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To Have And To Hold
A para-noir graphic novel set during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Set in October 1962, while the world holds its collective breath awaiting the possibly apocalyptic climax of the unfolding Cuban Missile Crisis, the banality of everyday life goes on―and Lonnie and Kate Ross confront their own domestic cold war. As Kate, frustrated and disillusioned, looks outside her marriage for satisfaction, Lonnie’s justifiable suspicions of his wife’s infidelity lead him down a deadly rod of increasing paranoia and violence as he seeks to reclaim what he’s lost. Masterfully paced and drawn in Chaffee’s fluid, inky brushstrokes, To Have and To Hold captures the pulpy, nocturnal atmosphere of classic noir. Black & white illustrations throughout.
202 pages, Paperback
First published May 17, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
February 20, 2018
I just read The Outfit and The Mourner, by Richard Stark, set in 1962. I also read five adaptations of Parker novels also illustrated by Darwyn Cooke, and the tone is sleek and hip and colorful noir. I might call Cooke’s idea of Stark’s work as scotch noir, since Parker lives in resort hotels when he is flush, and drinks his scotch neat.
Hollywood tattoo artist Graham Chaffee’s To Have and To Hold is also set in 1962, but it is inky black and white, with a very very different vibe from matching the lower and working class characters featured in the book. More beer noir. The book is set in the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis, so there’s fearful references to that throughout, as well as references to Psycho and other films (there’s an image of a car being dredged out of the water that mirrors one from Psycho) and books of the era. Everyone is broke in this book and craves more money; hey, so let’s rob a bank! I’m sure if we put out minds together we can beat The Man!
The tale is solid and well-written noir, a tale of Lonnie Ross who wants to get enough money to keep his wife Kate, who is (too late, Lonnie) already sleeping with the bank manager that Lonnie robs and tries to set up (though he does not initially know Kate is sleeping with him). Everything goes wrong for almost everyone, just like some drunk broke clockwork. So it’s not Lonnie as star thief Parker, it’s not sleek, it is more Cain and Thompson bleak. But I enjoyed it, and hope Chaffee does more noir.
Here, look at it, 20 seconds. See what I mean? Sketchy, inky, thick lines:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xk15_...
Hollywood tattoo artist Graham Chaffee’s To Have and To Hold is also set in 1962, but it is inky black and white, with a very very different vibe from matching the lower and working class characters featured in the book. More beer noir. The book is set in the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis, so there’s fearful references to that throughout, as well as references to Psycho and other films (there’s an image of a car being dredged out of the water that mirrors one from Psycho) and books of the era. Everyone is broke in this book and craves more money; hey, so let’s rob a bank! I’m sure if we put out minds together we can beat The Man!
The tale is solid and well-written noir, a tale of Lonnie Ross who wants to get enough money to keep his wife Kate, who is (too late, Lonnie) already sleeping with the bank manager that Lonnie robs and tries to set up (though he does not initially know Kate is sleeping with him). Everything goes wrong for almost everyone, just like some drunk broke clockwork. So it’s not Lonnie as star thief Parker, it’s not sleek, it is more Cain and Thompson bleak. But I enjoyed it, and hope Chaffee does more noir.
Here, look at it, 20 seconds. See what I mean? Sketchy, inky, thick lines:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xk15_...
November 27, 2018
Illustrated in glorious stark black and white ink, this graphic novel is a quick easy read and follows a pulpy early sixties plot. With the threat of atomic war looming, a stark desperate universe grips the middle class. Scratch the surface of suburbia and you find frustration, marital discord, rank infidelity, and schemes of armed bank robbery in goofy rubber masks. Short, nasty, and brutish, Hobbes once said of life and this graphic novel is stark, nasty, and pulpy.
May 23, 2020
An affair. A bank robbery. Revenge. Graham Chaffee’s To Have and To Hold is a fantastic crime noir comic. It follows the married couple Lonnie and Kate as Lonnie goes through the motions and Kate strikes up a local rich banker for an affair. This sends Lonnie to stage a bank heist in a wild attempt to save his marriage and his pride.
The story isn’t anything too convoluted, it’s basically what I mentioned above with a few twists and turns I left out. We see Lonnie five deeper and deeper into the hole he’s dig for himself and we watch Kate as she commits more and more to her new lover. To Have and To Hold presents this characters with a past that we don’t quite know. Some characters give us hints on Lonnie and Kate’s past, but nothing too much. Chaffee doesn’t have his characters spoon feed you exposition. Instead, at the end of each “chapter” (I assume this was originally made to be a graphic novel, if not replace chapter with issue) we get a single image cartoon of Lonnie and Kate prior to the events of the story. This is a cool approach to character and Graham Chaffee proves you don’t need to know everything about a character for the story to be successful.
