Living in a beat-up motel, consorting with the downtrodden and mid-level
literati, Fante Bukowski must overcome great obstacles: a love interest
turned rival, ghostwriting a teen celebrity's memoirs, no actual talent
-- to gain the respect and adoration of critics and, more importantly,
his father. Van Sciver has created a scathing, hilarious, and empathetic
character study of a self-styled author determined to prove that he's
just one more poem (or drink) away from success.
Originally published in hardcover in 2020, The Complete Works of Fante
Bukowski quickly sold out and is nominated for a 2021 Eisner Award for
Best Graphic Album. This expanded paperback edition includes additional
content, including a 2020 Slate interview with Fante himself and a
cover gallery of Fante's previous books. Also: a foreword by novelist
Ryan Boudinot (Blueprints of the Afterlife); a facsimile reproduction
of Bukowski's literary debut, 6 Poems (thought lost to time in the
wake of a motel fire that destroyed the entire original print run); a
Works Cited section; and a selection of visual tributes by over two
dozen cartoonists -- including Nina Bunjevac, Simon Hanselmann, Jesse
Jacobs, Ed Piskor, Leslie Stein, and others.