Adrian Tomine

Presents thirty-two stories that deal with a variety of characters, including a shy novelist who seeks out the girl he was obsessed with in high school, a lonely woman who loses her job, and high school outcasts.

The Complete Optic Nerve Mini-Comics

32 Stories

Claudine

I would probably have a totally different opinion if I had in my hands the original 32 Stories release in book form. A huge part of the context of the work threading each story together would've been lost, and each story would've been most likely judged on their own (along with the odd format they were presented in). But AT was very much aware of the need for a format change, and we now have 32 Stories in a box. And this is where Adrian Tomine through the years becomes a strong character within this whole package. You can't just ignore his presence outside of the stories. This is also why the reader letters, the publisher's, and his introduction matter. 

In going through each Optic Nerve issue, I almost felt like I was thrown back to the days when they were released. Every single thing, from the themes to the paper stock used completed the story (the inclusion of stickers in #4 and the cover stock change in #5 that came with the apology, omg). And as I went through the later releases, all of these elements truly evolved. Even the feedback changed (from people criticizing AT's early autobiographical strips to later pointing out the improvements) and it was such an experience to read all of that alongside the actual stories in question. Everything here is truly in support of the Adrian Tomine famous today. 

32 Stories was such a great experience for me as a Tomine fan. As they say, the medium is the message, and Tomine's autobiographical story here was definitely heard loud and clear in stereo.

(Cheesy, fangirl-y review ends here.)

32 Stories The Complete Optic Nerve Mini-Comics

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