One of the offerings from this year’s ShortBox Comics Fair that I was most excited about was Goodbye Apple Island, from artist C.R. Chua. I didn’t know a huge amount about it, other than that it is the story of a young boy leaving his hometown and having one last adventure with his best friend before he departs. What initially attracted me to Goodbye Apple Island was Chua’s soft sketch style, which gives such warmth to the character’s facial expressions and the surrounding landscapes. As I read, I discovered that the writing was just as spectacular, with even doses of fun, misadventure, nostalgia and humour, and felt like one big hug from C.R. Chua to her readers.
Goodbye Apple Island begins with a newspaper clipping, letting the reader know that the island is being evacuated. Snippets of other articles infringe from the sides, just out of our peripheral vision, hinting as to why; there’s been a recent influx of unexplained earthquakes, as well as large, odd holes appearing around the island. Our protagonist, Lucas, isn’t ready to just pack up and leave his beloved Apple Island, however, and is convinced that only one creature can be behind the chaos; the elusive giant mole! At just under fifty pages, it’s impossible to go into more detail without entering spoiler territory, but suffice to say, Lucas and his best friend Professor (a wolf with an extraordinarily long torso) are more than happy to play detectives, romping around the island until they can solve the mystery.
Chua’s soft sketches and use of lighter colours work beautifully to illustrate Apple Island as the happy haven it is. The focus on character design and facial expressions is so detailed, with Chua adopting a fun anime-style at times to emphasise expressions or important scenes.
The stand-out character for me has to be the iconic Ms Penelope, a very regal, grumpy Coton de Tulear dog, whose mischievous facial expressions are a delight and reminded me of naughty Puppycat from Natasha Allegri’s fantastic animated series Bee and Puppycat. I loved the focus on the incredible animals inhabiting Apple Island, like Professor the majestic long wolf, and the beautiful surrounding nature that makes Lucas feel so safe and at home. The nostalgic world that Chua has created felt wonderfully reminiscent of Luke Pearson’s Hilda graphic novels, with its host of magical creatures, with the giant mole in particular reminding me of Pearson’s stone giants.
Goodbye Apple Island is a soft, warm nostalgia trip, focused on what home means to us, and how it really comes down to being around the people we love. I hope to see many more projects from C.R. Chua in the future.
C.R. Chua (W/A) • ShortBox Comics Fair 2024, £7.00.
Review by Lydia Turner
