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Elmer
Elmer is a window into a world where chickens have suddenly acquired the intelligence and consciousness of humans, where they can now consider themselves a race no different than browns, black, or whites. Recognizing themselves to be sentient, the inexplicably evolved chickens push to attain rights for themselves as the newest members of the human race.
Originally self-published by the author in the Philippines, this is the first US edition of the book and the first edition to be made available to the book and library trade.
Originally self-published by the author in the Philippines, this is the first US edition of the book and the first edition to be made available to the book and library trade.
144 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2009
21 people are currently reading
756 people want to read
About the author
Gerry Alanguilan
123Ìýbooks86ÌýfollowersGERRY ALANGUILAN is a licensed architect and is a member of the San Pablo Chapter of the United Architects of the Philippines. He is also a board member of the Philippine International Cartoons, Comics, and Animation (PICCA), as well as member of the Asia-Pacific Animation and Cartoon Association. He gave up a career in architecture and started working as a professional comic book creator in 1992, beginning with “Dracula's Wivesâ€� and “Propsâ€� for Mass Media Publishing. Ever since then, Gerry has consistently freelanced for various companies in the Philippines and abroad, even publishing his own comics from his own Komikero Publishing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 174 reviews
March 29, 2023
I’ve waited for more than two years to get my hands on a copy of Gerry Alanguilan’s Elmer. More than two years since I’ve read a critic raved that this is the great Filipino novel, only with chickens. I’ve gotten my hands on a second Philippine edition. Suffice to say, I was not disappointed.
Just like how Elmer’s chickens spontaneously developed sentience and speech, is how the Philippine comic scene birthed great comics these past few years. Elmer, along with Trese by Budjette Tan and KaJo Baldisimo, are the vanguard of this new independent comics renaissance. It seemed like people were coming out of the woodwork that were excellent in producing great comics.
This is probably Alanguilan’s best work, story wise and art wise. His story, about the rise of the sentient chicken in human society, is not so much about racial tension. Elmer, is about a rooster, Jake coming to grips with the legacy of his father, the eponymous Elmer, and Elmer’s role in their short history as human chickens, his love for his wife and family and his contribution to the world. The two have been estranged for so long that it took Elmer’s diary, which he bequeathed to Jake, to help the son to accept his father’s place in the world and his own place as his son. It is a story about relationships and what it took to keep them alive.
The art is phenomenal, as it is lushly detailed, especially Alanguilan’s splash pages of rural scenes and that awesome sunset. He also betrays his architecture pedigree with his meticulously designed buildings. Those buildings really look like they exist or if not, can be built from the specifications you can get from his pages.
This tale about anthropomorphic chickens inspired me to compare it to Maus. I have not yet read Art Spiegelman’s opus, but when I get the chance to, I have feeling Elmer can hold its own against a Pulitzer Prize winning book.
Add one book to my read list and add Elmer to yours if you haven’t already.
Just like how Elmer’s chickens spontaneously developed sentience and speech, is how the Philippine comic scene birthed great comics these past few years. Elmer, along with Trese by Budjette Tan and KaJo Baldisimo, are the vanguard of this new independent comics renaissance. It seemed like people were coming out of the woodwork that were excellent in producing great comics.
This is probably Alanguilan’s best work, story wise and art wise. His story, about the rise of the sentient chicken in human society, is not so much about racial tension. Elmer, is about a rooster, Jake coming to grips with the legacy of his father, the eponymous Elmer, and Elmer’s role in their short history as human chickens, his love for his wife and family and his contribution to the world. The two have been estranged for so long that it took Elmer’s diary, which he bequeathed to Jake, to help the son to accept his father’s place in the world and his own place as his son. It is a story about relationships and what it took to keep them alive.
The art is phenomenal, as it is lushly detailed, especially Alanguilan’s splash pages of rural scenes and that awesome sunset. He also betrays his architecture pedigree with his meticulously designed buildings. Those buildings really look like they exist or if not, can be built from the specifications you can get from his pages.
This tale about anthropomorphic chickens inspired me to compare it to Maus. I have not yet read Art Spiegelman’s opus, but when I get the chance to, I have feeling Elmer can hold its own against a Pulitzer Prize winning book.
Add one book to my read list and add Elmer to yours if you haven’t already.
September 6, 2011
Elmer: A Comic Book is so fascinating. It is about chickens leveling up to humans so we cannot kill, cook and eat them anymore. Think Planet of the Apes. But instead of apes, you have chickens. They are mixed with human beings: queuing with us for the same job interview, dreaming of having sex with our women, etc. Practically doing the same stuffs that we do everyday. When they get angry with us, they can pluck our eyes out, hang us until we are dead, burn our buses with us inside or even think of eradicating our whole human race. How can they do all of these? I do not have any idea.
Kind of scary, right? This book is. Really. However, the chickens only do that when they are provoked or pushed to the limit of their patience. This book also has a heart. This is recommended book for readers who enjoy reading about typical families whose members love each other, the mother continuously, even beyond grave, loving the father, the brother sacrificing himself for his older brother and even the typical daily conversations of the siblings busy with their own careers and love lives. And these are all exhibited by the chicken characters. How can they do all of these? I do not have any idea.
