Elephant Town is a graphic novel in webcomics form about residents in the same house in a small town who, at least at first, don’t know each other. In leisurely, eliptical fashion, the narrative exposes the characters and reveals their secret passions and fears.
Presented in a realistic, moment-by-moment fashion, the story nurtures a sense of mystery surrounding these individuals. Though the setting is ordinary, the vigorous rendering of it is expansive and fascinating. The title image shows a character hanging out a window and looking off into the distance of a small town that feels credible and real.
Our attention is directed inward, as well into the lives of these characters; Kris, who has just moved in to her apartment. She feels at first invigorated by the new space, but then exposed by the possibility that strangers may be able to see in through the blinds, so she sends her boyfriend away so she can cope with the dilemma alone. Next door is Paul, who has lived there for ten years, and who still has not learned to cope with the loneliness of a life without a girlfriend. In a wordless sequence of an early chapter, Paul accidentally knocks a fortune cookie to the floor and steps on it, unveiling a fortune that will change his entire trajectory.
Artist/writer Danielle Corset is best known for the long-running webcomic Girls With Slingshots. Her talent for subtle, character-driven narrative is given full rein in her new series, which benefits enormously from her confident linework and lush coloring, as she artfully explores an expanded canvas.
