Showing posts with label Sam Alden. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sam Alden. Show all posts

Wicked Chicken Queen by Sam Alden (2014)

, 31 Jan 2016

Wicked Chicken Queen is an example of how 25 pages of simple imagery and very mindful text can create an epic story that will resonate with many people, and keep readers in wonder afterwards. You might need to re-read the book several times to get it. And the book offers a few readings or interpretations, something I always love.

I love Alden visual style made of sinuous lines that move elegantly, in a continuum, converging, diverging and intersecting in a whimsical dance, creating a rich and colourful world and characters out of simple-not-so-simple black and white drawings. There is grace, fluidity, and freshness in Alden's Universe, as if the book was  for children. His book touches, though, on subjects that aren't childish or simple. There are also hints of humour in the book, and a sprinkle of provocation. If you take the time to look at the drawings properly, you will find delightful mini-scenes.

What will captivate you will not only be the art in this tale, but the overall story. I have read a few reviews saying that the story didn't need of text, well, I think it quite differently. I would have loved this a silent book, that is for sure, but in this case the text just takes it to the next level, and allows the reader to explore a world of treasures that are hidden right in front of their nose.

So, what is WCQ all about? Oh, figuring that out is the best part of the book! Here are  a few questions that readers can ask themselves to go through the book and 'squeeze' it a bit:
> What is the first reaction the cover has in you? Is the chicken good or bad?
> If the title was "wicked!" as in awesome, or wicked as in witchy, would the meaning of the story change?
> What changes dramatically in the depiction of the kingdom from the first image to the last one?
> What changes if any are in the relationship between the queen and her subjects?
> Re-read the last piece of text out loud several times. Then wander the space where the queen lived her final years. How do you think she felt? Why was she alone?
> What does the main human character think is missing from her life?
> Why do you think there is a shift in the story, from the story of the island to the story of one of the islander? Anything in the images that can help you answer the question?
> Which sort of Society does the book depict at the beginning and at the end?
> Which sort of vibe or feelings change from the beginning to the end?
> If the chicken queen wasn't a character but an "element", which element would it be? 
> If the chicken queen wasn't a character but a feeling, which feeling would it be?
> Do you see any phases in the relationship between the chicken and her  subjects? 


This is a little-grand modern fable for the young and the old that will leave you  in awe, in ohhhhh I would say, even though you might get the ohhhhh, as I did, minutes after I had finished the book.

This is the first book I read by Alden, and I am impressed. I came across this while perusing some lists of best graphic books of the 2015, and I truly think deserves to be there despite its 25 pages.

 Although totally different, in style and characters this story  reminds me of an Indie BW German short animated film I saw a few years ago, that impacted me profoundly, called Bärenbraut by Derek Roczen. 

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