“Tales of Woe” by John Reed, published by MTV Books
True stories of totally undeserved suffering. Spectacularly depressing. Nobody gets their just deserts. Crushing defeats. No happy endings. Abject misery. Pointless, endless grief.
No lessons of temperance or moderation. No saving grace. No divine intervention. No salvation.
Sin, suffering, redemption. That’s the movie, that’s the front page news, that’s the story of popular culture–of American culture. A ray of hope. A comeuppance. An all-for-the-best. Makes it easier to deal with the world’s misery–to know that there’s a reason behind it, that it’ll always work out in the end, that people get what they deserve. The fact: sometimes people suffer for no reason. No sin, no redemption–just suffering, suffering, suffering. Tales of Woe compiles today’s most awful narratives of human wretchedness. This is not Hollywood catharsis (someone overcomes something and the viewer is uplifted), this is the katharsis of Ancient Greece: you watch people suffer horribly, and then feel better about your own life. Tales of Woe tells stories of murder, accident, depravity, cruelty, and senseless unhappiness: and all true.
The Tales: strange, unexpected, morbidly enticing. Told straight–with elegance, restraint, and simplicity. The design: a one-of-kind white text on black paper, fluidly readable, and coupled with fifty pages of full-color art. - John Reed
Check out the website at www.talesofwoe.com for details about the book and all the artists (be forewarned: if you’re at work, the intro page has audio!). The lovely and amazing Lis Alba illustrated several of the Tales too…check them out on the book’s site!
This one is still my favorite…love her!
October 27th, 2010 at 8:52 am
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