent rave-y Jason reviews, I like the individual volumes, but maybe this is the single volume in which I would invest. I keep sayin', how many times do I have to tell ya, he's a comics god!
April 20, 2016
Sad, Sadder, Jason
Collecting the first three Jason stories to be translated to English, this book deserves five stars for "Hey, Wait..." alone. Jason's uncanny ability to illuminate a character's inner life by putting the spotlight on a few seemingly insignificant moments reaches the pinnacle of its potential here, and the result is a story that captures feelings of regret and sorrow to absolutely devastating effect. Pure magic!
The two other stories are also very good, though not quite on the level of "Hey, Wait..." The more interesting of the two is "The Iron Wagon": a murder mystery adopted from a Norwegian novel from 1908. It is fascinating to see how Jason's trademark style and sensibilities effortlessly merge into the century-old source material.
If you have never read anything by Jason before, this book is the perfect starting point. Do yourself a favor and check out Norway's undisputed master of melancholia!
Collecting the first three Jason stories to be translated to English, this book deserves five stars for "Hey, Wait..." alone. Jason's uncanny ability to illuminate a character's inner life by putting the spotlight on a few seemingly insignificant moments reaches the pinnacle of its potential here, and the result is a story that captures feelings of regret and sorrow to absolutely devastating effect. Pure magic!
The two other stories are also very good, though not quite on the level of "Hey, Wait..." The more interesting of the two is "The Iron Wagon": a murder mystery adopted from a Norwegian novel from 1908. It is fascinating to see how Jason's trademark style and sensibilities effortlessly merge into the century-old source material.
If you have never read anything by Jason before, this book is the perfect starting point. Do yourself a favor and check out Norway's undisputed master of melancholia!
October 4, 2014
'Hey Wait' is reason enough to pick up this beautiful little omnibus hardcover from Fantagraphics, and it's just one of the three excellent stories collected. Jason is the best and most prolific cartoonist to emerge from the frozen wastes of Norway, and 'Hey Wait' won't do much to convince anyone that Scandinavian artists are a cheerful bunch. But who cares... happy people are boring. It's not without humor, however, and Jason captures the essence of childhood with ease. It makes the abruptly tragic 'leap' of the narrative all the more sad and affecting. His variation of the clean-line style is yet another example of efficient and economical Scandi design.
December 8, 2021
Jako čudan strip. Prepuno metafora, ali nisam siguran da sam sve uspeo da shvatim.
September 19, 2011
The reissuing of Jason's back catalogue continues with this latest edition from Fantagraphics, another lovely hardback in the same size and material as two previous hardbacks "Low Moon" and "Almost Silent".
The first is arguably Jason's best book "Hey, Wait..." which features a childhood friendship torn apart by a tragedy. It's very originally presented with quirky touches like the animal faced characters using stilts instead of cars, and some brilliant techniques to show how childhood ends and a sequence illustrating drunkenness and finally despair. The ending makes you rethink the whole story but the tale stays with you for a long time. It's both touching and clever, and surpasses a lot of expectations readers might have for what the comics medium can do in terms of storytelling.
The second book "Sshhhh!" is a series of non-speaking stories featuring a bird character who goes through his everyday life, surviving on the fringes of society in a bohemian type manner. It's an interesting gimmick, having no dialogue, and there are several pages you'll find yourself turning back to once you've "read" through the sequence.
The third book is the reason why a lot of Jason fans will be buying this book. "The Iron Wagon" is a very rare and long out of print book Jason did years ago. It's an adaptation of a Stein Riverton novel, sometimes called the Norwegian Agatha Christie, who wrote "The Iron Wagon" years before Christie's "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd" was published which used a similar literary device to who Christie is often credited. To say any more would ruin the surprise ending of "The Iron Wagon". It's a haunting murder mystery set in the Norwegian countryside during a holiday retreat featuring a forgotten tragedy and a ghostly iron wagon. Jason's illustrations are as wonderful as always but readers are rewarded with the rare treat of extensive dialogue in a Jason book. It's a very satisfying book with a great story at it's centre and top notch illustration. If you're a Jason fan and haven't read this, I strongly urge you to check it out, it's well worth a read.
Nothing new here then but a well produced omnibus for fans of Jason and for those wondering what the fuss is all about, pick up this book, you won't be disappointed.