However, we know that sci-fi diehards can believe anything. So, this is a recommended book for anybody whose out-of-this-world imagination is not as dead as mine. As an example, the generation of the post-extant Gallus Gallus in Hokkaido is not fully explained but the idea is a rehash not only in The Planets of the Apes but also in Bernard Malamud's God's Grace and the concept of talking animals has been used so many times before: Charlotte's Web, Babe and your countless Disney movies. So, if the diehards were able to accept these ideas in those earlier works, nobody, even a doubter like me, can prevent them from loving this book.
I finished this book for just an hour or so while waiting at a medical clinic yesterday. Even how implausible, this still was a fascinating read. As far as the structure was concerned, I just had some problems on the sudden shifts of the story in a couple of parts as they did not have any trigger to prompt the reader that the next scene was a flashback. Some characters, e.g. the young Farmer Ben and Michael, looked similar and for a while confused me. However, the most unbelievable icky part is how can chicken fantasize about making love to a human being? I guess a rooster is in worse situation than a castrated or impotent guy because the later can still enjoy receiving and giving other forms of sex with his partner. But a chicken and a human being? Oh, common on.
However, I appreciate the effort that the author and illustrator Gerry Alanguilan put in coming up with this book. In his acknowledgment portion, he mentioned that he also currently does comics for some US companies. Once again, this attests to the world-class talents of the Filipino artists. Well done, Gerry. Just don't push your luck too hard on the sex part, please.
Kind of scary, right? This book is. Really. However, the chickens only do that when they are provoked or pushed to the limit of their patience. This book also has a heart. This is recommended book for readers who enjoy reading about typical families whose members love each other, the mother continuously, even beyond grave, loving the father, the brother sacrificing himself for his older brother and even the typical daily conversations of the siblings busy with their own careers and love lives. And these are all exhibited by the chicken characters. How can they do all of these? I do not have any idea.
However, we know that sci-fi diehards can believe anything. So, this is a recommended book for anybody whose out-of-this-world imagination is not as dead as mine. As an example, the generation of the post-extant Gallus Gallus in Hokkaido is not fully explained but the idea is a rehash not only in The Planets of the Apes but also in Bernard Malamud's God's Grace and the concept of talking animals has been used so many times before: Charlotte's Web, Babe and your countless Disney movies. So, if the diehards were able to accept these ideas in those earlier works, nobody, even a doubter like me, can prevent them from loving this book.
I finished this book for just an hour or so while waiting at a medical clinic yesterday. Even how implausible, this still was a fascinating read. As far as the structure was concerned, I just had some problems on the sudden shifts of the story in a couple of parts as they did not have any trigger to prompt the reader that the next scene was a flashback. Some characters, e.g. the young Farmer Ben and Michael, looked similar and for a while confused me. However, the most unbelievable icky part is how can chicken fantasize about making love to a human being? I guess a rooster is in worse situation than a castrated or impotent guy because the later can still enjoy receiving and giving other forms of sex with his partner. But a chicken and a human being? Oh, common on.
However, I appreciate the effort that the author and illustrator Gerry Alanguilan put in coming up with this book. In his acknowledgment portion, he mentioned that he also currently does comics for some US companies. Once again, this attests to the world-class talents of the Filipino artists. Well done, Gerry. Just don't push your luck too hard on the sex part, please.
September 3, 2011
I borrowed this book from the library and put it off so long, going as far as to accidentally lose it in the passenger foot well of my car, thus incurring that volume with incurable water damage. I returned it to the library unread and received an email not long after, charging me for the damage. I paid the fee and became the owner of Elmer by Gerry Alanguilan. Well, at this point I was determined to get my money's worth.
And, boy, did I. Think about it. How long have we been eating chicken? For as long as humanity remembers. Now... what if all the chickens simultaneously, in the blink of a second, gained sentience? Lost, tethered in a monstrous existence in the well of a yawning new intelligence, the chickens thrash about in confused panic to understand what happened. If the chickens had it bad, how bad do you think the humans took it?
Deftly chronicling this alternate history of the world through the eyes of a second generation sentient chicken Jake Gallo, Alanguilan brings home an absurd concept and brings it to life with compassion, humor, and realism. This is not just a comic book. It is a morality story. We feel Jake's pain at losing his father, and his dawning understanding as he peruses his inheritance, the book his father has been writing for as long as he could remember. We explore the dual perspectives of before and after the chickens become intelligent.
This was a nice surprise, and was worth all the trouble it took to find itself in my hands.
And, boy, did I. Think about it. How long have we been eating chicken? For as long as humanity remembers. Now... what if all the chickens simultaneously, in the blink of a second, gained sentience? Lost, tethered in a monstrous existence in the well of a yawning new intelligence, the chickens thrash about in confused panic to understand what happened. If the chickens had it bad, how bad do you think the humans took it?
Deftly chronicling this alternate history of the world through the eyes of a second generation sentient chicken Jake Gallo, Alanguilan brings home an absurd concept and brings it to life with compassion, humor, and realism. This is not just a comic book. It is a morality story. We feel Jake's pain at losing his father, and his dawning understanding as he peruses his inheritance, the book his father has been writing for as long as he could remember. We explore the dual perspectives of before and after the chickens become intelligent.
This was a nice surprise, and was worth all the trouble it took to find itself in my hands.
