BOY VS. SHARK

A graphic memoir presenting a humorously disarming look at machismo and personal responsibility.

It’s 1975, and 10-year-old Paul is enjoying a summer vacation with his Fantastic Four comics, military toys, and best friend, David Chu. The harmony is disrupted when Swain, an older boy, wins over both David and Bernie Dias, the youngest kid in the group. “Playing with” friends becomes the more mature “hanging out.” The guys are also fixated on the new blockbuster horror movie, Jaws. But the film traumatizes Paul to the point that he has conversations with an imaginary shark who pressures him into expressing the most toxic version of masculinity. Irish American Paul’s parents mostly talk over him, leaving him to his internal monologues, particularly whenever his dad tries to teach him about cars. Between the shark and Swain’s influence, Paul briefly becomes a more callous version of himself, dispensing insults, throwing crabapples, and going along with Swain’s shoplifting dare. Paul is usually so gentle that he prefers to play baseball with a tennis ball; he ultimately tunes into his inner compass and resists being a jerk for the sake of impressing others. Elaine, Bernie’s sister, punctures male egoism on the spot, modeling maturity, and Paul and his friends ultimately demonstrate genuine growth. The simple but dramatically expressive artwork plays to Gilligan’s strengths with deadpan humor, and the text and illustrations work in harmony to convey complex insights and feelings with clarity.

An authentic and funny look at masculinity and growing pains that resonates across the decades.