The first is arguably Jason's best book "Hey, Wait..." which features a childhood friendship torn apart by a tragedy. It's very originally presented with quirky touches like the animal faced characters using stilts instead of cars, and some brilliant techniques to show how childhood ends and a sequence illustrating drunkenness and finally despair. The ending makes you rethink the whole story but the tale stays with you for a long time. It's both touching and clever, and surpasses a lot of expectations readers might have for what the comics medium can do in terms of storytelling.
The second book "Sshhhh!" is a series of non-speaking stories featuring a bird character who goes through his everyday life, surviving on the fringes of society in a bohemian type manner. It's an interesting gimmick, having no dialogue, and there are several pages you'll find yourself turning back to once you've "read" through the sequence.
The third book is the reason why a lot of Jason fans will be buying this book. "The Iron Wagon" is a very rare and long out of print book Jason did years ago. It's an adaptation of a Stein Riverton novel, sometimes called the Norwegian Agatha Christie, who wrote "The Iron Wagon" years before Christie's "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd" was published which used a similar literary device to who Christie is often credited. To say any more would ruin the surprise ending of "The Iron Wagon". It's a haunting murder mystery set in the Norwegian countryside during a holiday retreat featuring a forgotten tragedy and a ghostly iron wagon. Jason's illustrations are as wonderful as always but readers are rewarded with the rare treat of extensive dialogue in a Jason book. It's a very satisfying book with a great story at it's centre and top notch illustration. If you're a Jason fan and haven't read this, I strongly urge you to check it out, it's well worth a read.
Nothing new here then but a well produced omnibus for fans of Jason and for those wondering what the fuss is all about, pick up this book, you won't be disappointed.
November 21, 2023
"Hey, Wait..." = a touching story about growing up and friendship. I love the visual metaphor at the end of the funeral! And the way lecturers' and coworkers' speech is parodied.
And the inevitable Jason tweaks to reality: commuters "drive" stilts to/from work; pterodactyls roam the skies; gangs are undead; "When'll these photos be taken?" is a valid question and "In 15-20 years" is a valid answer.
"Sshhhh!" = a labyrinth of experiences on the themes of loneliness and togetherness. The absence of words complicates and thickens the swirling mysteriousness of existence.
"The Iron Wagon" = an adaptation of an early-20th century Norwegian crime novel. If you've read many Jason comix, you'll see how/why this interested him. I wasn't really into it. These ~70 pages are why i didn't give this book 5 stars.
And the inevitable Jason tweaks to reality: commuters "drive" stilts to/from work; pterodactyls roam the skies; gangs are undead; "When'll these photos be taken?" is a valid question and "In 15-20 years" is a valid answer.
"Sshhhh!" = a labyrinth of experiences on the themes of loneliness and togetherness. The absence of words complicates and thickens the swirling mysteriousness of existence.
"The Iron Wagon" = an adaptation of an early-20th century Norwegian crime novel. If you've read many Jason comix, you'll see how/why this interested him. I wasn't really into it. These ~70 pages are why i didn't give this book 5 stars.
February 14, 2023
4/5
Un paso en falso reúne dos de las primeras historias de Jason: Espera... y Chhht. Sin duda la que más me ha gustado ha sido la primera. En ella el existencialismo es el principal protagonista; es una historia sobre la inocencia de la infancia, las falsas esperanzas y la culpabilidad eterna. Un repaso a la vida de un desdichado hombre que concluye de manera magistral, recordándonos que su caso no es la excepción. La leí tres veces seguidas por lo penetrante que es.
La segunda historia no contiene un solo diálogo. Y aunque algunos capítulos me convencieron menos, no deja de ser excelente, pero desde luego me gustó menos que la otra. Protagonizada por un pájaro, trata cuestiones como la idealización, la continua necesidad de ascender, la efímera felicidad, etc. El uso de animales antropormofos por parte del autor, desconozco por qué, funciona a la perfección para mostrar los sentimientos más profundos del ser humano.
Un paso en falso reúne dos de las primeras historias de Jason: Espera... y Chhht. Sin duda la que más me ha gustado ha sido la primera. En ella el existencialismo es el principal protagonista; es una historia sobre la inocencia de la infancia, las falsas esperanzas y la culpabilidad eterna. Un repaso a la vida de un desdichado hombre que concluye de manera magistral, recordándonos que su caso no es la excepción. La leí tres veces seguidas por lo penetrante que es.
