“This is the history of every 70 year old gay man in Britain today.” Striking words on the back cover of Forty Lies: A Work of Ipsedixitism by David Shenton that immediately stand out and act as a statement of intent for a quite remarkable piece of graphic memoir. Presenting forty(ish) autobiographical tales (of which Shenton wittily yet profoundly says “don’t bear too much factual scrutiny, yet are as real and honest as need be”) Forty Lies is a powerful social record that nevertheless often pokes fun at itself as well. Comparing one book to another is usually considered a reviewing no-go but in this case it seems appropriate to note that it makes a very suitable companion piece to Sensible Footwear: A Girl’s Guide by Kate Charlesworth, who also pops up as a “character” in Forty Lies.
This is work that evokes a great emotional range from the readers. You will be feeling absolute outrage at the historical persecution of the gay community in the UK in one sequence, only to find yourself laughing out loud at Shenton’s pithy observations a handful of pages later. The confluence of the anecdotal and the historical then sits very much at the heart of Forty Lies.
The film Jason and the Argonauts marks a significant moment for Shenton’s young self early on as Ray Harryhausen’s stop-motion animation and the rippling figure of the actor playing Hercules both become fixations for him. We follow his story through the decades, observing relationships, a developing career as a cartoonist, gay community, and finally bereavement. Interspersed is his commentary on the impact of police entrapment, the development of Pride, homophobia, the HIV/AIDS crisis, and the morally abhorrent Section 28 legislation. Throughout, Shenton’s irreverence and personable narration create an instant and empathetic bond between artist and reader.
Shenton’s cartooning is intricate, elastic and busy; panels and pages crammed with detail, and visual characterisation acting as an important storytelling device in bringing us into events. Inserted into the strips are knitting patterns (his love of knitting becomes a running theme from early on), news clippings, archival photographs, magazine sections, Zoom screenshots, and various other examples of ephemera. It all adds an extra layer of authenticity, pulling us into the realities of the era its supplements.
The sheer frenzied imagination of Forty Lies in terms of page layouts and appealingly eccentric visuals is simply a delight. This graphic memoir may have flown under the radar for some readers and we have to hold our hands up here at BF and say we too should have given it coverage far earlier. It’s a gem of a book from Knockabout and an absolute must-own for anyone even remotely interested in UK queer comics practice.
David Shenton (W/A) • Knockabout, £16.99
Review by Andy Oliver
