GHOST WORLD

GHOST WORLD

by Daniel Clowes

Originally serialized in issues #11 through #18 of comic book series Eightball (June 1993 to March 1997)

First Published in book form in 1997 by Fantagraphics Books.

The cult classic graphic Novel GHOST WORLD by Daniel Clowes is a gritty portrayal of the unusual normalcy that is teenage life after high school. Enid Coleslaw and Rebecca Doppleganger, recent high school graduates, drift threw there grungy 90's suburban town living life one day at a time. These two young ladies roam through their neighborhood day in and day out focusing on the extremely disturbed, unusual, or what seems to be the hypnotized people of there town. Enid and Rebecca feel as though they are drowning in a sea of freaks and perverts yet seem to have grown to except the unusualness that is their surroundings. Every chapter is developed through new encounters by having more strange people enter into the story of there lives. Lead manly by Enid and her openly radical ideas and behavior she and Rebecca observe and ironically end up fitting into the unusual reality of normal life.                                                                                         

The first chapter is called Ghost world. you begin to see exactly who Enid and Rebecca are right off the bat. They may not be the average teenage girl but that doesn't excuse them from being judgmental, critical and completely obsessed with gossip. As the girls watch a cheesy Comedian on TV Enid tells the tales of running into serial killer groupie, John Ellis and the seemingly normal old tom. Lesson one from Ghost World: Never assume anyone's normal. Tom ends up being an Ex priest and recovering Pedophile who now thanks to these new Computer generated child pornography images is able to control his urges so no one can get hurt from his addiction. Regardless Tom ends up getting arrested with actual charges against sexually molesting a child. The disgust of the existence of Tom and John Ellis (who is a fan of Tom's) is ultimately old news. The girls become distracted from the topic of Tom by playing detective on a couple who they believe to be satanists. The fact that Enid and Rebecca move onto imaginative distraction so quickly shows how the two have accepted the ugly truth about people. All they feel they can do is play off the strange inhabitants of there town and continue to observe and develop themselves individually by assessing the people that surround them. 

The two characters begin to develop separately as individuals as the comic proceeds. The story of these two best friends and there process of figuring out who they are and where they belong is led by Enid. The chapter called the garage sale you begin to see how Enid has diverse amount of character. Enid is searching. She's searching for excitement by believing strangers are satanists, by taking interest in Bob Skeets the "well-known astrologer" who seems to be the last person you would want to talk to after admitting to fantasizing that the satanist couple are brother and sister. Rebecca works as he best friend and teammate in there endeavors. She's open minded and intrigued by there countless adventures and encounters. However she's not attracting these events like Enid is. Unusual things that need further examination seem to just fall into Enid's Lap, which nourishes her desire to search for more. After ditching her belongings at her busted garage sale to stalk the satanists with rebecca she suddenly realizes at the end of the night while watching bad TV with Rebecca's Grandmother that she forgot a toy that a boy from school gave to her. She leaves urgently without telling rebecca where she's going. Afraid she lost the toy she runs and find it and shows the reader under her rough exterior there is sentimentality. 

The novel continues on in Enid's search for her self identity as she constantly changes her look from one chapter to the next. In the chapter Punk day she takes on a 1977 punk look but fails in attempts when she's mistaken for a "Modern hardcore asshole".  when she and rebecca run into John Crowley an ex anarchist and newly converted business school "Big-Ass Corporate Fuck". Enid is challenged by John's boastful attitude and threatened that he is making something of himself. She secretly wants to go to school and mentions that she is applying to Strathmore. The idea of Enid leaving for school is now threatening the two girls friendship and Enid chooses to live in denial that she wants a different life than this. Enid continuously finds ways to entertain herself in her small town. She's distracted with the determined to find Skeets the man who fantasized about the Satanists being an incestuous couple while getting herself into whatever else comes her way. In the chapter first time, Enid runs into high school friend Josh and convinces him to take her into Adam's II, the local sex shop. Being a young teenager her curiosity leads her to her preconceived conclusion that everyone taking Adam's II seriously is a perky creep, although she can't help but be seriously amused by everything. She buys a sexy batman mask but rebecca wont let her pull the look off. The Dialog throughout this chapter is Enid recounting the details of her day with Rebecca over the phone. Enid tells Rebecca she ran into Naomi and shared the story about how she lost her virginity and the reader is taken back in time as we recount the events of her "First time".