August 6, 2012
Read this with either and
OR
and or .
It was not surprising to read that Alanguilan is a professional inker. His drawings are intensely precise - textured and built with millions of tiny little lines. Beautiful in their exactness. I suspect it was intentional that here, the chickens are drawn more beautifully than the homo sapiens are.
But I get ahead of myself. This is the story of what happened when chickens gained souls. When chickens started being cognizant of the world. It's told from the perspective of one chicken who happens to be an author, and much of the story is told in flashbacks via his father's old journal.
And it is heart-wrenching.
Violence and prejudice and prejudicial violence run rampant in this story. Eventually, chickens are officially recognized to be human, and they fairly thoroughly integrate into world society.
This is a story about many things. About how change happens, and how the world ripples with ramifications when something big changes very suddenly. It's about animal rights, and human rights - and honestly, less about animal rights than you might expect. And more about the other stuff.
Hard to read, in the best possible way.
Oh yeah, and there's a copy of a postcard sent Alanguilan after reading and loving the first issue of this in the back. So there's that.
OR
and or .
It was not surprising to read that Alanguilan is a professional inker. His drawings are intensely precise - textured and built with millions of tiny little lines. Beautiful in their exactness. I suspect it was intentional that here, the chickens are drawn more beautifully than the homo sapiens are.
But I get ahead of myself. This is the story of what happened when chickens gained souls. When chickens started being cognizant of the world. It's told from the perspective of one chicken who happens to be an author, and much of the story is told in flashbacks via his father's old journal.
And it is heart-wrenching.
Violence and prejudice and prejudicial violence run rampant in this story. Eventually, chickens are officially recognized to be human, and they fairly thoroughly integrate into world society.
This is a story about many things. About how change happens, and how the world ripples with ramifications when something big changes very suddenly. It's about animal rights, and human rights - and honestly, less about animal rights than you might expect. And more about the other stuff.
Hard to read, in the best possible way.
Oh yeah, and there's a copy of a postcard sent Alanguilan after reading and loving the first issue of this in the back. So there's that.
September 27, 2019
This is the first Filipino komiks that I've ever purchased and it's pretty symbolic since my tatay is just a sucker for game cocks HAHAHHA and I also heard great things from this! I was pretty blessed and lucky that I got to buy it in our local bookstore because it was the only copy left XD
Elmer may have a pretty ridiculous premise at first but by the time you read it, you'll find a treasure trove of deep-seated trauma and oppression. At the heart of it, this graphic novel reiterates how everyone adapts for the better or for the worse when our survival instincts kick up. This was a moving tale and I definitely recommend this to all Filipino readers out there! Elmer is something that you'd be really proud of.
Elmer may have a pretty ridiculous premise at first but by the time you read it, you'll find a treasure trove of deep-seated trauma and oppression. At the heart of it, this graphic novel reiterates how everyone adapts for the better or for the worse when our survival instincts kick up. This was a moving tale and I definitely recommend this to all Filipino readers out there! Elmer is something that you'd be really proud of.
May 28, 2016
This was kind of amazing.
This book was like Ig nobel prize winners; it made me laugh, and then think. The concept of chickens suddenly becoming an intelligent species sounds absurd, but through it Gerry Alanguilan was able to craft such a fascinating world with such a tragic history.
Who knew a story about chickens could incite so much emotion and thought in me?
This book was like Ig nobel prize winners; it made me laugh, and then think. The concept of chickens suddenly becoming an intelligent species sounds absurd, but through it Gerry Alanguilan was able to craft such a fascinating world with such a tragic history.
Who knew a story about chickens could incite so much emotion and thought in me?
March 12, 2011
... veers from hyperextended allegory on racial prejudice to domestic melodrama -- pretty corny throughout, especially the chicken feed scenes ...! Anyhow, the corniness is cut nicely with non-aggressive weirdness -- I wanted to say "unself-conscious weirdness", but who can ever say for sure? I liked the opening sequence best: POV shot of some Filipino dude m-bating to the Internet; his eyes drift ceiling-ward as he's about to come, a single feather floating aimlessly in the air ...
Alanguilan's texture-heavy drawings are well suited to portraying the natural beauty of the Filipino countryside. I especially like the "quilted hatching" (or whatever you call that technique) that he uses for objects in shadow, backgrounds, and faraway objects. It's the black-and-white comix equivalent of an obviously painted backdrop in the movies; it heightens the theatricality of his characters' interactions with one another. Alanguilan's figure work is a little stiff, which isn't conspicuous when most of the figures are talking chickens, but a more cartoony approach might have allowed him greater emotional range, funnier jokes, more readable character designs, etc. His art reminds me of Jason Lutes' in Berlin , except with a more cinematic sweep.
I love reading Filipino syntax and word choice in English, but I wonder how much of that stuff non-flippy readers will care about or notice.
Nobody's going to enshrine this book as the successor to Maus . Despite similarities in theme and modus operandi, Maus is serious business, and Elmer is trash. For what it's worth, though, the two are about even in entertainment value.
