"Portraying the aimless, alcoholic son of an aloof, philandering cartoonist, Ollmann blends jovial grotesquerie with a surprising generosity of spirit."-- The Globe and Mail , Best Books of 2021 "Though no one does galumphing human failure better than Ollmann, thankfully his tongue is also ever in his cheek."--Rachel Cooke, The Guardian Best Graphic Novels of 2021 "There is such a pleasurable discomfort in reading Joe Ollmann''s blundering-heart characters. They are resentful, petulant, ashamed, earnest, contradictory--eternally their own worst enemies. In other words, they are us. Fictional Father does not miss a single wrinkle." --Hartley Lin, cartoonist of Young Frances and Pope Hats "I love Joe Ollmann. His stories are page-turners, gut busters and tear jerkers.
He''s the last of the great funny/sad underground cartoonists. A National Treasure." --Seth, Clyde Fans "Joe Ollmann is a master at blending comedy and empathy in stories about mid-life ennui." -- Quill & Quire, 2021 Spring Preview "Don''t worry, my father is not really like this." --Sam Ollmann-Chan "Ollmann''s funny, faux-meta memoir. is a complex look at an artist''s evolving relationship to the past."-- Publishers Weekly, Starred Review "Ollmann explores dysfunctional family dynamics and the sometimes complex motivations behind artistic expression with incredible empathy. An absorbing, enthralling work.
" -- Library Journal, Starred Review "Ollmann. has been a well-kept secret of comics for too long. Hopefully, this will blow his cover." -- Booklist, Starred Review about mid-life ennui." -- Quill & Quire, 2021 Spring Preview "Don''t worry, my father is not really like this." --Sam Ollmann-Chan "Ollmann''s funny, faux-meta memoir. is a complex look at an artist''s evolving relationship to the past."-- Publishers Weekly, Starred Review "Ollmann explores dysfunctional family dynamics and the sometimes complex motivations behind artistic expression with incredible empathy.
An absorbing, enthralling work." -- Library Journal, Starred Review "Ollmann. has been a well-kept secret of comics for too long. Hopefully, this will blow his cover." -- Booklist, Starred Review "Readers--especially those with a keen interest in the history and mechanics of comics--will appreciate Ollmann''s formal playfulness and emotional honesty." -- Shelf Awareness "Intergenerational angst and imposter syndrome feature in this tragicomic "memoir" by Caleb, a middle-aged recovering alcoholic and painter who inherits his late cartoonist father''s syrupy but hugely popular newspaper strip based on a father-son relationship nothing like their own. Features cameos by Canadian comic luminaries Seth and Chester Brown." -- The Globe and Mail " Fictional Father explores family, regret and what it means to make art.
" -- CBC Books "Are we destined to turn into our parents?. This is the central theme of Ollmann''s book and one our hero must wrestle with until the ultimately life-affirming final pages. Before he arrives at his destination though Cal must run a gauntlet of indignities, humiliations, heartbreaks, and poor decisions (many of his own making), but thanks to Ollmann''s confident, assured storytelling it''s a journey well-worth taking." -- The Comics Journal "Joe Ollmann is the cartoonist''s cartoonist." -- The Toronto Star "Ollmann''s true talent is drawing and painting faces that demand attention."-- Literary Review of Canada "Ollmann is a master craftsman who has given us a mid-pandemic treat in Fictional Father . He is an artist at the height of his powers."-- London Free Press "[Joe Ollmann ist thanks to Ollmann''s confident, assured storytelling it''s a journey well-worth taking.
" -- The Comics Journal "Joe Ollmann is the cartoonist''s cartoonist." -- The Toronto Star "Ollmann''s true talent is drawing and painting faces that demand attention."-- Literary Review of Canada "Ollmann is a master craftsman who has given us a mid-pandemic treat in Fictional Father . He is an artist at the height of his powers."-- London Free Press "[Joe Ollmann isabout mid-life ennui." -- Quill & Quire, 2021 Spring Preview "Don''t worry, my father is not really like this." --Sam Ollmann-Chan "Ollmann''s funny, faux-meta memoir. is a complex look at an artist''s evolving relationship to the past.
