Go Home Paddy

Comics books used to be for kids. However, somewhere along the line someone decided that a real compelling story could be told via the comic book format and thus the graphic novel was born. There is something that is conveyed in the graphic novel, be it mood, or aesthetic, or feeling, that can't be written in the traditional fiction format. We've recently been turned onto a Boston artist and new friend of ours, John Walsh, who is seeking to publish what looks to be a story that is new to the graphic novel. "Go Home Paddy" is the tale of one Irish immigrant's aching struggle to succeed in a Bostonian society that fears and hates him, while all the while not forgetting where he has come from. "Heartbreaking, thought provoking and ultimately uplifting, this unique narrative incorporates historical details such as the Great Hunger, the rise of the Know-Nothings, Victorian prejudice and the Great Boston Fire of 1872. It is especially timely as it examines the role of immigration, race, and religion in American society." Although obviously Boston-centric, these are topics that should be important to all of us living in the "New World" as us ourselves or our ancestors were immigrants here, and is a tale that is unfolding every day all over the world. We like the near monochromatic style of the illustrations, and how John drew his protagonists in the Victorian simian stereotype of the Irish. John is trying to get this completed, and is looking for help through Kickstarter, and he is really close to getting what he needs. We're rooting for him to get a publisher for this so that we can have a hard copy for ourselves. Please go here to learn more, and to make your contribution to a great graphic novel with an important story to tell. More pics after the jump.