During a year abroad in Tokyo, German comic artist Schwieger issued a dare to fans on his blog to send him “assignments” to complete and document. In this collection of entries, Schwieger successfully blends travelogue and graphic novel as he chronicles his time among the Japanese. The assignments range from the expected (eat sushi with plenty of wasabi and try the deadly fugu
) to the bizarre (ride a rooftop roller coaster; go to a para para trance dance). The most endearing entries are often those where the assignment is vague: when asked about his most awkward social interaction, Schwieger depicts his battle with complicated Japanese toilets. In addition to his own assignments, Schwieger sent messages to comics artists around the globe, tasking them with finding and drawing their interaction with a Japanese person. Among the participants are James Kochalka (American Elf
) and Ryan North, a Toronto artist who uses the same illustrations with different captions for his daily Dinosaur Comics
. Schwieger’s black-and-white ink drawings beautifully evoke the wide range of Japanese culture, from the serene to the absurd. (Nov.)