"-- Publishers Weekly, Starred Review "Ollmann explores dysfunctional family dynamics and the sometimes complex motivations behind artistic expression with incredible empathy. An absorbing, enthralling work." -- Library Journal, Starred Review "Ollmann. has been a well-kept secret of comics for too long. Hopefully, this will blow his cover." -- Booklist, Starred Review about mid-life ennui." -- Quill & Quire, 2021 Spring Preview "Don''t worry, my father is not really like this." --Sam Ollmann-Chan "Ollmann''s funny, faux-meta memoir.
is a complex look at an artist''s evolving relationship to the past."-- Publishers Weekly, Starred Review "Ollmann explores dysfunctional family dynamics and the sometimes complex motivations behind artistic expression with incredible empathy. An absorbing, enthralling work." -- Library Journal, Starred Review "Ollmann. has been a well-kept secret of comics for too long. Hopefully, this will blow his cover." -- Booklist, Starred Review "Readers--especially those with a keen interest in the history and mechanics of comics--will appreciate Ollmann''s formal playfulness and emotional honesty." -- Shelf Awareness "Intergenerational angst and imposter syndrome feature in this tragicomic "memoir" by Caleb, a middle-aged recovering alcoholic and painter who inherits his late cartoonist father''s syrupy but hugely popular newspaper strip based on a father-son relationship nothing like their own.
Features cameos by Canadian comic luminaries Seth and Chester Brown." -- The Globe and Mail " Fictional Father explores family, regret and what it means to make art." -- CBC Books "Are we destined to turn into our parents?. This is the central theme of Ollmann''s book and one our hero must wrestle with until the ultimately life-affirming final pages. Before he arrives at his destination though Cal must run a gauntlet of indignities, humiliations, heartbreaks, and poor decisions (many of his own making), but thanks to Ollmann''s confident, assured storytelling it''s a journey well-worth taking." -- The Comics Journal "Joe Ollmann is the cartoonist''s cartoonist." -- The Toronto Star "Ollmann''s true talent is drawing and painting faces that demand attention."-- Literary Review of Canada "Ollmann is a master craftsman who has given us a mid-pandemic treat in Fictional Father .
He is an artist at the height of his powers."-- London Free Press "[Joe Ollmann ist thanks to Ollmann''s confident, assured storytelling it''s a journey well-worth taking." -- The Comics Journal "Joe Ollmann is the cartoonist''s cartoonist." -- The Toronto Star "Ollmann''s true talent is drawing and painting faces that demand attention."-- Literary Review of Canada "Ollmann is a master craftsman who has given us a mid-pandemic treat in Fictional Father . He is an artist at the height of his powers."-- London Free Press "[Joe Ollmann isly dynamics and the sometimes complex motivations behind artistic expression with incredible empathy. An absorbing, enthralling work.
" -- Library Journal, Starred Review "Ollmann. has been a well-kept secret of comics for too long. Hopefully, this will blow his cover." -- Booklist, Starred Review "Readers--especially those with a keen interest in the history and mechanics of comics--will appreciate Ollmann''s formal playfulness and emotional honesty." -- Shelf Awareness "Intergenerational angst and imposter syndrome feature in this tragicomic "memoir" by Caleb, a middle-aged recovering alcoholic and painter who inherits his late cartoonist father''s syrupy but hugely popular newspaper strip based on a father-son relationship nothing like their own. Features cameos by Canadian comic luminaries Seth and Chester Brown." -- The Globe and Mail " Fictional Father explores family, regret and what it means to make art." -- CBC Books "Are we destined to turn into our parents?.
This is the central theme of Ollmann''s book and one our hero must wrestle with until the ultimately life-affirming final pages. Before he arrives at his destination though Cal must run a gauntlet of indignities, humiliations, heartbreaks, and poor decisions (many of his own making), but thanks to Ollmann''s confident, assured storytelling it''s a journey well-worth taking." -- The Comics Journal "Joe Ollmann is the cartoonist''s cartoonist." -- The Toronto Star "Ollmann''s true talent is drawing and painting faces that demand attention."-- Literary Review of Canada "Ollmann is a master craftsman who has given us a mid-pandemic treat in Fictional Father . He is an artist at the height of his powers.