Forget Me Not

Death stalks a quartet of girls – or is it the other way around?A simple, elemental story of a group of adorable, little girls evading the specter of Death perfectly complements Gabriel Howell’s poetic diary/manifesto/wishlist. What looks like a Victorian children’s book complete with moral lessons, depicts an internal and external tug-of-war between vulnerability and intimacy, relatability and honesty, observation and isolation. The message remains raw and uncensored: don’t hide it in a book; forget about who is or isn’t watching; Forget Me Not.

Edie Fake, author of Gaylord Phoenix"Forget Me Not captures the painful balance of nakedness, shame, dread, loneliness, and anger that drives those of us who make our living from the curiosity and hunger of the public."

“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger? I don’t want to be brave again and again.” Eventually, the girls engage the shrouded figure in a fight to the death, with the suggestion that they are destined to do this repeatedly. Art comics aficionados will find much to appreciate in Howell’s edgy, Gothic vision." - Publishers Weekly"Like a cherished keepsake rebelling against the cruelties of an online auction, the wayward waifs of Howell’s porcelain landscape are forced to fight their way through splintered selfhood in a broken world. Vulnerable and scrappy, wistful and ferocious, Forget Me Not is a sharp pinch in a tender place"

Austin English, author of Gulag Casual"Soul-searing memoir, tasting of dark introspection. His hooks on the brush have quite a bite of the horror-tinged, and obsessive-yet-gestural constructions within sparse framing that stands out in the current comics scene."

"Honest, unsettling, made with a tremendous amount of skill (all the while remaining stunningly unique), this is a comic to contend with… …Themes of art, family, failure and fear all creep around the edges in a work that breathes thought and honed execution."

About the Author

Gabriel Howell is a trans male cartoonist, illustrator, and printmaker. Howell was born in a small rural town in northern North Carolina in 1996, but only ever considered Chicago home. In 2018, he received his BFA from School of the Arts Institute of Chicago. He currently lives in Los Angeles with pop musician wife, doing design and illustration work for musicians like Phoebe Bridgers, 100 gecs, Perfect Hair Forever and PC Music, and WKND skateboards.

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