La segunda historia no contiene un solo diálogo. Y aunque algunos capítulos me convencieron menos, no deja de ser excelente, pero desde luego me gustó menos que la otra. Protagonizada por un pájaro, trata cuestiones como la idealización, la continua necesidad de ascender, la efímera felicidad, etc. El uso de animales antropormofos por parte del autor, desconozco por qué, funciona a la perfección para mostrar los sentimientos más profundos del ser humano.
July 31, 2021
Hey, Wait...: 5/5
Sshhhh!: 5/5
The Iron Wagon: 4/5
Sshhhh!: 5/5
The Iron Wagon: 4/5
May 26, 2017
What I Did is a collection of three different works by Jason: Hey, Wait..., Sshhhh!, and The Iron Wagon. Jason's original artwork and storytelling has quickly become a favorite of mine.
I'd give Hey, Wait... 5 stars, Sshhhh! 3 stars, and The Iron Wagon 4 stars which brings my rating of this collection to 4 stars. I guess I could give a more in depth review to this but I'm bad at reviews soooooo ya. Good pictures. Good stories. Would recommend.
I'd give Hey, Wait... 5 stars, Sshhhh! 3 stars, and The Iron Wagon 4 stars which brings my rating of this collection to 4 stars. I guess I could give a more in depth review to this but I'm bad at reviews soooooo ya. Good pictures. Good stories. Would recommend.
October 17, 2024
The last story, a murder mystery with a talky detective, was ok but was a different mood than the rest.
Looks like my library has a lot more Jason, looking forward to them!
Looks like my library has a lot more Jason, looking forward to them!
October 12, 2019
Damn, I’m blown away by this Jason character... I LOVE his style! I can’t put my finger on it, but it’s just...perfect.
December 14, 2010
Norwegian cartoonist Jason is a genius, full-stop, and that statement is undeniable by anyone who has even a passing knowledge of his work. If there are any readers out there who can count themselves amongst those unfamiliar with his comics, Fantagraphics has taken steps to ensure that they have no excuses for that situation continuing.
Shortly after their recent release of some of Jason’s uncollected short works in Low Moon, Fantagraphics began reprinting slender volumes of Jason’s work in durable, affordable hardcovers with the release of Almost Silent in March, followed by a second volume, What I Did, just a week ago. The best selling point for these volumes is their sheer existence. Each one is a hefty tome with a high page count, offered at a very reasonable price. What I Did collects two of Jason’s acclaimed previous works, Hey Wait and Sshhhh!, which carry on their own respective price tags of $13 for 68 pages of material and 128 pages for $15. Here both of those stories are contained within an elegantly designed hardcover for only $24.99, which is quite a bargain in and of itself. Beyond that, the pot is sweetened by the inclusion of a third story entitled The Iron Wagon, which has long been out of print in the US.
At this point, What I Did is practically selling itself, but those still in doubt can be assured that, apart from it being an excellent deal, the quality of the work within this book is impeccable. Any fan of Jason’s can tell you that the anthropomorphic animals that populate his stories are among the most human characters in all of comics. Despite the fact that they have the heads of dogs or birds, these characters feel like real people. They laugh, they cry, they live lives of quiet desperation. Readers cannot help but feel the longing in Jason’s characters and empathize, and the protagonists of each story within What I Did are no exception.
Read the rest of my review at:
http://www.playbackstl.com/comic-book...
Shortly after their recent release of some of Jason’s uncollected short works in Low Moon, Fantagraphics began reprinting slender volumes of Jason’s work in durable, affordable hardcovers with the release of Almost Silent in March, followed by a second volume, What I Did, just a week ago. The best selling point for these volumes is their sheer existence. Each one is a hefty tome with a high page count, offered at a very reasonable price. What I Did collects two of Jason’s acclaimed previous works, Hey Wait and Sshhhh!, which carry on their own respective price tags of $13 for 68 pages of material and 128 pages for $15. Here both of those stories are contained within an elegantly designed hardcover for only $24.99, which is quite a bargain in and of itself. Beyond that, the pot is sweetened by the inclusion of a third story entitled The Iron Wagon, which has long been out of print in the US.
At this point, What I Did is practically selling itself, but those still in doubt can be assured that, apart from it being an excellent deal, the quality of the work within this book is impeccable. Any fan of Jason’s can tell you that the anthropomorphic animals that populate his stories are among the most human characters in all of comics. Despite the fact that they have the heads of dogs or birds, these characters feel like real people. They laugh, they cry, they live lives of quiet desperation. Readers cannot help but feel the longing in Jason’s characters and empathize, and the protagonists of each story within What I Did are no exception.
