Shortcomings, Adrian Tomine's first long-form graphic novel, is the story of Ben Tanaka, a confused, obsessive Japanese American male in his late twenties, and his cross-country search for contentment (or at least the perfect girl). Along the way, Tomine tackles modern culture, sexual mores, and racial politics with brutal honesty and lacerating, irreverent humor, while deftly bringing to life a cast of painfully real antihero characters. A frequent contributor to The New Yorker, Tomine has acquired a cultlike fan following and has earned status as one of the most widely acclaimed cartoonists of our time.
Shortcomings was serialized in Tomine's iconic comic book series Optic Nerve and was excerpted in McSweeney's Quarterly Concern 13.
In his first full-length graphic novel, Adrian Tomine has crafted a touching and entertaining story about a lovelorn young man named Ben Tanaka. Ben is Asian-American, and spends much of his time musing on the subject of interracial dating. While Tomine's drawings have been noted for their striking realism, many will find that it's his clever prose and knack for capturing emotional detail that really makes this story a standout.
- Genre: Science Fiction + Fantasy, Fiction + Literature Themes, Comics + Graphic Novels
- Publisher: Drawn & Quarterly Pubns
- Pages: 108
- Language: English
- Format: hardcover
- Release Date: September 4, 2007
- Date Published: September 4, 2007
- Author: Adrian Tomine