People argue about making art more of a commodity that can be sold so that it can be sustainable in these times. I don't know if that's a trail with no thorns. But I do believe that we've reached a good point in terms of the social understanding of literature and arts to let young promising artists like Karrie Fransman release their work commercially.
'The House that Groaned', a graphic novel tinted with hues of grey and green throughout and characterised by simple, almost child-like illustrations of human figures with large round cheeks, is Fransman's debut that came out in January 2012. Fransman, who has been a comic artist and worked for a number of well-known papers, brought the book to Bangladesh this year via British Council at the Hay Festival. And although a little expensive for the general book-lover here, we somehow did manage to get hold of one and gave it a look.
The book welcomes you with a cut-out cover of a building, the windows of which let you peak into the orange-lit apartments and lives of its tenants. The book is set within the apartments, stairwell and lobby of a Victorian tenement. A young and unseemly girl named Barbara, who is perfect and polished in every physical aspect, moves into this old, beaten down building that creaks and leaks from every nook and corner and finds herself sharing the house with 5 other inhabitants living disturbing lives. And the novel focuses on each of these 6 tenants whose problems seem similar and connected to the superficialities of bodily appearances and looks, as it breaks down the stories along with the decaying building.
We go back in time to learn more about the Grandma who is locked in her ageing body and apartment and blends in with the walls and furniture, the hedonistic Marion who thinks she is freeing people of society's shackles, the freelance retoucher Matt whose job is to make models look perfect in the imperfect world that he can't stand and even bear touching, the diseasophile Brian whose turbulent love-life is full of dying, ailing women, and the divorced dietician Janet who helps people lose their weight by exercising tremendous control over their bodies. Each of them hides painful pasts and bears monsters within him/herself in a world of grey.
Fransman's storytelling is beautiful, incorporating magic in a depressing world that is very resonant of the present day average urban life. She gives away just the right amount of details in the panels through figures and words alike. With messages rooted deep within and something interesting to look forward to in each and every panel, sophistication and intrigue are well-embedded in the book.
Fransman's array of works excluding this novel shows her interest in exploring the possibilities of comic as an art form and a medium of storytelling, and in retrospect, I do believe that she could have done something stronger for a debut maybe. The climax seemed hasty, even though it does succeed in delivering surprise. Nevertheless, she marks her spot well in the scene with this book.

Until you can grab a copy, do take a look at Fransman's other work and profile on her website: http://www.karriefransman.com/