Read the rest of my review at:
http://www.playbackstl.com/comic-book...
August 6, 2024
Sort of an odd collection of stories, with some that were certainly better than others. "Hey, Wait" was an interesting, but depressing tale. I enjoyed it to some extent, but for the most part, it was just kind of an empty story. "Sshhhh!" was weird. I couldn't quite figure out if these were supposed to all be happening in the same timeline, if these were different ways the character's life could have gone, or what exactly Jason was trying to convey. So, that made it a bit hard to enjoy that story, too. As for the last tale, "The Iron Wagon," I found it to be immensely enjoyable. This was very different from Jason's other pieces (I've picked up other books by him in the past), but I thought it was excellent, and quite gripping. I had a hard time putting that one down, and actually plan on reading the novel that inspired it when I have the chance!
Final thoughts: this collection was just okay. Nothing to really wow me. I would have given it two stars, but "The Iron Wagon" was definitely a four, so it averaged out at three.
UPDATE: 8/30/2020
Okay, so reading this through a second time, I moved my rating from 3 stars to 4. I actually enjoyed the whole book a lot more this time around. It was beautiful and sad and really interesting. I thought the use of that burnt orange color in"The Iron Wagon" was a bit uncomfortable on the eyes after a while, but I thought it did a great job in creating a mood for the story, which is still the best in the collection. All in all, an expertly written book. Jason is such a wonderful writer!
Final thoughts: this collection was just okay. Nothing to really wow me. I would have given it two stars, but "The Iron Wagon" was definitely a four, so it averaged out at three.
UPDATE: 8/30/2020
Okay, so reading this through a second time, I moved my rating from 3 stars to 4. I actually enjoyed the whole book a lot more this time around. It was beautiful and sad and really interesting. I thought the use of that burnt orange color in"The Iron Wagon" was a bit uncomfortable on the eyes after a while, but I thought it did a great job in creating a mood for the story, which is still the best in the collection. All in all, an expertly written book. Jason is such a wonderful writer!
June 8, 2016
Why is Jason good? Because he can take you more immediately and prominently to the poignant horror of death with terse cuddly animal drawings than most writers can with as many pages brimmed with all kinds of complicated references, lifelike people and literary devices.
Horror and tragedy films normally "demand" mysterious or intricate characterisation, supernatural events, strong profanity or cheap shock tactics to take viewers to these heights. Jason does away with these, perhaps not just out of a preference for minimalism, but to set a challenge of reaching the 'most human' emotions without human characters. Or maybe the use of nonhuman characters intensifies that 'mind:body disconnect' or 'disembodiment' a human reader feels when they are consciously acknowledging with their thoughts that their body will not last forever.
These fanatical ramblings are trying to imply: don't let the animal drawings put you off from reading this in one sitting.
3 stories here:
1.Hey, Wait... : 5/5
-Saddest comic ever? Maybe. Still demands an instant reread.
I personally still prefer Jason's "Why Are You Doing This?".
2.Sshhh! : 4/5
-The nonlinearity of Parts 2-10 diluted the glory of Part 1.
3.The Iron Wagon: 4.5/5
-Wonderful colouring. Good adaptation of an old mystery novel.
Horror and tragedy films normally "demand" mysterious or intricate characterisation, supernatural events, strong profanity or cheap shock tactics to take viewers to these heights. Jason does away with these, perhaps not just out of a preference for minimalism, but to set a challenge of reaching the 'most human' emotions without human characters. Or maybe the use of nonhuman characters intensifies that 'mind:body disconnect' or 'disembodiment' a human reader feels when they are consciously acknowledging with their thoughts that their body will not last forever.
These fanatical ramblings are trying to imply: don't let the animal drawings put you off from reading this in one sitting.
3 stories here:
1.Hey, Wait... : 5/5
-Saddest comic ever? Maybe. Still demands an instant reread.
I personally still prefer Jason's "Why Are You Doing This?".
2.Sshhh! : 4/5
-The nonlinearity of Parts 2-10 diluted the glory of Part 1.
3.The Iron Wagon: 4.5/5
-Wonderful colouring. Good adaptation of an old mystery novel.
