Reappraising an abandoned Canadian classic
Posted on 08. Dec, 2011 by admin in News
For years Now You’re Logging, a graphic novel by B.C. cartoonist Bus Griffiths, has existed as a kind of brass ring for a lot of comics fans — alluring and ever out-of-reach. It’s scarcity (it’s been out of print for about 20 years) and it’s esoteric subject matter (early 20th Century logging on Canada’s West Coat) combine to make this book an Ark-like object for a lot of people.
I am not ashamed to say that I am one of those people.
Loaded with arcane logger slang like “wooding them down”, and packed with period details (see above) it’s near-irressistible to anyone who ever read classic adventure comics as a kid. The world it creates is completely alien and irresistible. One of it’s biggest fans is the cartoonist Seth, who is known to work the title of the book into his lexicon as a unique form of enthusiastic encouragement (“That’s it! Now you’re logging!”).
Anyway, earlier this year I finally got my hands on a copy of this forgotten graphic novel and I was so moved I wrote a piece about it. The Comics Journal published it recently, so if you like that sort of thing I suggest you check it out.
- Brad Mackay
Holy cow. I remember seeing this title now and then over the many years I’ve gone through second-hand bookstores, but I never picked up a copy; I just wasn’t interested enough in the subject to look further. So it’s a graphic novel! And one of the earliest too, before the term even existed! I’ll keep a sharper eye out for it on future visits to my favourite stores.