In the chapter Hubba Hubba Enid drags Rebecca to a Hubba Hubba , the original 1950's diner, which expectantly is an utter fail at attaining any kind of 1950's atmosphere. The diner becomes good fuel for Enid's amusement and both Rebecca and Enid begin to rip on ever aspect of the Restaurant. Still looking for more entertainment Enid answers a personal ad and asks the seeker to meet her at Hubba Hubba's. The girls drag innocent Josh into their cruel joke on this lonely man and head back to the 1950's diner. After watching the man wait alone for his ad replier her leaves not before growling at the three of them. Enid beings to realize her life is getting just as sad as the man she played the trick on. chapter norman square Enid becomes more aware of her haunting reality that she could end up in this town forever. She sees two older woman and rebecca jokes that that could be them in twenty years. Annoyed by old high school friend Melorra who now hangs out at Angela's Restaurant too, Rebecca and Enid case after Josh to get away from the display of "Jap Actress Sluts" and "Lunkheads". Josh seems to be the only person either girl is interested in that is there own age and the tension between Rebecca and Enid becomes clearer now that they both are thinking about Josh. 

In the chapter a smile and a ribbon The girls look through old photo albums and unknowingly are trying to hold onto a past that can't go on forever. Enid is reminded of an old record she use to play as a little girl and takes on the new adventure of searching for this unattainable memory that once gave her such comfort and happiness. It is revealed that Enid is Studying for a Strathmore college acceptance test after the word Taciturn slips from her mouth when describing Josh. The girls get into a fight and Enid runs to Josh's house and kisses him but starts to sob and leaves. When she returns home she finds her old record on her bed and falls asleep to the children's song about wearing a smile and a ribbon in my hair.

 In the chapter october Enid is preparing to leave for school but still doesn't no if she's been excepted yet. Enid's Father is starting to get conformable with his X wife Joanie, Rebecca is realizing she doesn't have any plans for her future and finds that Enid wants a life separate from hers. Enid buys a hearse to drive to Strathmore and the girls drive it to an old amusement park called Cave town, USA. Still trying to visit the past it finally dawns on them just how far gone childhood is. When Enid Arrives home she find out she wasn't accepted to Strathmore. The next panel Jumps ahead in time and Rebecca works at a bagel store and is dating Josh. The girls still speak but there last encounter ends in "yeah you should call me sometime." The next panel again fasts forward to an older Enid sitting on the beach when she spots Bob Skeets using a metal detector. Skeets reads her future to her and tells her he sees an "artist, or a scholar a woman of intellect, leisure… a sexual libertine… yet she has a haunting quality and a road ahead with many forks and possibilities all which lead to darkness and gloom.. she hesitates." Again the story jumps forward and Enid sees the tagger who's been writing Ghost World all over town, she chases after him and ends up at the bus stop. She see's her high school friend Rebecca eating with josh and comments on what a Beautiful Woman she turned out to be. Ironically her eye is swollen shut as she was complaining about he eye earlier in the chapter. She steps on the bus and leaves just like she said she dreamed about doing in high school, not telling anyone that she was leaving or where she was going and she can just disappear and become anyone she wants to be.  

Clowes balances ever panel and lays out his imagery thoughtfully. He considers composition thoroughly and compliments every frame with fitting dialog as well as the story line. Whether theres a conversation occurring between 4 people or there is silence and absence of characters every panel is in harmony.  Clowes leans towards the realistic approach to drawing his characters. The realism allows the reader to be more disturbed by the odd appearances of some of the characters and makes it easier to relate to the story. 

Over all I feel Clowes Drawing is phenomenal. The realistic yet illustrative quality to his work allowed me to believe the world he created truly exhausts. The limited use of color set a grim tone that was constant throughout and related very well to the theme of the Novel. The dialog was extremely interesting and the development of the characters allowed me to invest myself into caring for them. Overall I believe this is a great portrayal of teenage friendship and the harsh reality of growing up, moving on, and excepting the unfortunate things in life. 

After the publication of this novel Ghost world was created into a Feature film staring Thora Birch and Scarlett Johansson. Prior to Ghost world Daniel Clowes published his own graphic novel series called Eight ball which featured Like A Velvet Glove Cast in from Pussey! The Manly World of Lloyd Llewellyn #$@&! ugly girls and Art school confidential. In early 2012 a retrospect of Clowes work was displayed at the Oakland Museum of California. <DanielClowes.com>