BIRDS OF MAINE HC BOOKPLATE EDITION

Gosh! Best Of 2022

Another slice of genius from the creator who has made these lists more than anybody. Originally serialised on Instagram, D&Q now bring this satirical collection of shorts about bird utopia into a handsome, chunky hardcover collection. The birds of Earth now live on the moon in a micro-climated dome with a fungal information network and no trace of capitalism or the material obsessions of humans. Through this prism DeForge takes a tour through a philosophy of human existence and interconnectedness, puntuated throughout with Nancy-worthy punchlines.

Take flight to this post-apocalyptic utopia filled with birds. Long after the demise of humankind, birds roam freely around a new earth complete with fruitful trees, sophisticated fungal networks, and an enviable socialist order. The universal worm feeds all, there are no weekends, and economics is as fantastical a study as unicorn psychology. No concept of money or wealth plagues the thoughts of these free-minded birds. Instead, there are angsty teens who form bands to show off their best bird song and other youngsters who yearn to become clothing designers even though clothes are only necessary during war. (The truly honourable professions for most birds are historian and/or librarian.) These birds are free to crush on hot pelicans and live their best lives until a crash-landed human from the moon threatens to change everything. Michael DeForge's post-apocalyptic reality brings together the author's quintessential deadpan humour, surrealist imagination, and undeniable socio-political insight. Appearing originally as a webcomic, Birds of Maine follows DeForge's prolific trajectory of astounding graphic novels that reimagine and question the world as we know it. His latest comic captures the optimistic glow of utopian imagination with a late-capitalism sting of irony.