Tsu and the Outliers

by E Eero Johnson

Overview

“One wild and wooly adventure, it's like Alan Moore and Gary Panter had a love child, rivaling Stranger Things for its beautiful thrills. This is a treasure.” — Toby Barlow

Tsu and the Outliers is a graphic novel about a non- verbal boy whose rural existence appears unbearable until rumors of a monstrous giant upend his mundane life. Tsu finds himself at the center of the mystery, as his strange metaphysical connection with the creature is revealed. As the dragnet closes in, Tsu is forced to choose between a dangerous path leading beyond the periphery of human perception or a life without his only friend.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781941250242
Publisher:	Uncivilized Books
Publication date:	06/12/2018
Pages:	88
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.80(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

E Eero Johnson is a graphic artist from the Northern Midwest who’s lived in Rhode Island, Hawaii, and New York. His illustrations have appeared in the New Yorker, Rolling Stone Magazine, and Wired. His comics have been featured in Los Angeles Magazine, The New York Times, and Nozone. He collaborated on the hybrid novel/graphic novel Original Fake with author Kirstin Cronn-Mills for Penguin Books, and he co-published the experimental Kozmo-Knot the Never-Ending Comic Book with Uncivilized Books. Tsu and The Outliers is his first complete graphic novel.

Editorial Reviews

06/18/2018
When largely nonverbal Tsu uses his voice, it often summons the local bigfoot, his only friend. An outsider at school, Tsu spends his time in the woods with his hairy companion, until a professor, who looks more ape than human, sets his eye on securing the creature. Along with his servant, Chuba, a chupacabra, the professor springs a trap for Tsu and his friend, leaving Tsu to choose between the safety of his companion and his own future path. Johnson’s story is intriguing, though it leaves readers with more questions than answers (how did Tsu acquire this friend?), and the absence of cathartic moments proves frustrating. In addition, the busy artwork can make panel sequence hard to follow, particularly during action scenes. Despite its slightly flawed execution, this series opener offers a compelling premise and an enjoyable read. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 12–up. (May)

Publishers Weekly

"Tsu's loneliness and isolation, and the sweetness of the bond with his unlikely friend, are both poignant and potent."—Kirkus Reviews

"Tsu and the Outliers is an interesting look at a new type of superhero: a young non-verbal boy who is able to communicate with a creature that his world is afraid of. There are some interesting discussion points when it comes to bullying since Tsu is judged by his classmates because of his disability. […] Overall, the story is pretty crazy (in a good way), and the end of the book sets up for a definite sequel which I NEED […]"—Unleashing Readers

“E Eero Johnson is one of the most talented illustrators working today - it’s exciting to watch him become one of the most talented comic artists.” —Yuko Shimizu, A Wild Swan, Barbed Wire Baseball

“E Eero Johnson draws you into a world deeper & darker than the Black Forest.” —Nicholas Blechman, Fresh Dialogue One: New Voices in Graphic Design, 100% EVIL, Nozone IX: EMPIRE

“One wild and wooly adventure, it's like Alan Moore and Gary Panter had a love child, rivaling Stranger Things for its beautiful thrills. This is a treasure.” — Toby Barlow

From the Publisher

06/01/2018
Gr 7–10—Tsu, a nonverbal boy, is mocked by his peers and those around town for riding "the short bus"; they call him "dumb," "idiot," "freak," and "unusual." The local police in his rural town and a mysterious, apelike scientist want information from Tsu about the accident that his school bus was involved in and the creature that was seen shortly after. Tsu does not offer them any answers or tips but does haltingly speak to his mother to tell her he has to go away for a while. Densely drawn scenes, particularly outside, where most of the book takes place, are cluttered and sometimes hard to parse. The mostly black-and-white palette is punctuated by spots of a third color, which varies from section to section and helps images stand out; however, the overall effect is still a visual jumble. Readers are thrust right into the action, with little to no backstory about Tsu, the creature, or the scientist, and the thin plot feels like it is just starting to ramp up when it abruptly ends. Though Tsu isn't explicitly described as autistic, the author heavily implies that he is, and the decision to imbue a character who has a disability with mystical powers is a tired cliché. VERDICT An additional purchase.—Amanda MacGregor, Parkview Elementary School, Rosemount, MN

School Library Journal

2018-03-21
A nonverbal boy and his sasquatch buddy are pursued by a sinister organization in Johnson's (co-author: Original Fake, 2016, etc.) solo graphic novel debut.Tsu, a boy who rides the "short bus" to school, may not speak but still communicates effectively with expressions and gestures. When his disability (never specified in the text) makes him a target for bullies in his rural town, he escapes to the woods and the company of a reclusive creature, marvelously depicted as being as gnarled and massive as the ancient trees he dwells among. Tsu's own hidden powers attract the attention of an unscrupulous chimpanzeelike scientist and his sinuous, venomous chupacabralike sidekick who hunt "outliers" for mysterious purposes. The oddball premise is well-matched to the scratchy, ink-heavy art accented by monochrome color washes, reminiscent of 1950s horror comics. Unfortunately, important details of the narrative are muddled and inconsistent, the reasons for Tsu's final choices are unclear, and the unspecified cause of his muteness makes the eventual cure potentially troubling. Nonetheless, Tsu's loneliness and isolation, and the sweetness of the bond with his unlikely friend, are both poignant and potent. The open ending reads like the setup for a series. Tsu's mother is named Hana, and their names, plus a passing reference by a bully to speaking gibberish, may be cues that they are Japanese.Not a necessary purchase but may appeal to middle school readers looking for a different kind of superpowered adventure. (Graphic fantasy. 10-14)

Kirkus Reviews