The Blot - by Tom Neely (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Ignatz Award Winner

Painter and cartoonist Tom Neely's graphic novel, The Blot, is like a sad song that breaks your heart while reminding you of life's beauty. The Blot follows a nameless everyman who, while dealing with the fallout from a doomed relationship, is stalked by a mysterious black splotch. As the story unfolds, this shape-shifting blot appears as a harmless cloud of ink, a faceless demon, a source of strength, and an inescapable darkness, testing our character anew with each metamorphosis.

Tom Neely's mastery of the form is evident from the first pages. He wears his influences on his sleeve: Popeye, silent cinema, and abstract art all meld into satisfying and unique personal expression. Full of mystery, psychological depth, beauty, and genuine terror, The Blot took independent comics by storm in the 2000s. The Blot's 20th anniversary edition brings this Ignatz Award-winning silent graphic novel to a new audience.

Review Quotes

"The Blot is a meditation on intimacy, creativity and the loss of control over one's environment."--Tom Spurgeon, The Comics Reporter

"The Blot, marks a brilliant, blackly humorous milestone"--Ron Garmon, L.A. City Beat

About the Author

Tom Neely is a painter, cartoonist, and illustrator based in Los Angeles. Born in Paris, Texas, in 1975, he earned a BFA from the University of Tulsa and an MFA in painting from the San Francisco Art Institute. His debut graphic novel, The Blot (2007), won an Ignatz Award for Promising New Talent and appeared on multiple "best of" lists, including The Comics Journal's Best Graphic Novels of the Decade. He is also known for the cult-hit Henry & Glenn Forever, the Image Comics series The Humans (with Keenan Marshall Keller), and his illustrations for the New York Times bestseller The Last Book on the Left.