Chaffee’s art is jaw dropping gorgeous. I really love his single page spreads. They hold so much detail and really set the scene for whatever part of the story he’s about to tell. His use of blacks really sells the aesthetic of the book and I really dig his more cartoony look for the world he creates. Speaking of cartoons though, Chaffee’s cartooning is impeccable. His panel to panel storytelling his fantastic and clear and there some page designs that also reinforce his cartooning ability. The first page of the story in fact does this. We get 5 panels, 2 tall panels on both sides of the page topped with a smaller panel with a large tall panel in the middle separating them. On each side of the page we’re introduced to Lonnie and Kate with what they listen to on the radio. Both are getting ready for something, Lonnie pouring himself coffee so we know he’s in for a long night and Kate stuffing her bag with something with no smile on her face, she’s hiding something. We know they’re together due to the middle panel. A house with a silhouette in the top and bottom floor windows. This page also shows how great Graham Chaffee’s writing is. What they’re listening to on the radio is indicative of their conflict and character. Lonnie’s radio is playing the news with an eerie sentence saying the United States will “Do whatever is necessary” foreshadowing his robbing of the bank to save the marriage. Kate on the other hand is listening to music. The lyrics of the song are questioning “Do you love me?” Showing her disillusionment in her marriage. This one page reveals SO much about the book and is a perfect example of why first pages are so important.
An incredible bit of crime cartooning and great visual storytelling. It’s a story of revenge and pettiness that only a genre like noir can tackle. Graham Chaffee is an excellent cartoonist and I can’t wait to dive in and read everything he’s done.
10/10
The story isn’t anything too convoluted, it’s basically what I mentioned above with a few twists and turns I left out. We see Lonnie five deeper and deeper into the hole he’s dig for himself and we watch Kate as she commits more and more to her new lover. To Have and To Hold presents this characters with a past that we don’t quite know. Some characters give us hints on Lonnie and Kate’s past, but nothing too much. Chaffee doesn’t have his characters spoon feed you exposition. Instead, at the end of each “chapter” (I assume this was originally made to be a graphic novel, if not replace chapter with issue) we get a single image cartoon of Lonnie and Kate prior to the events of the story. This is a cool approach to character and Graham Chaffee proves you don’t need to know everything about a character for the story to be successful.
Chaffee’s art is jaw dropping gorgeous. I really love his single page spreads. They hold so much detail and really set the scene for whatever part of the story he’s about to tell. His use of blacks really sells the aesthetic of the book and I really dig his more cartoony look for the world he creates. Speaking of cartoons though, Chaffee’s cartooning is impeccable. His panel to panel storytelling his fantastic and clear and there some page designs that also reinforce his cartooning ability. The first page of the story in fact does this. We get 5 panels, 2 tall panels on both sides of the page topped with a smaller panel with a large tall panel in the middle separating them. On each side of the page we’re introduced to Lonnie and Kate with what they listen to on the radio. Both are getting ready for something, Lonnie pouring himself coffee so we know he’s in for a long night and Kate stuffing her bag with something with no smile on her face, she’s hiding something. We know they’re together due to the middle panel. A house with a silhouette in the top and bottom floor windows. This page also shows how great Graham Chaffee’s writing is. What they’re listening to on the radio is indicative of their conflict and character. Lonnie’s radio is playing the news with an eerie sentence saying the United States will “Do whatever is necessary” foreshadowing his robbing of the bank to save the marriage. Kate on the other hand is listening to music. The lyrics of the song are questioning “Do you love me?” Showing her disillusionment in her marriage. This one page reveals SO much about the book and is a perfect example of why first pages are so important.
An incredible bit of crime cartooning and great visual storytelling. It’s a story of revenge and pettiness that only a genre like noir can tackle. Graham Chaffee is an excellent cartoonist and I can’t wait to dive in and read everything he’s done.
10/10
October 18, 2017
A thoroughly enjoyable noir, if relatively predictable and slow to start. Wouldn't have minded more backstory for any of the characters, but that really wasn't necessary to go along for the ride. Art was clear and crisp - really, the best thing I can say about this book was that I read it in one sitting without even noticing time passing.
November 3, 2017
Fine plot but needs more depth. Nice artwork and pacing.
August 22, 2017
Fun little summer afternoon soap opera with a noir graphic crime drama.
December 13, 2017
Very cool noir tone. Fantastic art. It reminded me of Double Indemnity. Minus the strong female character.
September 12, 2021
Loved the art and the plot. Devoured it in a day! Highly recommend.
July 14, 2019
This story has been told many times before and with better art work. The art work for most of the Black characters was absolutely deplorable. MEH.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews