Posted in: Comics | Tagged: graphic novel, hummingbird Heart, king of king court, Travis Dandro

King Of King Court by Travis Dandro Gets A Sequel, Hummingbird Heart

Published Mon, 13 Dec 2021 06:57:11 -0600

Hummingbird Heart is a new graphic novel by Travis Dandro which picks up after his 2019 debut graphic memoir, King of King Court, with Travis now a teenager taking care of his sick grandmother while indulging in rebellion and blasting grunge tunes, all drawn with a focus on small, symbolic details.

Still reeling from the death by suicide of his drug-addicted father, Travis moves in with his grandmother to become her caretaker as she battles cancer. Meanwhile, he tries to live a typical teen life of pulling pranks, occasional shoplifting, dating, and endless drives through the twisting backroads of Central Massachusetts with Nirvana's Nevermind as the soundtrack. When the police intervene after a prank backfires, the boys realize that their time as children is rapidly disappearing and they may never fully understand each other as they move apart.

After his Lynd Ward Prize?winning graphic novel, King of King Court, explored the power that parents hold over their children's emotional lives, Travis Dandro employs his signature dream imagery and crass humor to tell the story of teenage independence and resilience as he prepares to head off to art school.

Hummingbird Heart is a detailed and stylish account of a time of great uncertainty. Dandro's densely crafted pages create a deeply emotional experience as his story swings from character confrontation to finely wrought domestic detail―a slapstick cafeteria-destroying brawl gives way to the beautifully rendered flight of the impossible hummingbird.

Being published on May the 31st, 2o22, Hummingbird Heart is from Drawn & Quarterly. King of King Court is still available, described thus;

A dynamic and devastating memoir about the cycle of trauma caused by addiction within one family From a child's-eye view, Travis Dandro recounts growing up with a drug-addicted birth father, alcoholic step-dad, and overwhelmed mother. As a kid, Dandro would temper the everyday tension with flights of fancy, finding refuge in toys and animals and insects rather than in the unpredictable adults around him. He perceptively details the effects of poverty and addiction on a family while maintaining a child's innocence for as long as he can.

King of King Court spans from Travis's early childhood through his teen years, focusing not only on the obviously abusive actions but also on the daily slights and snubs that further strain relations between him and his parents. Alongside his birth father committing crimes and shooting up, King of King Court lingers on scenes of him criticizing Travis and his siblings. Dandro gives equal heft to these anecdotes, emphasizing how damaging even relatively slight traumas can be to a child's worldview.

As Travis matures into young adulthood and begins to understand the forces shaping his father's toxic behaviors, the story becomes even more nuanced. Travis is empathetic to his father's own tragic history but unable to escape the cycle of misconduct and reprisals. King of King Court is a revelatory autobiography that examines trauma, addiction, and familial relations in a unique and sensitive way.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!