Alanguilan's texture-heavy drawings are well suited to portraying the natural beauty of the Filipino countryside. I especially like the "quilted hatching" (or whatever you call that technique) that he uses for objects in shadow, backgrounds, and faraway objects. It's the black-and-white comix equivalent of an obviously painted backdrop in the movies; it heightens the theatricality of his characters' interactions with one another. Alanguilan's figure work is a little stiff, which isn't conspicuous when most of the figures are talking chickens, but a more cartoony approach might have allowed him greater emotional range, funnier jokes, more readable character designs, etc. His art reminds me of Jason Lutes' in Berlin , except with a more cinematic sweep.
I love reading Filipino syntax and word choice in English, but I wonder how much of that stuff non-flippy readers will care about or notice.
Nobody's going to enshrine this book as the successor to Maus . Despite similarities in theme and modus operandi, Maus is serious business, and Elmer is trash. For what it's worth, though, the two are about even in entertainment value.
November 2, 2012
I first heard about this particular comic book via Trisha's (Lesbians with Books) comments on one of my Filipino Friday meme posts. Incidentally when I visited NBS, this book was right on the table located on the store front. I thought I might as well. And I was definitely intrigued by the idea of Planet of the Apes, Chicken Version.
I considered the world presented by Planet of the Apes as plausible because for one apes closely resemble humans. But the chickens? Well...at first, I found the whole thing to be absurd. Chickens have feathers, wings, a beak. They cluck and have no hands. But despite that, I still got easily lost in the world created by Gerry Alanguilan. I found it quite interesting. The chicken characters were just made so much human in their ways and thinking that made me believe that this whole thing could be possible. They go to school and get jobs, talk as we do, roam the streets as we do. I thought yeah, this could work. Why not? Although, I had a momentary jolt back into reality by the idea of chickens being physically attracted to humans and even going on to marrying them. This was the thing which I couldn't quite wrap my head into. But apart from that, I thought it was a pretty gripping and believable story. Reinforced by the wonderful expressive and intense illustrations done by the author. The story tackles political and social issues, human rights and animal rights, and family and friendships, and growing up. It's one of those stories that suddenly makes you insightful and reflective no matter how impossible you think the whole story is. I think this is a brilliant graphic novel and it makes me proud that it is done by a Pinoy.
I considered the world presented by Planet of the Apes as plausible because for one apes closely resemble humans. But the chickens? Well...at first, I found the whole thing to be absurd. Chickens have feathers, wings, a beak. They cluck and have no hands. But despite that, I still got easily lost in the world created by Gerry Alanguilan. I found it quite interesting. The chicken characters were just made so much human in their ways and thinking that made me believe that this whole thing could be possible. They go to school and get jobs, talk as we do, roam the streets as we do. I thought yeah, this could work. Why not? Although, I had a momentary jolt back into reality by the idea of chickens being physically attracted to humans and even going on to marrying them. This was the thing which I couldn't quite wrap my head into. But apart from that, I thought it was a pretty gripping and believable story. Reinforced by the wonderful expressive and intense illustrations done by the author. The story tackles political and social issues, human rights and animal rights, and family and friendships, and growing up. It's one of those stories that suddenly makes you insightful and reflective no matter how impossible you think the whole story is. I think this is a brilliant graphic novel and it makes me proud that it is done by a Pinoy.
November 19, 2016
Gerry Alanguilan - writer & artist
Elmer is a difficult book to accurately describe. The premise is disarmingly simple, verging on pithy: What would happen if all the chickens in the world became sentient? What follows this premise is a surprisingly touching, extremely thoughtful and complex graphic novel.
Jake Gallo is a young rooster, trying to make his way in a world which already includes chickens among those considered sentient, rational beings. Jake is frustrated and consumed with anger over what he (perhaps correctly) perceives as systemic discrimination against chickens. Jake's parents come from the generation of chickens who participated in whatever strange event caused their racial sentience to occur; he struggles to understand their experience and tries to come to terms with his own feelings of anger and inadequacy.
The story is gripping and the characters are very realistic and easy to relate to. The art is wonderful and expressive; you'll be amazed how much emotion and character chickens can express. This is one of those graphic novels that show what the genre is capable of and get you excited about what the author will do next.
5/5 Stars
Highly recommended.
Elmer is a difficult book to accurately describe. The premise is disarmingly simple, verging on pithy: What would happen if all the chickens in the world became sentient? What follows this premise is a surprisingly touching, extremely thoughtful and complex graphic novel.
Jake Gallo is a young rooster, trying to make his way in a world which already includes chickens among those considered sentient, rational beings. Jake is frustrated and consumed with anger over what he (perhaps correctly) perceives as systemic discrimination against chickens. Jake's parents come from the generation of chickens who participated in whatever strange event caused their racial sentience to occur; he struggles to understand their experience and tries to come to terms with his own feelings of anger and inadequacy.
The story is gripping and the characters are very realistic and easy to relate to. The art is wonderful and expressive; you'll be amazed how much emotion and character chickens can express. This is one of those graphic novels that show what the genre is capable of and get you excited about what the author will do next.
5/5 Stars
Highly recommended.
February 11, 2011
I'm lucky enough that I got this one signed by Mr. Gerry Alanguilan and the three individual komiks before they were collected.
May 2, 2022
a comic book that could be read as an allegory of the horrors of the martial law in the philippines, but with chickens. always timely, especially lately (the dictator's son is gunning for the presidency): the book reminds us that, in the face of historical denialism and overwhelming disinformation online, "it's important not to forget."
