Dust Ship Glory TP Advance Review

Dust Ship Glory TP

Original Novelist: Andreas Schroeder
Graphic Adapter: Elaine Will
Publisher: Renegade Arts Entertainment

Review by Josh Rose

Every kid in North America grows up learning about the Great Depression, how drought and economic hard times preceded World War II. What they didn’t teach this Alberta kid was how it affected one man in Saskatchewan. Dust Ship Glory is about Tom Sukanen and his dream to sail around the world in a ship he made before returning to Finland. This is based on a true story and adapted from Andreas Schroeder’s 2011 novel of the same name.

Elaine Will has given us a wonderful story. She doesn’t just tell us about Sukanen building his ship or his relationships with the other townsfolk. She also shares his backstory, as she tells us about his family back in the United States and why he came to Saskatchewan. Most of her art is done in simple black and white, and her flashbacks are colored with a lot of grays. I really enjoy how frail and thin Will draws Sukanen as time goes on, depicting his increasingly malnourished state.

As the story  progresses we learn that Sukanen is suffering from mental illness, but his logic is still sound. What makes this a great story isn’t a ship being built; it’s about his relationships, particularly those with his family in Saskatchewan.

The Verdict: Buy it,

Dust Ship Glory is a story I wish I learned in school. It tells us about an interesting man in one of the worst economic periods in history. Beautifully drawn and written, this is a wonderful character-driven story, as well as a commentary on mental illness and family.

Dust Ship Glory is available in stores February 14 with Diamond Distributor Code DEC171759