Sara Varon's Robot Dreams
A Charming, Poignant Graphic Novel for all Ages
Varon relies on deceptively simple images to provide both narrative momentum and emotional resonance to her fable. Her unfussy, almost child-like drawings convey character nuance and feelings with great sophistication.The whole thing works because of the clarity and simplicity of her storytelling.
This Tale of a Dog and His Robot is Told entirely without Dialogue.
The story is this: a dog sends away for a mail order robot kit, and then builds himself a robotic companion. They do things together. They go to the library and rent a movie. They make popcorn and watch the movie. The robot falls asleep on the couch, and the dog covers him with a blanket.
When they return the movie to the library, they come across a book on dog beaches. They decide to visit one. At the dog beach the robot, despite initial wariness about entering the water, enjoys an afternoon of fun and frolics in the surf with his dog friend. Afterward they lay side by side on matching beach blankets and sunbathe.
Dog and Robot's fleeting Friendship soon Comes to an End.
Then, a problem: the dog tugs at the robot’s arm when it’s time to go, but the robot cannot move. The robot is stuck, rusted over and completely immobile. The dog sadly leaves his friend behind and returns home alone.
The Robot Dreams
Time passes. Seasons change. The robot dreams:
What if he had resisted taking that dip in the water? What if rescuers stumbled upon him and fed him a can of oil and got him unstuck? What if he managed to dig himself out and return home to the dog’s house-- only to find the dog walking arm in arm with another robot?
As time passes, even stranger dreams: What if the robot burrowed through to the other side of a mountain and took a stroll with a flower? What if the clouds held him while he slept? The robot's existential state (or psychological dilemma) is personified in his dreaming.
The dog, meanwhile, finds other friends and engages in various activities with them, but finds each of these relationships ultimately unsatisfying.
A deepy felt Fable about Human Relationships.
What we have here is a careful, sensitive and honest exploration of relationships, enacted with uncommon clarity entirely in pictorial pantomime.
There is a melancholy at the heart of this tale, but also a good deal of humor. Varon’s cartoons are remarkably pure and expressive, and her storytelling displays a mastery of the cartoon idiom.
This is an unpretentious, deeply felt, and engaging work that rewards rereading. It is also a rare comic that is genuinely suitable for all ages. It is an excellent addition to anyone’s graphic novel library.
Robot Dreams is published by First Second Books, ISBN#1596431083
Sara Varon's Robot Dreams
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