Review: Good as Goldie by Georgia Dunn
I love a good graphic novel - one whole illustrated story in one book? Yes please! And I love a good comic book - one episode of an ongoing story, in a plastic envelope for tearing open to find out what happens next. But I also love the graphic format that is neither of those things: the comic strip.
Every day, a comic strip brings us an incident told in four panels, with a small moment of enlightenment at the end. Yes, there are story arcs on the comics page, but they are built up of daily moments, kind of like our lives. The rhythm of a comic strip is unique and appealing, suited for kids who might struggle with reading but also suited for all of us who appreciate the special wisdom to be found in daily life.
That's why I'm so glad there are still cartoonists writing comic strips. One of my favorites is Georgia Dunn's Breaking Cat News, syndicated in some newspapers but also appearing online (Go Comics) and in paperback collections.
Good as Goldie is the newest Breaking Cat News book. Among other things it chronicles Goldie's search for her missing people and her eventual adoption by The Woman to join the rest of the family in the Big Pink House. Dunn manages a big cast of diverse characters - there are house cats and neighborhood dogs, wild raccoons, chipmunks and birds, and friendly ghosts of the cats who called the Big Pink House home in years past. And the Breaking Cat News broadcasts are occasionally interrupted by everyone's favorite soap opera, Our IX Lives, with its own storyline. (That jerk Brad keeps trying to win Angora's heart away from childhood sweetheart Kit Chase! And who is the father of Paisley's telekinetic triplets?) All the stories are heartwarming and kind, with spats not lasting very long and happy endings assured.
The strips are hand colored with watercolor which adds an extra dimension that's unique in an age of digital art. And they're hilarious, whether the cats are acting like cats (yowling for food or racing around the house at 3 AM) or people (Lupin is very upset that Goldie took the tape recorder he uses to note down story ideas). The paperback collections include activities for kids and notes from the author at the end. It's hard to imagine anyone not enjoying spending some time in the Big Pink House with the Breaking Cat News crew.