By Zack Quaintance — One of the first times I was floored by artist Dave Chisholm’s work was when I saw the commissions he posts on his Twitter. As comics Twitter users surely know, artists often post commissions on the platform. In general, they tend to depict a fairly consistent set of obvious characters: the X-Men, Batman, Spider-Man, etc., with some Star Wars, maybe a little Akira, and perhaps the odd choice from Twin Peaks.

Chisholm’s work, however, stands out. While he’s certainly not above illustrating superheroes, he has more notably done a set of pieces centering on musicians. These commissions often intertwine the visage of a well-known artist — Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, Radiohead, Nirvana — with lyrics from their songs, creating pieces that transcend comics commissions, pieces one can imagine sold at merch stands to eager concert-goers with ringing ears after shows. I was so struck by these thoughtful commissions, in fact, that I talked to Dave in-depth about his work this year. And what I learned is that Chisholm is not only a cartoonist, but he also has an academic background in music, with masters and doctorate degrees in its study.

This is all a means of saying Dave Chisholm is the only person on the planet who could have made his forthcoming graphic novel, Chasin’ The Bird - Charlie Parker in California, which is due out from Z2 Comics in September 2020. As the title suggests, the book is a look at the jazz legends time in California, and on its surface, it may strike some as simply a biography that has been told by comics. But what Chisholm has created with this book is so much more.

I’ll get into specifics of how he accomplished it in a moment, but let me first note that Chasin’ The Bird - Charlie Parker in California is one of the best graphic novels of the year. It’s an engaging and creative work that entertains throughout while also subtly giving readers a sense not only of who Charlie Parker was but also his towering place within American musical history, all told in a brave and ambitious way that befits the creative giant that was the jazz legend himself.

See, the way Chisholm makes this book so special is that he depicts Parker’s time in California through a series of individual narrators who had encounters with Parker during that time. In these vignettes — which have an excellent framing sequence and engaging mystery around them — Chisholm is able to approach different parts of Parker’s life, qualities, interests, and character. The artist’s knowledge of music shows through in the details he includes in the story, the way he draws music flowing from Bird’s instrument when it’s going well and the way he draws it when it’s going not so well. There is love not only for the subject matter but for the power of music as an artform itself all throughout these pages.

And from the comics perspective, this book does something I strongly believe the medium needs more of: it plays up the perspective of its narrators. As I noted, each section is told from the point of view of a different person, and Chisholm varies the content to fit that. He does this by including details only that person would know or find significant. A lover of Bird’s is more concerned with his personal entanglements, while a business associate views all Parker’s actions through the impact they may have on his bottom line. Where the book is strongest, however, is in the way that Chisholm also varies the style of his art to fit the narrators. A straight-laced, traditional white guy photographer gets only standard, six-panel page layouts, everything crammed neatly in boxes. A European character, meanwhile, enables Chisholm to take more of a Moebius approach.

I won’t spoil any of the other styles found here. No, instead I’ll wrap up by noting that Chasin’ The Bird - Charlie Parker in California is an outstanding graphic novel, likely to appeal just as much to readers who love jazz music as it does to lovers of the comics medium. I just finished my list of the Best Graphic Novels of 2020 (So Far). When Chasin’ The Bird hits the shelves, I’ll have my first addition for the second half of the year.

Chasin’ The Bird - Charlie Parker in California REVIEW

Chasin’ The Bird - Charlie Parker in California
Writer/Artist: Dave Chisholm
Colorist, Intro - Ch. 4: Peter Markowski
Publisher: Z2 Comics
Chasin’ The Bird tells the story of Charlie Parker’s time in L.A. December 1945 began a tumultuous two year-stint for Bird bumming around L.A., showing up at jam sessions, crashing on people’s couches, causing havoc in public places, and recording some of his most groundbreaking tracks. The graphic novel explores Bird’s relationship with the characters and events he encountered during his time in L.A. including recording some of his signature songs with Dial Record founder Ross Russell, a brief but influential stay at the home of famed jazz photographer William Claxton, a party for the ages at the ranch home of artist Jirayr Zorthian, and others who found themselves in the orbit of the jazz genius. Named after Charlie Parker’s 1947 standard, Chasin’ the Bird adapts one of the sunnier, but darker chapters in the life of Bird, beautifully written and illustrated by Dave Chisholm.
Buy It Online: Chasin’ The Bird

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Zack Quaintance is a tech reporter by day and freelance writer by night/weekend. He Tweets compulsively about storytelling and comics as Comics Bookcase.