Synopsis
This is going to be Frank’s year. He’s going to do it all: find love, become a famous comedian, and responsibly parent his plants. But then, Giorgio gets hit by a bus.
Self-assured and utterly entitled, Giorgio has always seemed like “Frank, but better.” Moving in with and caring for his estranged childhood friend quickly starts to chip away at Frank’s sense of self, as well as Giogio’s carefully curated online persona. Is Giorgio’s penchant for overindulgence truly aspirational? Or is it ultimately a red flag? The further Frank is pulled into Giorgio’s orbit, the quicker his existential dread blooms. Expectation and reality soon collide in a singular tale about trust and confidence.
Luke Healy’s playful, hilarious third graphic novel uses crisp lines and physical comedy to portray an uneasy friendship between two young men on the cusp of adulting. Snippets from Frank’s middling stand-up routines are punctuated by the subtle farce of Healy’s mise-en-scène and the lively, at times scathingly pointed, banter of old friends. The Con Artists is a stylish character study that asks the question of who fools who once everyone is off-camera.
From: Drawn & Quarterly
Notes on This Title
The main character of this title is a gay man. Anxiety is a central theme. A character’s suicide attempt is discussed.
Awards
None.
Reviews
“It’s the little things that strike a chord in this funny, melancholy book about the curdling of a friendship between two single gay men.” (Source: The Guardian)
“Occasional deadpan metafiction gags (such as the literal donning of a “Frank costume”) spring Healy’s themes to life, tilting the familiar setup of the neurotic stand-up comic toward a wry examination of the interplay of authenticity and vulnerability. The result’s a mordantly funny cautionary tale, and an incisive look at the boundaries of self-presentation and self-preservation.” (Source: Publishers Weekly)