Vol. 1

32 Stories (1-7). [From Drawn & Quarterly: In 1991, Adrian Tomine self-published the first issue of Optic Nerve. Consisting of three xeroxed sheets of paper, and with a print run of less than twenty-five, it was a less-than-auspicious, largely unnoticed debut. In the following three years, Optic Nerve developed at a startlingly rapid pace: the artwork and writing evolved with each story, production quality improved, page counts increased, and by issue seven, sales had reached 6,000.] Old Book of the Week 9/14/05: Another collection of mini-comics, this one by the acclaimed Adrian Tomine. The difference betwen this and Uptown Girl is that Tomine takes his subjects very seriously. His slice-of-life vignettes are anything but cartoonish, and it is astounding to watch his development across this book from crude amateur to polished professional. Even the rough early work is worthwhile (to me, at least), but if you prefer your comics smooth and polished, you might want to start with Sleepwalk, the first collection of the second Optic Nerve series. But if you want to see an amazing talent come into its own, this is the book for you.

Vol. 2

Sleepwalk and Other Stories (1-4). [From Drawn & Quarterly: Collecting the first four issues of the second volume of Adrian Tomine's acclaimed comic series Optic Nerve, this new book offers sixteen concise, haunting tales of modern life. The character here appear to be well-adjusted on the surface, but Tomine takes us deeper into their lives, subtly examining their struggle to connect with friends and lovers.]

Summer Blonde (5-8). [From Drawn & Quarterly: With a deft and romantic touch, Tomine portrays the emotional ambivalence of drifting, urban twenty-somethings in stunning black and white. His stories are appealingly naturalistic, stylishly cinematic, and emotionally rich. His fans accuse him of eavesdropping on their most intimate moments, exhibiting their insecurities with both forensic detachment and surprising compassion.]

Shortcomings (9-11). [From Drawn & Quarterly: Shortcomings, Adrian Tomine’s first long-form graphic novel, is the story of Ben Tanaka, a confused, obsessive Japanese American male in his late twenties, and his cross-country search for contentment (or at least the perfect girl). Along the way, Tomine tackles modern culture, sexual mores, and racial politics with brutal honesty and lacerating, irreverent humor, while deftly bringing to life a cast of painfully real antihero characters. A frequent contributor to The New Yorker, Tomine has acquired a cultlike fan following and has earned status as one of the most widely acclaimed cartoonists of our time.]

Scrapbook: Uncollected Work, 1990-2004 (Original material). [From Drawn & Quarterly:Adrian Tomine has been writing and drawing the internationally-acclaimed comic book series Optic Nerve for over a decade, earning a reputation as one of the country's preeminent young cartoonists. For nearly as many years, he has pursued (and was pursued for) a variety of side-projects both inside and outside of the comics industry. The best of this extracurricular work - including rare and unpublished strips, illustrations for such notable magazines as The New Yorker and Esquire, album covers, posters, advertisements, and private sketchbook pages - is collected for the first time within this book. A comprehensive survey of a professional career in progress, Scrapbook is a revealing, visually impressive document of an artist's versatility and evolution.]