June 22, 2011
This is a collection of 3 stories by Norwegian graphic novelist Jason. I know Michael really loves his work so I was excited to read this book. Wow was I impressed. The first two stories were more depressing than anything I have ever read in a traditional book, but in a good way. There is just something about the format of the illustrations with very little text or no text at all that is able to tell a story so profoundly and so heartbreakingly. Because there is so little text, the first two stories are very much open to personal interpretation as well. They almost require a couple readings to try to piece it all together, and I'm still not really sure what happened in one of them. It's almost like Jason tells the story and leaves it up to the reader to figure out the meaning.
I also enjoyed the third story a lot too, though it was pretty different than the first too. It was a retelling of a Norwegian mystery story called 'The Iron Wagon.' I thought it was a fun mystery and I really enjoyed the way he told the story. A great book and I'm really glad I read it.
I also enjoyed the third story a lot too, though it was pretty different than the first too. It was a retelling of a Norwegian mystery story called 'The Iron Wagon.' I thought it was a fun mystery and I really enjoyed the way he told the story. A great book and I'm really glad I read it.
October 22, 2011
3 stories, 2 written by Jason and one an adaptation of a Norwegian crime novel. The first two are your typical Jason fare, almost no dialogue in the first story which tells the tale of a childhood friendship that is changed dramatically after an accident. The 2nd story has no words at all and tells the life story of one of his birdmen characters. Jason gets so much emotion out in these tales despite the afore mentioned lack of speaking charcacters and the fact that these anthropomorphic creatures are virtually expressionless. The 3rd has lots of words, and while unusual for the artist, the tale doesn't suffer.
Gorgeous hardbook production adds to a great package.
Gorgeous hardbook production adds to a great package.
September 26, 2018
Hey, Wait... - Wow, what a wonderful display of cartoon craftsmanship. This story reveals strong emotional panel after panel. This is one of Jason's earliest stories but yet arguably might be his best.
Sshhhh! - Completely silent but still another masterclass in story telling.
The Iron Wagon - Lots of dialogue for Jason! The artwork also displays an accent color which improves the aesthetic in my opinion. This comic is an adaptation of murder / mystery novel and is executed perfectly rounding out a 5 star book.
Sshhhh! - Completely silent but still another masterclass in story telling.
The Iron Wagon - Lots of dialogue for Jason! The artwork also displays an accent color which improves the aesthetic in my opinion. This comic is an adaptation of murder / mystery novel and is executed perfectly rounding out a 5 star book.
June 7, 2021
What I Did - 4/5
Ah super collection've 3 comics fae Norwegian creator Jason.
Hey, Wait - 4.5/5
Ah heartbrecking storie aw aboot loss n wit it can dae tae a life. Nae aw doom n gloom though. Weel wurth ah read.
Shhhhh! - 4/5
Ah sweet, if melancholy, collection've sharts aboot ah birdman's life n times as he finds love, family, death n life again aw waeoot ah wurd. Wonderful use've pictures tae tell ah tale.
The Iron Wagon - 3.8/5
The maist wurdy've the collection due tae bein an adaptation've wan've the original Scandi crime novels. Ah fun, if predictable (ah assume tis wis wan of the original tae dae the twist tha ), murdar mysterie. Despite guessin wit wis gonny happen early on it wis still a fun read fir sure. Beautiful colour wurk wae the reds added intae the usual black n white artwurk.
O'eraw - 4/5
Ah wunnerfae collection've stories thit are sad, bit nae nihilistic, n showcase thit pictures dae ah beeter job've tellin a storie than wurds kin dae alone.
Ah super collection've 3 comics fae Norwegian creator Jason.
Hey, Wait - 4.5/5
Ah heartbrecking storie aw aboot loss n wit it can dae tae a life. Nae aw doom n gloom though. Weel wurth ah read.
Shhhhh! - 4/5
Ah sweet, if melancholy, collection've sharts aboot ah birdman's life n times as he finds love, family, death n life again aw waeoot ah wurd. Wonderful use've pictures tae tell ah tale.
The Iron Wagon - 3.8/5
The maist wurdy've the collection due tae bein an adaptation've wan've the original Scandi crime novels. Ah fun, if predictable (ah assume tis wis wan of the original tae dae the twist tha ), murdar mysterie. Despite guessin wit wis gonny happen early on it wis still a fun read fir sure. Beautiful colour wurk wae the reds added intae the usual black n white artwurk.
O'eraw - 4/5
Ah wunnerfae collection've stories thit are sad, bit nae nihilistic, n showcase thit pictures dae ah beeter job've tellin a storie than wurds kin dae alone.
