The
Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green by
Eric Orner
The freshest and
funniest look at the gay world since "Dykes to Watch Out
For." Tracking the ups and downs (mostly downs) of gay
everyman, Orner examines the pitfalls and pratfalls of modern gay
life with extraordinary wit and insight. Orner's work has appeared
in mainstream and alternative newspapers.
"Author
Eric Orner has his finger (ahem) on the pulse of Gay America. His
character, Ethan Green, is a kind of gay Everyman. He makes wrong
choices in dating, fashion and sexual positions. But we love him
anyway. Because he is us. And we are him. We bottoms of the world
really should unite, at least for brunch some Sunday afternoon. I
say, July in Provincetown..." -- Anonymous Review
The
Ethan Green Chronicles by Eric Orner
After enjoying The Mostly Unfabulous Social
Life of Ethan Green comic strip for quite some time in my
local gay newspaper, I took the plunge and invested in Eric
Orner's book, The
Ethan Green Chronicles . And what an excellent investment
it was! Orner's cartoon interpretations of contemporary gay
life are so insightful, so delightful, and so outrageously funny.
The nuances of Orner's humor within each cartoon frame require
careful inspection, but not to worry. You're always rewarded with
a laugh.
Not to sell Ethan Green short, it's important to
note that Orner often tackles issues relevant to the current
cultural scene. But never without his tongue firmly in his cheek!
Buy this book! You won't be sorry.
Ethan
Exposed by
Eric Orner
The fourth collection of strips from Eric
Orner's syndicated comic, "The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life
of Ethan Green," flips back and forth between the latest
developments in Ethan's life--including his on-again, off-again
romance with Doug and a new job as a personal assistant to a
closeted celebrity weatherman--and hilarious one-off gag strips
like "Really Pretty Far Off the Circuit Circuit Parties"
and the "Dream Date Alphabet" ("Umberto is
Unfaithful, and Vincent is Vicious"). Part of the joy of
reading Orner's work in these collections is that it highlights
the strength of his long-range storylines, which include a cast of
nearly a dozen supporting characters, from his best friend, Buck,
to the wacky Hat Sisters--who, in one memorable strip, provide
their own delicious solution to the Clinton impeachment crisis,
including washing out a certain independent prosecutor's mouth
with soap.
The
Seven Deadly Sins of Love... by
Eric Orner (Introduction), Andrew Sullivan
Gay cultural commentators and comics enthusiasts
consider Orner's "Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan
Green" the gay male analog to Alison Bechdel's brilliant
"Dykes to Watch Out For." Both strips reflect genuine
gay concerns, both react to gay political developments, and both
are satirically funny--very. But "Dykes" is the most
successful realistic strip going, whereas "Ethan Green"
is playfully self-reflexive (Ethan complains about being a
comic-strip character) and surrealistic (Ethan's cat complains
about appearing in dream- and fantasy-based strips). More
significantly, "Dykes" recounts the adventures of a
vibrant community of women, whereas "Ethan Green" is
about lone and often lonely Ethan adrift in the gay male
subculture, forever unfulfilled. "Dykes" makes its
lesbian community look vital, intelligent, and humane. "Ethan
Green" makes the gay male subculture look considerably less
attractive. The rest of the strip's title best bespeaks Orner's
rueful, even resentful, representation of that subculture as one
that furnishes only a "mostly unfabulous social life."
-- Ray Olson
