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Grandma Stories
By Hervé St-Louis
March 20, 2012 - 11:32

Spina Doodles
Writer(s): Sam Spina
Penciller(s): Sam Spina
Cover Artist(s): Sam Spina
$2.99 US



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Grandma Stories by Sam Spina is based on simple premise. Use stories from your grandma to participate in a 24-hour comic book marathon and see what comes out of this. Spina’s mom recommended he ask his grandmother about possible stories of her youth so that he could illustrate them in a comic book. That’s what she did. This mini comic is a meta fiction that explains how Grandma told the stories as well as a sharing of a few of them.

This was a quick 24-hour comix so there’s no real point or drama in the story. It’s very matter of fact and almost a recreation of what actually happened. I found that there wasn’t enough stories from the Grandma. As to be expected, they were often pointless, not to say that her first historical account was not interesting – social historians would be all over this stuff – but there was an over –encompassing narrative that made the storytelling by Spina’s grandma worthwhile. There are parts of the account where the grandma says something, and the mother says another, about the fate of a family member that conflict with each other, but Spina doesn’t question that or explore that further. It felt like he was only going  for the “your grandma is so cute” crowd but did not develop the story better. There is no feeling of longing for simpler times, or days when Grandma was healthier and such an influence. There is a brief scene about the faraway grandparents, but what it means to the author and his muse, is not shared with readers. It feels banal and a lack of opportunism.

Spina’s visual style is intriguing and of course perfectly suited for the topic.  But I do have to ask why autobiographies in comics always have to feature that almost child-like kind of illustration that of course can be drawn on the corner of a kitchen table. It’s not that I don’t like it. It feels like very rough Matt Groening. I’m just wondering if the over simplification was necessary? I will say this, his storytelling while using a very short format and very simple drawings as above average. Grandma Stories can be bought directly from SpinaDoodles.com
Rating: 7/10

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