May 11, 2024
Jason is quickly rising on my list of favorite comic creators.
Hey, Wait… is the star of these stories. It hits you in the gut and doesn’t pull its punches. This was only my 2nd Jason read after I killed adolf hitler so I didn’t know some of his stories had so much melancholy. Great storytelling in this one
Sshhh … this was still good, but didn’t hit the high marks of his other stories. Maybe after a few more readings I’ll grasp it better. I was a bit confused with this one with what was going on some of the time.
The Iron Wagon … this was a fun murder mystery story. Apparently it’s a fairly famous one being retold by Jason here. I didn’t really see the end coming which is always good.
The art is great as I’ve come to expect with Jason.
The high mark is easily Hey, Wait. I had a wide range of emotions with this one and will reread most frequently. The other two were good, not super special in my opinion
Hey, Wait… is the star of these stories. It hits you in the gut and doesn’t pull its punches. This was only my 2nd Jason read after I killed adolf hitler so I didn’t know some of his stories had so much melancholy. Great storytelling in this one
Sshhh … this was still good, but didn’t hit the high marks of his other stories. Maybe after a few more readings I’ll grasp it better. I was a bit confused with this one with what was going on some of the time.
The Iron Wagon … this was a fun murder mystery story. Apparently it’s a fairly famous one being retold by Jason here. I didn’t really see the end coming which is always good.
The art is great as I’ve come to expect with Jason.
The high mark is easily Hey, Wait. I had a wide range of emotions with this one and will reread most frequently. The other two were good, not super special in my opinion
January 30, 2019
The book consists of three separate stories, the first one giving the book its title. The tone of the first two stories is similar: a bleak, existentialist story told through minimalist panels and scarce dialogue. The effect is often similar to what you find in Chris Ware stories, but with a more Warner Brothers' 1940s cartoon aesthetic. It's all very tastefully done and moving, but the cartoon-style was a barrier for me connecting emotionally with what was going on.
The last story is quite different: it is an adaptation of an early 20th century detective story by a Scandinavian writer. The story is quite engaging and the author draws it and paces it well; the colour scheme he chooses is also effective at conveying mood. Less poignant but more entertaining and, in my view, effective, than the other two stories.
Worth a read.
The last story is quite different: it is an adaptation of an early 20th century detective story by a Scandinavian writer. The story is quite engaging and the author draws it and paces it well; the colour scheme he chooses is also effective at conveying mood. Less poignant but more entertaining and, in my view, effective, than the other two stories.
Worth a read.
May 18, 2018
I won’t pretend that I always understand what is going here, but I do know that this is a dark, surreal and unpredictable collection of very different stories. There are three tales in here altogether, the first one is a warm, reflective look back at the simple joys and pleasure of childhood with a dark twist, the second story is about a man’s entire life consisting of images only. The final story is an adaptation of a Norwegian crime thriller from 1909, which is very much along the lines of Agatha Christie.
I am not a huge fan of this kind of stripped down drawing with animals instead of people, but there are some interesting ideas and many enjoyable parts to this collection. There is humour, there are surprises and it certainly keeps you guessing.
June 30, 2018
The stand out story in this collection is "Hey Wait", a very sad story about death, guilt, and regret. The way Jason tells the story is brilliant. After this story, I did not like the second two stories nearly as much. "Sshhhh" is the second story and it makes sense at the beginning, but later parts switch between a bunch of different characters and it feels like the protagonist is moving through time or starting life over every few years, or maybe just strange things happen that are later undone. Geez, I just can't figure it out. The final story is the most detailed and has some nicely drawn characters and details. Unfortunately, it's a bit of a dry mystery and leaves no real emotional impact, unlike Jason's other stories.
March 1, 2022
Three books:
Hey Wait ... 5 stars, one of Jason's best. Poignant, centering around a childhood dare that leads to tragedy and hence, life-long regret. B&W, more captions than usual (for Jason).
SSHHHH!: 4 stars. Collection of b&w stories. Mostly bird characters in this one. No dialogue. Some sound effects like Boom! Ring etc.
The Iron Wagon: 3 stars. Nice 3 color art. Story is adapted from a 1909 mystery novel. It's pretty good but based on what I've seen so far, I much prefer his original stories.
A good one to collect, as it contains three books that are also available separately. I don't wish to over inflate my read list, but I may need to mark them as such anyway, so I remember to not go out of my way trying to seek them out.
