Dick Shamus
Created by Jon Hammer

"Most of the time, sleuthing is not the most rewarding work. However, being a drug addict has its charms."
-- Dick muses on his life

One of the funniest, saddest, bizarre graphic novels I've read was Jon Hammer's The Drowned Girl. His hero, DICK SHAMUS, is your typical drug-addled, paranoid New York street person, dropping pearls of wisdom wherever he goes, convinced he's a private detective working on a case involving a Nazi fifth column of terrorists bent on world domination. He also believes AIDS is a CIA plot and that breakfast cereal has morphine in it. He's prone to hallucinations, talking to himself and thinking out loud. His drink of choice seems to be chocolate Hoo-Hah and formaldehyde. He's also partial to methadone, lithium and Old Overcoat. But he actually does discover a drowned girl floating in the river, so is he crazy, or are we?

A strange, oddly-compelling read, cynical and funny, in an "End of the World As We Know It And I Feel Fine" kinda vibe, illustrated with a series of paintings that look like a series of dry runs for Munch's "The Scream." Highly recommended.

QUOTES

• "So this is the way Sam Spade gets a lead. So what? Somebody always slips the detective a mickey finn. What's the difference if I do it myself?"
• "Living in the city you face a thousand mysteries every day. No one solves them all. The trick is to know which ones to figure out and which ones aren't worth your time."
• "It was hard to remember what New York was about this week. I was having a tough time remembering what I was about this week."
• "I followed them. If he knew I was on a case, he knew who my client was. I wanted to know, too."
• "My head was ringing like your neighbour's car alarm."
• "Sure, this guy's got to eat, but why do I have to eat shit? It's a question every New Yorker asks eight million times each day."
• "The booze was beginning to do its job. When would I get to do mine?"

GRAPHIC NOVEL

• THE DROWNED GIRL
  (1990, Pirahna Press/DC Comics)
  Written and drawn by Jon Hammer

Respectfully submitted by Kevin Burton Smith.

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