June 2, 2011
My boyfriend reads a lot of superhero comics, which he insists are good but which sound crappy. He also has a thing for chickens, which is obvious in the amount of chicken knicknacks he has. One day, he showed me this graphic novel he bought at the comic book store. "Look at this," he said. "A comic about what would happen if chickens gained human intelligence and speech." "Cool." I said, secretly thinking it sounded lame. Later on, he brought this silly book to my house and told me I should read it because it was good and he thought I would like it. Whatever. At least it looked short.
So I read it. And I will say, I was totally wrong about it. This book was amazing. This is played totally straight, with all the seriousness of a book about the holocaust. And it works. Boy howdy, does it work.
The story focuses on a second-generation setient chicken who is given his father's diary, which he started keeping as soon as he learned to speak and write. The book describes the terrible ordeal his father, a fighting cock on a farm in the Phillipines, went through when every chicken suddenly became intelligent, being hidden from frightened and murderous humans by a sympathetic farmer, and the whole chicken civil rights movement.
Sounds silly, I know. But it was amazing. I would highly recommend it to people like me who love serious graphic novels. And I can't wait to read more by this author!
So I read it. And I will say, I was totally wrong about it. This book was amazing. This is played totally straight, with all the seriousness of a book about the holocaust. And it works. Boy howdy, does it work.
The story focuses on a second-generation setient chicken who is given his father's diary, which he started keeping as soon as he learned to speak and write. The book describes the terrible ordeal his father, a fighting cock on a farm in the Phillipines, went through when every chicken suddenly became intelligent, being hidden from frightened and murderous humans by a sympathetic farmer, and the whole chicken civil rights movement.
Sounds silly, I know. But it was amazing. I would highly recommend it to people like me who love serious graphic novels. And I can't wait to read more by this author!
August 29, 2012
It's a book about chickens, and did you know I am obsessed with chickens? So... pretty much there is no way for me to not love this book and I was relieved that it fulfilled my expectations for both chicken content and an interesting story. I wanted to get tattoos of several panels (chickens watching the sunset, for example). I even had a dream that I took this book to a tattoo parlor and got a chicken tattoo.
This is the story of the day the chickens of the world developed souls / consciousness (and everything that happened afterwards). As in, suddenly all the chickens can talk and express feelings and build relationships and hold jobs and have opinions. It is told from the perspective of a second-generation chicken who, like many second-generation kids, takes a lot of daily life's privileges for granted. Upon his father's death, he receives a journal that his dad kept from the early days and experiences of chickens who can talk and feel. The story is framed as this intergenerational forgetting/remembering process. It's about love, loss and dignity. Also, there is this subplot about basic (civil/human) rights (who gets them? who decides? how can they be enforced? what does it mean to be human? etc.)
This is the story of the day the chickens of the world developed souls / consciousness (and everything that happened afterwards). As in, suddenly all the chickens can talk and express feelings and build relationships and hold jobs and have opinions. It is told from the perspective of a second-generation chicken who, like many second-generation kids, takes a lot of daily life's privileges for granted. Upon his father's death, he receives a journal that his dad kept from the early days and experiences of chickens who can talk and feel. The story is framed as this intergenerational forgetting/remembering process. It's about love, loss and dignity. Also, there is this subplot about basic (civil/human) rights (who gets them? who decides? how can they be enforced? what does it mean to be human? etc.)
June 13, 2011
Note: It's recommended for mature readers only due to depictions of violence, sex (hmm?), and complicated adult ideas about the world.
"It's the Great Filipino Novel, with chickens." - Adam David, Philippine Free Press
This is exactly what I thought of this comicbook when I had finished it. When I first started and read the first page, I honestly didn't quite know what to make of it... Reading, however, past page one, I was surprised, shocked, spell-bound by the premise of... well, chickens.
The story is interesting in its depth, humanity, depravity, poverty and warmth. It's so close to the heart, I could feel the emotions pour from every page. I enjoyed the details of the art, of how it was able to portray so well the wrath, joy, sadness of the characters moving in, out, between the story. The story may be called "simple", and probably even "not original"... But it was still quite refreshing to read it from a different perspective.
A thought-provoking read, something I could definitely chew on for quite some time. Bravo.
"It's the Great Filipino Novel, with chickens." - Adam David, Philippine Free Press
This is exactly what I thought of this comicbook when I had finished it. When I first started and read the first page, I honestly didn't quite know what to make of it... Reading, however, past page one, I was surprised, shocked, spell-bound by the premise of... well, chickens.
The story is interesting in its depth, humanity, depravity, poverty and warmth. It's so close to the heart, I could feel the emotions pour from every page. I enjoyed the details of the art, of how it was able to portray so well the wrath, joy, sadness of the characters moving in, out, between the story. The story may be called "simple", and probably even "not original"... But it was still quite refreshing to read it from a different perspective.
A thought-provoking read, something I could definitely chew on for quite some time. Bravo.
February 15, 2024
Elmer is a father and son story that explores topics of human rights, racism, generation trauma and cultural history, all through talking chickens.
In the world of Elmer, chickens have evolved to obtain the same sentience and intelligence of humans, forcing humanity to change its own course and relationship with the animal, especially after the U.N. declares chickens as apart of the human race and deserving of the same rights.