Hey Wait ... 5 stars, one of Jason's best. Poignant, centering around a childhood dare that leads to tragedy and hence, life-long regret. B&W, more captions than usual (for Jason).
SSHHHH!: 4 stars. Collection of b&w stories. Mostly bird characters in this one. No dialogue. Some sound effects like Boom! Ring etc.
The Iron Wagon: 3 stars. Nice 3 color art. Story is adapted from a 1909 mystery novel. It's pretty good but based on what I've seen so far, I much prefer his original stories.
A good one to collect, as it contains three books that are also available separately. I don't wish to over inflate my read list, but I may need to mark them as such anyway, so I remember to not go out of my way trying to seek them out.
October 26, 2017
This is really three books collected into one edition.
The first book, Hey, Wait is one of the best if not the best Jason book I've read. It's incredible and really powerful. 5 stars.
The second book Sshhhh! is okay but the first chapter is incredible. 3 stars.
The third book, The Iron Wagon, an adaptation of a Norwegian mystery novel from the early 20th century is boring and dry and doesn't match the form of comic book very well like his other books. It's all dialogue, probably because it's an adaptation. It's not a very intriguing storyline either. This book does have a fun use of the color orange though. 2 stars.
The first book, Hey, Wait is one of the best if not the best Jason book I've read. It's incredible and really powerful. 5 stars.
The second book Sshhhh! is okay but the first chapter is incredible. 3 stars.
The third book, The Iron Wagon, an adaptation of a Norwegian mystery novel from the early 20th century is boring and dry and doesn't match the form of comic book very well like his other books. It's all dialogue, probably because it's an adaptation. It's not a very intriguing storyline either. This book does have a fun use of the color orange though. 2 stars.
November 7, 2023
FINALLY! Jason is a consummate cartoonist's cartoonist, but none of his stories that I'd read previously had ever really hit that top level I'd been hoping for.
That changed with Shh, the middle story of this trio. It was insane but I absolutely loved it, really couldn't pull myself away.
Then The Iron Wagon, the third story, another top-level hit! Also, not to say the first story was weak, it was also good and interesting. A good story and two elite stories, that's how you make an awesome collection.
That changed with Shh, the middle story of this trio. It was insane but I absolutely loved it, really couldn't pull myself away.
Then The Iron Wagon, the third story, another top-level hit! Also, not to say the first story was weak, it was also good and interesting. A good story and two elite stories, that's how you make an awesome collection.
November 18, 2020
Hey Wait 9/10
Sshhhhhh 7/10
The Iron Wagon 10/10
A great compilation of stories from Jason each utilizing the 6 panel grid. The visual storytelling is obviously a great part about both, but I prefer when Jason does dialogue. I think it might be my favorite part of his stuff along with his understanding of pacing. The dialogue and the pacing come together so perfectly to create such a unique vibe to his work.
Sshhhhhh 7/10
The Iron Wagon 10/10
A great compilation of stories from Jason each utilizing the 6 panel grid. The visual storytelling is obviously a great part about both, but I prefer when Jason does dialogue. I think it might be my favorite part of his stuff along with his understanding of pacing. The dialogue and the pacing come together so perfectly to create such a unique vibe to his work.
May 16, 2022
What a powerful piece of fiction. This is one of the most depressing and amazing books I have read in a long time. Incredibly pionent and powerful, these 'slice-of-life' comics show real life through the eyes of sci-fi and noir to perfection.
Jason has crafted a classic that should stand along side The Brothers Karamazov and Moby Dick. It's more than a comic collection, but a literary achievement that all should experience.
5/5 stars.
Jason has crafted a classic that should stand along side The Brothers Karamazov and Moby Dick. It's more than a comic collection, but a literary achievement that all should experience.
5/5 stars.
December 26, 2017
I usually like Jason's work but for some reason I could not get into the first two stories, Hey Wait and SSHHHHH! The first story was so sad and the second story I could not understand. The Iron Wagon was a much better story and even a bit suspenseful. The Iron Wagon was about a murder that occurred and a detective is sent to the area to solve who did it.
April 5, 2018
Three of Jason's books in one hardcover omnibus - the theme of melancholy and loss seems to pervade these three stories. "Hey, Wait" and "Sshhhh!" aren't fun like his genre books, but they're still quality cartooning. "Iron Wagon" is adapted from a 1909-written Norwegian novel, and it's a compelling murder mystery.
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