'The Unknown Scribbler'

From Death Comes a Scribbler is a short illustrated tribute to the late Ed Gorey, a fact that is pretty much given away by the subtitle of the book "A Tribute to the Master Edward Gorey". Written by the "Unknown Scribbler", the book is more or less a picture-driven love note to the master of macabre and off-kilter illustration with a message that more or less amounts to "Thank you for inspiring me to draw" thrown in.

The text of the book is fairly short, and it is likely that this review will contain more words than the book does. But the meat of the book is not in the text, but rather in the Ed Gorey inspired black line drawn illustrations. The story that the illustrations tell is a fairly simple one: the Scribbler learns of Gorey's death, dreams she is visited by Gorey in a dream, receives a command that she continue drawing from him, and then dedicates her future to fulfilling that imperative. The story is clearly told with affection and love, and reads like a caring and heartfelt eulogy. Or at least a caring and heartfelt eulogy if that sort of thing included a visitation by the subject from beyond the grave.

Anyone looking for something more than a sweet homage to an illustrator's favorite inspiration will be disappointed. Taken for what it is, it is an endearing and creepily cute little book that serves as a fitting send off for one of the more twisted and surreal Gothic artists of recent history.

This review has also been posted to my blog Dreaming About Other Worlds.… (meer)