LUNATIC: Reviews

BOSTON GLOBE December 17, 2020
“Cambridge native Dan Mazur’s magic new book “Lunatic” (Ninth Art) is an elegant, moving wordless story of a woman’s ardent relationship with the moon. The illustrations move from her infancy to her adulthood, as she tilts her gaze upwards, dreamy and yearning, to see a companion peering back down at her. She devotes herself to its study at university, and launches herself towards it in more literal ways. The atmosphere of illustration shifts as time moves; Mazur, a co-founder of the Boston Comics Roundtable and the Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo, uses ink washes, pencil and nib pen, acrylic paints, giving each lifestage a distinct energy. The main character has a force and vitality to her, and a solitude. There is ardor in her, and melancholy, too. Mazur takes her on an otherworldly journey, and opens us to the different incarnations intimacy and life meaning can take. He also offers a behind-the-scenes look at the process and decision-making that went into the making of the book, a compelling look at artistic choices for both artists and readers alike. ” Full review

NEW YORK TIMES January 22, 2021
” Dan Mazur’s LUNATIC: A WORDLESS STORY (200 pp., Fanfare, $20), is a whimsical tale that unfurls, much like Brosh’s piece about her sister, without dialogue or verbal narration, but in a richly textured black and white. One of my favorite images, in shadowy charcoal strokes, shows a small baby, in bonnet and ruffled collar, staring meaningfully up from her pram at what we later realize is the full moon. Her little arms rest in front of her, utterly relaxed; when the moon smiles at her, she waves back. ” Full review

THE BEAT 12-30-2020
“I think this would speak to grade school and middle-grade kids very strongly. What fantastical elements do appear don’t dominate Lunatic, rather it’s all distilled into very personable terms that probably identifiable to a lot of young readers trying to find their place in the world. Lunatic is a good primer in how to view what’s outside of you and how to connect with it on your own terms, but also with an open mind to whatever might dash your expectations. ” Full review

PANEL PATTER 1-27-21 “Lunatic is wonderfully enjoyable graphic novel that’s unlike anything else I’ve ever read. The story is sweet and poignant and melancholy, and it evokes a magical, dreamlike quality. Lunatic is a beautiful, unique read that I’d recommend for readers of all ages. ” Full review

NO FLYING NO TIGHTS 1/27/21
“A black and white wordless graphic novel that will both move you and make you chuckle. American author Dan Mazur does an incredible job of using expressive faces on our main character, a female, as she grows up during the Victorian era ” Full review