Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Comics, entertainment

Fixed Up – The Greatest Graphic Novel Ever About A Nervous, Shy, Guilt-Ridden, Love-Struck Geek From Cape Town

Ian Norris writes,

Fixed Up is the story of one man's journey from a geeky, awkward, Jewish, shy teenager in Cape Town – to a geeky, awkward, Jewish, shy adult in Oxford, and his many heartbreaks along the way. Fixed Up will be a 146 page, full-colour graphic novel which collects Parts 1-5 of the standalone comics.

Each part focuses on an ex-girlfriend of mine, and tells the story of how being in love is the worst thing ever. Fixed Up is inspired by the work of Joe Matt (Peep Show), Bob Fingerman (Minimum Wage), and Craig Thompson (Blankets). It's entirely autobiographical, transcribed from actual diaries of mine, which I unearthed in Cape Town a few years ago.

Part 1 is about my early years growing up in the 80s and 90s in post-Apartheid South Africa, and finding (and losing) love for the first time. Part 2 focuses on my awkward teenage years, and my gap-year in Israel in the year 2000. Parts 3 and 4 are about my college years, and the crazy messed-up relationship I had during that time. In Part 5 I have my quarter-life crisis and start dating an 18 year old girl. Everything you read actually happened to me, good or bad, it's all in there.

Fixed Up has been on sale in comic book stores across the UK, and in South Africa. I've also taken it to a bunch of conventions and have gotten some excellent reviews (see Reviews section below). Printing the stand-alone comics was fun and rewarding – but after lots of feedback and research, I've decided to print all 5 parts in one super-sexy, matt-lamintated volume. With the Kickstarter campaign, I hope to get enough copies of Volume 1 printed so that I can send it to loads of comic shops around the UK, and also take it to independent comic cons.

I've been working Fixed Up for about 5 years now, and it's become my obsession, but also my catharsis. We've all lived unique and exciting lives, and we all have stories to tell, and this is mine. I don't hide my flaws or my issues or my insecurities, they're all on the page for people to digest.

"He may have cast himself as a self-absorbed protagonist but Fixed Up itself is not the self-indulgent, rambling affair that many associate with this strand of storytelling. Rather, it's a compelling page-turner which is all the more remarkable given the unsympathetic light in which its author often portrays himself!" – Andy Oliver, Broken Frontier.

All Bleeding Cool readers who support my Kickstarter this weekend will get a special mention in the printed graphic novel, as well as a special unique Fixed Up sticker and badge pack, which none of the other supporters will get!!

Thanks for reading, please go check out my Kickstarter page and choose from many of the fine rewards on offer! And remember, stay Fixed Up!

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