The story though focuses on Jake, the son of Elmer, who was one of the first generations of chicken to gain sentience, as Jake explores his father's first steps into civilization by reading through his father's diary. It is through this diary that Jake learns of his father's life, but also of the history of chickens gaining equal rights and all the prejudice they had to deal with. Again, this is a very silly premise, but Gerry Alanguilan does an exceptional job of capturing the darkness of humanity in this novel as well as the hope in it. This is a very clever graphic novel.
This has some of the best ink work that I have ever seen in a graphic novel. It was no surprise to find out that this author had been inking comics for years. I loved the way he showed light and shadows using intricate inking lines to create dark and light shades. And some of the imagery he captured, was so haunting and beautiful. Very striking linework and imagery. Again, some of the best inking work I've seen.
While well told, I do feel like I wanted to see more. The novel had a good ending but it also felt slightly abrupt. I could definitely see this being made into an animated series with more exploration being point into some of the smaller subplots and characters in this. But definitely an unforgettable graphic novel that shouldn't be passed up.
In the world of Elmer, chickens have evolved to obtain the same sentience and intelligence of humans, forcing humanity to change its own course and relationship with the animal, especially after the U.N. declares chickens as apart of the human race and deserving of the same rights.
The story though focuses on Jake, the son of Elmer, who was one of the first generations of chicken to gain sentience, as Jake explores his father's first steps into civilization by reading through his father's diary. It is through this diary that Jake learns of his father's life, but also of the history of chickens gaining equal rights and all the prejudice they had to deal with. Again, this is a very silly premise, but Gerry Alanguilan does an exceptional job of capturing the darkness of humanity in this novel as well as the hope in it. This is a very clever graphic novel.
This has some of the best ink work that I have ever seen in a graphic novel. It was no surprise to find out that this author had been inking comics for years. I loved the way he showed light and shadows using intricate inking lines to create dark and light shades. And some of the imagery he captured, was so haunting and beautiful. Very striking linework and imagery. Again, some of the best inking work I've seen.
While well told, I do feel like I wanted to see more. The novel had a good ending but it also felt slightly abrupt. I could definitely see this being made into an animated series with more exploration being point into some of the smaller subplots and characters in this. But definitely an unforgettable graphic novel that shouldn't be passed up.
May 23, 2019
When I first noticed this book at the library, it was on display, waiting for someone to be intrigued enough to pick it up. I was, of course, driven to do so by the stunningly regal-looking chicken illustrated on the cover. I thumbed through the first few pages and knew I had to check it out (literally and figuratively), and I couldn't wait to get home to read it.
Without giving away too much (and because my reviews tend to focus more on the emotional experience I have with what I'm reading rather than plot summaries), this is a beautiful graphic novel. Done solely in a beautifully talented ink style by Gerry Alanguilan (a talented "inker" who's worked on many prominent Marvel and DC comic titles), it tells the story of a family--a chicken family. Conceptually ridiculous, but handled in such a good way to as to be especially poignant, it brought tears to my eyes more than once. I will most assuredly buy this if I ever see it at a book store, and will wholeheartedly recommend it to any- and every-one.
Read this if you... like chickens, graphic novels, and/or visceral stories that don't pull punches.
I gave it five stars because for me:
1 star = I couldn't even finish it it was so awful
2 stars = I finished it but only because I was curious about how it ended
3 stars = I enjoyed the story but don't intend to ever read it again
4 stars = I really liked the story, may read again, and definitely recommend
*5 stars = I love it and own it and will read it again [in this case, I checked it out from the library, but will buy it if I see it]
Without giving away too much (and because my reviews tend to focus more on the emotional experience I have with what I'm reading rather than plot summaries), this is a beautiful graphic novel. Done solely in a beautifully talented ink style by Gerry Alanguilan (a talented "inker" who's worked on many prominent Marvel and DC comic titles), it tells the story of a family--a chicken family. Conceptually ridiculous, but handled in such a good way to as to be especially poignant, it brought tears to my eyes more than once. I will most assuredly buy this if I ever see it at a book store, and will wholeheartedly recommend it to any- and every-one.
Read this if you... like chickens, graphic novels, and/or visceral stories that don't pull punches.
I gave it five stars because for me:
1 star = I couldn't even finish it it was so awful
2 stars = I finished it but only because I was curious about how it ended
3 stars = I enjoyed the story but don't intend to ever read it again
4 stars = I really liked the story, may read again, and definitely recommend
*5 stars = I love it and own it and will read it again [in this case, I checked it out from the library, but will buy it if I see it]
May 2, 2015
So for starters, let's begin by saying that this book is about chickens. Now that's out of the way, let's end it with a note that this book may or may have not made me shed a tear.
Gerry Alanguilan, both the writer and artist for this book did an awesome job at this. Brilliant storytelling on his part and the black and white drawings nailed it. It's charming, heartbreaking, and wittingly funny all at once. The plot mostly revolved around chickens, literally. How they're trying to go through a life where they just became human beings - in some ways it's a little creepy and scary. It may contained a few amounts of violence and adult content, so I may not advise this read to children. Nevertheless, it's a fun idea and it magically worked in aspects of actually giving you a new perspective, in life that is.
Allow me to leave you with this quote that struck me the most out of Elmer. - "Be happy. What else would we rather be?"
