The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil by Stephen Collins

The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil is also a well-designed book, complete with two different finishes on the cover: a gloss on the white lettering and a velvety matte finish on the rest…It all works together to create a hushed tone, a kind of gentle melancholy.” - Paste magazine “ art - especially as the beard grows and pages full of regimented, small panels breach into 2-page spreads of swirling hair - is sensuous and soft. “A book about loneliness, fear, and worry that still manages to have a small glimmer of hope nestled in amongst the burly titular beard…Gorgeously illustrated….It's easily the most engaging thing I've read all month.” - Panels (Best Comics of October) Whimsical, bittersweet, and visually stunning, this graphic novel is the perfect parable for all ages, praising the value of eccentricity in a world of overwhelming uniformity with the help of unruly facial hair.” - The AV Club

The final moments of Dave's story are incredibly inspirational, and The Bangles' 'Eternal Flame' has never been used as effectively as it is in those pages. “ The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil is an artistic marvel, and that splendor heightens the emotion of the story.

“Filled with elegant black-and-white sketches and darkly philosophical commentary, Collins's graphic novel details what happens when borders collapse and stories have no tidy endings.”. “With one hell of a title, Stephen Collins' graphic novel makes an immediate impression, and the interior contents are just as gripping as the name….It's a poignant parable about the value of individuality and going against the grain, presented with a charming art style that brings a smooth animated quality to the story without losing sight of the darker aspects of the plot.” - The A.V. “ The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil has the tone of a playful fable, from the cracked syntax of its title onward…For a book about the liberating joys of disruption, though, it's exceptionally disciplined: Collins renders several hundred pages of immaculately ruled buildings and bean-faced people (and the fuzzy curlicues that interfere with them) in meticulous, microdetailed pencil textures.” - (Sunday Book Review) “I don't want to spoil it… it's kind of Roald Dahl-it's very funny, dark, fable-like and about exactly what it's title says.” - Linda Holmes, NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour “Slyly exquisite.What happens over the course of the next 200+ pages is a dilemma Roald Dahl would have relished: The roiling anarchy of There erupts on Here-specifically, on poor Dave's previously clean-shaven cheeks-in the form of a great, snarly, twisting, unstoppable beard….If Collins is right-if, as he says, stories are necessary-then let's hope this wry young writer/artist has got a lot more lies to tell us.” - Glen Weldon, NPR

The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil by Stephen Collins