Salome's Last Dance HC (2023 Fantagraphics) comic books 2023
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Published May 2023 by Fantagraphics.$8.00
1st printing. Story and art by Daria Tessler. An absurdist, psychedelic crime fantasy / graphic novella from an acclaimed artist and printmaker. The Astounding Magnus has been hypnotizing audiences at the Feedbag cocktail bar with his resplendent dancing dog act, Salome, and her "Serpentine Dance of the Seven Veils." Yet despite his success, the pearl of life has lost its luster for Magnus. He visits the psychologist, Dr. Silkini, who promises to massage Magnus's id into a higher dimension: the pearly gates of full life satisfaction. Meanwhile, Salome's crowd-pleasing performances have attracted unwanted attention from sinister forces who want to know the dog's secret. Daria Tessler's new graphic novella, Salome's Last Dance, showcases her phenomenal talent for incorporating elements of collage and pen-and-ink illustration to create a beautifully phantasmagoric experience under the guise of an absurdist, psychedelic fantasy (including an extended visual tour de force depicting a hallucinogenic tea trip), one that favorably compares to Yellow Submarine or the comics of Jim Woodring. Tessler's rich ear for language and sharp sense of humor also liven every inventively stunning page of Salome's Last Dance. Born in Finland, Daria Tessler is a cartoonist and printmaker based in Portland, OR. Her books include Cult of the Ibis, Loop of the Sun, and Music of Changes. She also creates silkscreen prints, stationary, and more that can be found on her website animalsleepstories.com. Hardcover, 8-in. x 11-in., 56 pages, full color. Cover price $19.99.
