Now if you don’t normally troll my blogroll for additional reading material, you can be forgiven (for now) for overlooking one of the best comics out there — “Unshelved.” Created by two guys from the Seattle area, the comic focuses on the goings-on at a fictitious library. The main character is Dewey, the slacker young adult librarian who’d rather be curled up in the corner with his graphic novels than answering some of the inane questions you get when you’re perceived to be “an authority.” His world is shared by his coworkers, the library patrons, his cranky grandmother, and the school-teacher/volleyball player who is in love with — and frustrated by — him.
I met Bill (who draws the strip) more than three years ago when we were both stuck in the corner of a conference exhibition hall that time (and librarians) had forgotten. Bill and I tried to encourage the crowd to actually come down the rest of the aisle to see the ten booths past the post office. Admittedly, his comic strip may have been more of a draw than my health books and I may have ridden his coat tails to get my books into people’s hands…
Since then, Gene, Bill, and I usually manage to find one night during the conferences we all attend to have dinner. They are witty and quick and I usually feel rather dull in their presence, like Julia Roberts’ kid sister with braces might feel. Even if I do have to have them re-explain the new Battlestar Galactica series to me every time I see them, it is always a pleasure to spend a little time with them and their entourage of comics and graphic novel folks.
Today the Seattle Times covers the comic and gives you a hint of Bill and Gene’s personalities. Check out the article if you want, but definitely read the comic strip. You can even have it delivered free to your inbox every day. They’re more reliable than your paper carrier and the comic never gets wet if a freak rainstorm shows up between its delivery and your chance to pick it up. And their apparel is a great way to start up random conversations with people. My two t-shirts have started conversations with everyone from a random librarian on the Metro to the actors who play Maria on Sesame Street and Mr. McFeeley on Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood.
