Around the World: Graphic Novel Travelogues

TWO NEW SIMILARLY TITLED graphic novels have come out, both are travelogues and both are by artists from the animation field. Yet the two hardcover books couldn't be more different.

Veteran cartoonist Guy Delisle created a new graphic novel, "Burma Chronicles" (Drawn & Quarterly), while Enrico Casarosa released his debut comic, "The Venice Chronicles" (AdHouse).

Delisle has made a career out of visiting unfriendly places and creating fascinating graphic novel travelogues about them. His first two, "Shenzhen: A Travelogue From China" and "Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea," offered in-depth views of these Communist countries from the perspective of a long-term visitor.

For his new volume, "Burma Chronicles," Delisle looks at the country of Burma, aka Myanmar, but unlike the first two books, where he was on assignment as an animator, this comic is the first where he's a dedicated graphic novelist, going his wife, who works for Doctors Without Boarders, to the Southeast Asian country.

Delisle, who at this point is an expert on capturing foreign cultures, provides a riveting look at the oppressive country. He goes beyond the normal travel book which focusing on the touristy attractions and captures the people and the daily minutiae that you'd experience only by immersing yourself into Burmese society. He even goes as far as going to a Buddhist meditation retreat, capturing the traditions of a religion that are likely to be foreign to most readers.

On the other hand, Casarosa's "The Venice Chronicles," takes a look at a much more traditional vacation destination. His style varies greatly from Delisle's traditional comic look. The pages are open, with beautifully painted images that provide easy to follow sequential storytelling, while offering a unique reading experience.

Casarosa's story is whimsical, with many realism liberties taken, as there are little fairies floating around his shoulders expressing his thoughts. The story is adorable, following Casarosa as he travels to Venice to meet his girlfriend's parents, and it's no surprise to learn that he works for Pixar, as his book has the same attention to subtle humor mixed with expert and touching storytelling that the animated films are known for.

Artistically, "The Venice Chronicles" is a stunning achievement. The book is a mixture of pencil sketches and watercolors, and it looks like nothing else on the shelf. Casarosa's character design borrows from Japanese Manga as much as it is representational of his animation work. Casarosa also does some lovely watercolor landscapes and cityscapes, which are striking in their simplicity.

Delisle and Casarosa have traveled long distances and created countless pages of compelling storytelling to bring readers specials views of far-off lands. There are countless travelogues out there with recounting people's first-hand experiences abroad, but after reading these chronicles, it becomes ever so apparent that the graphic novel format is ideal for this type of story.

Written by Express contributor Scott A. Rosenberg
Images courtesy AdHouse Books and Drawn & Quarterly