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One Model Nation

Image

C. Allbritton Taylor, art by Jim Rugg

Jan 22, 2010 Web Exclusive By Jeremy Nisen

One Model Nation, an original graphic novel from Image, has a lot of cooks in the kitchen, and even the "who's who" is a little muddied. "C. Allbritton Taylor" is also known as Courtney Taylor-Taylor, lead singer of The Dandy Warhols. Credited as "historian" is Donovan Leitch, of Nancy Boy, Camp Freddy, and some movie acting roles. The two are co-credited as coming up with the original concept as well.

On art, Jim Rugg indeed does the bulk of the work (about 120 pages), but there is a framing sequence—the first 15 pages and the last two—by Cary Porter.

There are also a lot of ingredients that these cooks are employing. It's a "historical fiction" about a German band called One Model Nation that is active during a time of political upheaval.

There are some things in this book that really work. Some of the in-concert scenes, and fan interactions, ring true and seem important. A few of the conversations are riveting. Some of the art—particularly the pitch-perfect appearance by David Bowie—is a perfect meeting of awe, interest, and authenticity.

However, this is a case where the whole is less than the sum of its parts. Rugg's art seems flatter than usual. The use of colors to make the band members largely grey-toned does nothing to help the fact that they are hard to distinguish from each other. The plot has a few holes, namely some violence with little consequence. Again, there are a lot of interesting ingredients, but this is a strictly average stew. (www.onemodelnation.com)

Author rating: 5/10

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Average reader rating: 5/10