Gerry Alanguilan, both the writer and artist for this book did an awesome job at this. Brilliant storytelling on his part and the black and white drawings nailed it. It's charming, heartbreaking, and wittingly funny all at once. The plot mostly revolved around chickens, literally. How they're trying to go through a life where they just became human beings - in some ways it's a little creepy and scary. It may contained a few amounts of violence and adult content, so I may not advise this read to children. Nevertheless, it's a fun idea and it magically worked in aspects of actually giving you a new perspective, in life that is.
Allow me to leave you with this quote that struck me the most out of Elmer. - "Be happy. What else would we rather be?"
December 24, 2011
Fantastic. Take a complicated protagonist who discovered a series of events that affected who and where he is now; a rich history of conflict, discrimination, and violence, traces of which he still carries on at present. Regardless of universal laws and worldwide acceptance, it is still very hard to fully embrace the idea that we are all equal. I think this is the struggle that most of us can relate with. Of course, these were all present in this work and to add flavor to it --- think of the characters as chickens. Yup, chickens. Again, fantastic.
April 9, 2012
This book is truly a masterpiece and very unforgettable. The sapient chickens here are the representations of racial difference, the oppressed, the poor and other minorities that deserve equality in this very cruel world. I love the way the story was written. It was very serious and no nonsense and it made me want to make my own graphic novel too. it is graphic novel that has a statement and not just created to give enjoyment as well. A must read for all people.
June 14, 2012
The only Filipino graphic novel nominated in the Eisner Awards for best new graphic album, Elmer indeed deserves international recognition. Created by Gerry Alanguilan, Elmer is a story about chickens who have mysteriously gained human intelligence and consciousness. It follows their chilling tale of survival for acceptance in this world and their struggle to co-exist with the human race and to live with equal rights. Elmer is worth buying and is a good read.
October 3, 2016
Modern classic as in I am declaring it such!
This. Book. Kicked. My. Ass.
See Twitter if you don't believe me here.
Read this!
This. Book. Kicked. My. Ass.
See Twitter if you don't believe me here.
Read this!
March 17, 2024
Chicken rights to reflect some commentary about several different things. Nice read
January 23, 2024
I never thought chickens (an animal I am afraid of, because beak and unpredictability) would make me goddamn emotional. Rest in peace Master Gerry Alanguilan! Thank you, thank you.
May 19, 2023
This is truly a great read! This graphic novel addresses true love, abject hatred and a soul living on.
February 22, 2023
I've read a lot of comics so it can become easy for me to blip over many of them. But I think this one stood out.
Very artistic, expressive, and creative. It's down to earth and tells a story about real life. Alanguilan was able to capture humanity through chickens in a simple and elegant, softly captivating, work.
The art and story is bold and uncompromising. The chickens hold much dignity and portray some sense of all of us.
Very artistic, expressive, and creative. It's down to earth and tells a story about real life. Alanguilan was able to capture humanity through chickens in a simple and elegant, softly captivating, work.
The art and story is bold and uncompromising. The chickens hold much dignity and portray some sense of all of us.
August 11, 2012
Jake is a chicken (technically, he’s a rooster) who was born into a new world where his parents (also chickens) awoke to self-awareness and intelligence on par with that of human beings. Angry and frustrated in his adult life, Jake returns home to spend time with his elderly father, Elmer, who passes away soon after his son arrives. Elmer has left Jake his book � a journal/memoir of what happened when all of the chickens (their people) changed and how the world became a different place for everyone.
Like a lot of other people (according to Gerry Alanguilan) you might be wondering “Why chickens?� Gerry likes chickens and got to thinking about what *they* might be thinking about one day and turned some of those ideas into a series of comics. His “what if?� is pretty solid � humans would completely freak out and kill millions of chickens. Chickens would retaliate � especially the fighting cocks. I’m not sure how smoothly the whole “chickens are people, too� transition would go (we’d probably still be fighting), but we sure wouldn’t have KFC anymore. I don’t know that there’d ever be chicken-human relationships (Jake had a crush on a human actress, and his sister May was engaged to a human man) as Alanguilan suggests � this kind of creeps me out � but maybe so (just not in the timeframe he suggests � 20 years or so?).
Like a lot of other people (according to Gerry Alanguilan) you might be wondering “Why chickens?� Gerry likes chickens and got to thinking about what *they* might be thinking about one day and turned some of those ideas into a series of comics. His “what if?� is pretty solid � humans would completely freak out and kill millions of chickens. Chickens would retaliate � especially the fighting cocks. I’m not sure how smoothly the whole “chickens are people, too� transition would go (we’d probably still be fighting), but we sure wouldn’t have KFC anymore. I don’t know that there’d ever be chicken-human relationships (Jake had a crush on a human actress, and his sister May was engaged to a human man) as Alanguilan suggests � this kind of creeps me out � but maybe so (just not in the timeframe he suggests � 20 years or so?).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 16, 2022
This graphic novel is simply amazing. I was flabbergasted how effective yet simple the story was. In 135 pages, Gerry was able to discuss the struggles of minorities, a little bit of how it is to be a second generation immigrant, accepting and coming to terms with your history and identity, forgiveness and the value of family among dozens of other things.
