Recommended Reading - True Story Swear to God by Randy Lander Last Updated: November 25, 2005 Publisher: Clib's Boy Comics and AIT/Planet Lar Frequency: Bi-monthly (in theory, actually closer to quarterly) Price: $2.95 Status: Ongoing Series (3 trades are currently available, collecting issues #1-11 and 100 True Story strips, and the series is currently on issue #15) Jumping-On Points: True Story Swear to God is easy enough to jump onto just about anywhere, but the ideal places to start are probably either with Chances Are..., the first trade paperback from AIT/Planet Lar or with issue #12, which starts Tom's story of living in Puerto Rico in earnest. Creators: Written/Illustrated by Tom Beland Website: Tom Beland's Website (It's out of date, but it does feature a number of True Story Swear to God strips, Beland's bio, resume and an email link) The Basics: A forty-something cartoonist meets a Puerto Rican radio celebrity on a serendipitous trip to Disneyland and true love ensues, leading to romance, worry and eventually a move to Puerto Rico that leads to more of both. My Overview: Tom Beland has managed to capture the magic of romance in a way that makes it funny, heart-wrenching and uplifting all at the same time. It's the kind of love story that reaffirms your existing love affair with a significant other or spouse, or makes you long (in a non-jealous way) for a relationship like it, but it's also a very funny observational comic about the trials and tribulations of real life. Beland had been doing cartoon strips before he met Lily, and this provided his foundation for slice-of-life humor and honest, touching stories about his own life, particularly the loss of his parents or the close relationship he has with his remaining family, but the first issue of the comic was created for Lily, and her presence in Beland's life seems to have cemented the identity of True Story Swear to God. True Story Swear to God could be classified as a romance comic, but really, it's more of a humor/romance comic. The story of Tom and Lily continues on even to this day, but the heart of their romance, finding each other and deciding to become a part of each others' daily lives, takes place in the first one or two issues. After that, it's a story of how the romance affects their lives, and that means digging into their lives apart from one another as well, and the result is a story grounded in a magical romance but full of other observations and moments that anyone can recognize and relate to. Beland opens up the book of his (and Lily's life) and shows only the funniest, most poignant or key moments in that life. The result is a slice-of-life comic that has the focus and dramatic structure of fiction but the honesty of autobiography. It is also a book that (cliched as it sound) can make the reader laugh and cry. Who's It For?: Anyone who has a soft spot for romance or likes sharply-observed humor based on daily life, work and relationships, plus anyone who has ever had their heart grow two sizes at the end of a Nora Ephron film (even if you didn't admit it to anyone). Currently Available Trades: True Story Swear to God Vol. 1: Chances Are... (Collects True Story Swear to God #1-4) True Story Swear to God Vol. 2: Chances Are... (Collects True Story Swear to God #5-11 with an introduction by Kurt Busiek) True Story Swear to God: 100 Stories (Collects 100 of Tom Beland's True Story Swear to God cartoon strips, including some in Spanish) Reviews: True Story Swear to God #1 True Story Swear to God #2 True Story Swear to God #3 True Story Swear to God #4 True Story Swear to God #5 True Story Swear to God: Chances Are... TP Snapshot: True Story Swear to God #6 Snapshot: True Story Swear to God #7 True Story Swear to God #8 True Story, Swear to God: 100 Stories TPB True Story Swear to God #12 Snapshot: True Story Swear to God #13 True Story Swear to God #14 True Story Swear to God: This One Goes to Eleven TPB Recent Issues: TRUE STORY SWEAR TO GOD #15 Synopsis: Tom and Lily go on a local TV show and Tom suffers through a bad game of golf with his in-laws, all while making the big decision to print up some mini-comics and try to sell them. Review: While the big story of True Story Swear to God at first was about the Lily and Tom romance, it has broadened to be about the life they share together. The result is a narrative that at times is a bit more unfocused (this issue jumps all over in terms of stuff happening), but it's also got a wider variety, and True Story Swear to God has broadened from romance to slice-of-life and done it quite nicely. Beland has always had a comedic gift, and his take on golf and going on television make for hilarious, specific to his life stories, and his continuing assimilation into Puerto Rican culture (as demonstrated by the language faux-pas gag in the opening pages) makes for great comedy as well. The heart of this issue, though, is Tom realizing a lifelong love of comics with the help of his other love in life, Lily, and it's touching and sweet and moving. I'm well aware of how having someone in your life can give you the confidence and help you need to do something you could never have done on your own, and it's really cool to see that played out on the page. Tom's publication and selling of his first mini-comic is a different kind of magic than the one that he experienced when he met and got involved with Lily, but it's just as powerful and he makes it just as effective for the reader. Highlights: Tom's slight difficulty with Spanish at the restaurant, Lily's determination to get Tom to publish and to hang in there with his job, the banter between Tom and his in-laws, Tom's clear amusement at the weirdness of TV, Tom's trepidation and the payoff in his comic book shop visits Quote: "I asked her if her pussy is boneless." "Yes. Now that was hilarious." -Tom and Lily at dinner Email Randy Lander comments about this column.