The Bookshelf
On the page where I describe Vavô's time as a custodian, he has an encounter with his principal in the library. The bookshelf in the background of this scene, if you zoom in closely, carries titles that served as reference for the creation of the graphic novel or nods to the people it was written for. Each text is described below, including a link to where you can buy the text itself. Many of these titles may not have been around when Vavô was working, but I wanted to include them as a subtle nod to those who indirectly contributed to this work.
Maus-
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The Princess Bride
The movie (not the novel on which it is based) served as a bit of inspiration here, as a grandfather tells a tale to his grandson who is home sick from school.
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A Contract with God
Will Eisner's most poignant work tells the tale of Jewish immigrants struggling to make ends meet in America.
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Love You Forever
This is one of my favourite stories to read to my daughters. The notion that the parent passes down the tradition of singing the song "Love You Forever" to her son, who in turn sings it to his newborn daughter served as inspiration for the end of the graphic novel with the sticky notes.
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Blankets
Craig Thompson's choppy artwork serves the story so well here. Blankets was one of my artistic inspirations when developing the flashback sections.
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Picasso
In the fado section of the graphic novel, Picasso's "Guitarist" inspires the first image we see of "A Severa."
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Just In Case You Ever Wonder
Another one of my favourite stories to read to my daughters, this work made it onto the bookshelf for the father-daughter dynamic that plays out, but also for the final section where it discusses heaven. This is mirrored in the final two pages of the graphic novel.
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Saudades
This is not the Saudade book I used as reference (I actually could not find the other one online), but I thought I would link to this as it is a work about the Azores.
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Critias
Sections of Plato's work were used to create the Atlantis page.
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Timaeus
Sections of Plato's work were used to create the Atlantis page.
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Eyewitness Travel: Portugal
The Eyewitness Travel Series was instrumental in creating the look of the graphic novel, that is of course until I was actually able to visit the Azores.
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Louis Riel: A Comic Strip Biography
I included this work for three reasons: it is a biographical graphic novel, it features a prominent Canadian, and Brown's art style serves the story in much the same way Thompson's does with Blankets.
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Back in the Day Almanac: 1957
This was the year Vavô came to Canada.
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The Islands of Magic
This is the text I used as reference for the story of the twin lakes at Sete Cidades.
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The Odyssey
After we returned from the Azores, I was immediately reminded of the story of Odysseus and his twenty year journey to return home.
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The Hero with a Thousand Faces
As I was putting the storyline together (Vavô rarely told his story linearly), I used the Monomyth to organize the events of his life and emphasized certain experiences to reflect this structure.
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Top 10 Azores
I used this text while travelling to the Azores and as reference from time to time.
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Essex County
Jeff Lemire's scratchy artwork was another influence in developing the style of the flashbacks.
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The Arrival
This beautifully illustrated wordless graphic novel captures the immigrant experience perfectly.
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St. Francis of Assisi
When Vavô passed, we played the musical version of the Prayer of St. Francis in honour of his 19 years serving as a custodian. He took such pride in the school, and the lyrics of the song (click here) reflect his personality.
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Marvels
The incomparable style of Alex Ross was inspiration for the present day artwork in The Average José.
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Kingdom Come
Another work by Alex Ross.
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Drawing Words and Writing Pictures
This was one of many reference books used in learning the nuances of graphic novel writing. Abel and Madsen skillfully describe strategies in the creation of plotlines and characters that are both believable and enjoyable. I also used this work in my Writer's Craft class with my students.
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Writing and Illustrating the Graphic Novel
This reference book was great for helping to create dynamic layouts. With examples from popular comics, each concept is beautifully illustrated.
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Someday
Another children's work that inspired The Average José. Someday skillfully and beautifully chronicles the life of a child as she grows into adulthood and starts a family of her own.
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To Kill A Mockingbird
Harper Lee's classic was the inspiration in naming our second daughter, Katelyn Jean Louise Flynn. Jean Louise, of course, is the real name of Scout, the young protagonist in Lee's novel.
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King Lear
Our eldest daughter, Cordelia, was named after the good, loyal daughter in Shakespeare's tragedy.
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The Holy Bible
I referenced the bible when the priest is delivering his homily, which mirrors Vavô's discovery of the pamphlet that informed him of the opportunities in Vancouver.
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Settlers of the Marsh
This was a subtle little nod to my wife, Suzie. We met in Canadian Literature Studies at the University of Guelph. One of our texts was this one, which, coincidentally is also about immigration and settlement in Canada.
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The DC Comics Guide to Creating Comics
Another visual reference book.
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Making Comics
I learned so much from McCloud's works. After reading these three "How-To" manuals, I began putting more detail in the background, choosing appropriate juxtapositions, and really thinking about themes.
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Understanding Comics
From Understanding Comics, I developed a stronger sense of the artistic style I wanted to go with. I also used McCloud's clever words about comics as guiding principles: "There are no rules. And here they are."
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Reinventing Comics
While not as influential as the first two works, there were certainly a few things I pulled from this one to help guide me in my decision-making for The Average José.
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Expressive Anatomy for Comics and Narrative
When my artwork for the flashback sequences was starting to become very uniform and boring, I decided I needed to enlist some help. Eisner is the master of bodily and facial expression.
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Graphic Storytelling and Visual Narrative
This served as yet another reference for framing the storytelling of Vavô's story.
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Comics and Sequential Art
Yet another reference book by Eisner, featuring his incredibly emotive characters and storylines.
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Big Fish
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I chose to include this Tim Burton film because it features a father recounting his life story to his son. What is unique in this work is that the father embellishes the story and it begins to take on elements of magical realism. Like the father figure in Burton's film, I wanted the story to be told through Vavô's eyes and not be so concerned with factual accuracy as much as the ideas and emotions he felt.
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