The drawings were very good, Gerry used some gore to drive his points across. I'm fine with this. The topics brought up in Elmer aren't supposed supposed to be sugar-coated. Minorities die worldwide daily because of bigotry. There are well off children who didn't know how hard things were for their parents. Many people now do not know or at least appreciate the sacrifices of their ancestors for the freedoms they currently enjoy. Learning history is very important. It must be vigilantly protected with accurate recording and constant remembrance because it can be forgotten and worse, distorted.
Life can get ugly, we may ultimately die with plenty of regret. So while we still draw breath, let's lessen the things left unsaid and celebrate what we do have. Let the people who are there for us know that they are loved because things never remain the same. This graphic novel is a thing of beauty. I strongly recommend Elmer.
Read the physical copy.
The drawings were very good, Gerry used some gore to drive his points across. I'm fine with this. The topics brought up in Elmer aren't supposed supposed to be sugar-coated. Minorities die worldwide daily because of bigotry. There are well off children who didn't know how hard things were for their parents. Many people now do not know or at least appreciate the sacrifices of their ancestors for the freedoms they currently enjoy. Learning history is very important. It must be vigilantly protected with accurate recording and constant remembrance because it can be forgotten and worse, distorted.
Life can get ugly, we may ultimately die with plenty of regret. So while we still draw breath, let's lessen the things left unsaid and celebrate what we do have. Let the people who are there for us know that they are loved because things never remain the same. This graphic novel is a thing of beauty. I strongly recommend Elmer.
Read the physical copy.
July 18, 2022
In the world of the late komik legend Gerry Alanguilan’s Elmer, chickens can talk and—more importantly, and most absurdly—are members of the human race. Herein lies the great conflict of this story, however, it is not the entire picture.
Jake Gallo, our main chicken, navigates through this surreal world his father and the book’s namesake, Elmer, has laid out for him and his siblings. When a sudden illness strikes the old rooster, Jake is thrust into his parents� and their kind’s bloody history as told through his father’s diary.
At its core, this is an ode to family and legacy. But there are of course striking and familiar themes Alanguilan imbued in these black and white panels that readers, especially his fellow countrymen, will resonate with, reminding them of their own violent history and why we must never forget—why we must continue to write and write for the next generation to know.
Short and quick read, but potent and will surely have me thinking about chickens, humanity, and the absurdity of the world.
Thank you Gerry Alanguilan.
Jake Gallo, our main chicken, navigates through this surreal world his father and the book’s namesake, Elmer, has laid out for him and his siblings. When a sudden illness strikes the old rooster, Jake is thrust into his parents� and their kind’s bloody history as told through his father’s diary.
At its core, this is an ode to family and legacy. But there are of course striking and familiar themes Alanguilan imbued in these black and white panels that readers, especially his fellow countrymen, will resonate with, reminding them of their own violent history and why we must never forget—why we must continue to write and write for the next generation to know.
Short and quick read, but potent and will surely have me thinking about chickens, humanity, and the absurdity of the world.
Thank you Gerry Alanguilan.
November 2, 2011
This book shouldn't be any good at all.
But somehow, it is really quite good.
Full disclosure: I picked it up because of the line on the front cover that read "The great Filipino novel ... with chickens!" Which, yeah, it had a sort of wonderful and intense energy to it that, at the very least, the awesome Filipinos I have known, have possessed. Not to generalize! It was subtle! As for the chickens, some of the allegorical hatred, UN stuff, bird flu (AIDS?), etc etc, was totally awkward, required suspension of disbelief, tons of it. Also, the framing device (son chicken reading father chickens diary) wasn't the best. But so what? The emotional core of this -- finding and fighting for one's family, and the excellent, expressive illustration, made this story really intriguing and engrossing. Probably it's a three star story, but the fact that Alanguilan was able to do so much with such a weird awkward premise bumped it up. Yeah!
But somehow, it is really quite good.
Full disclosure: I picked it up because of the line on the front cover that read "The great Filipino novel ... with chickens!" Which, yeah, it had a sort of wonderful and intense energy to it that, at the very least, the awesome Filipinos I have known, have possessed. Not to generalize! It was subtle! As for the chickens, some of the allegorical hatred, UN stuff, bird flu (AIDS?), etc etc, was totally awkward, required suspension of disbelief, tons of it. Also, the framing device (son chicken reading father chickens diary) wasn't the best. But so what? The emotional core of this -- finding and fighting for one's family, and the excellent, expressive illustration, made this story really intriguing and engrossing. Probably it's a three star story, but the fact that Alanguilan was able to do so much with such a weird awkward premise bumped it up. Yeah!
September 27, 2023
I happened to come across this book while browsing a library in Santa Rosa... or Portland, I'm not 100% sure. I just pulled it off the shelf and began to read. It left such an impression that I bought a copy of it to add to other graphic novels and comics I've collected over the years (not much, so that makes it particularly special). The story is such a touching metaphor for an outsider's experience and surviving genocide, treading this seemingly impossible tightrope between "This is ridiculous because it's about chickens" and "If animals became sentient this 100% would happen."
The best part is that in spite of its premise the book succeeds. I'm so glad I came across this, own it and can revisit it again.
The best part is that in spite of its premise the book succeeds. I'm so glad I came across this, own it and can revisit it again.
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