We met Paul accidentally. We were at our favorite bookshop intending to pick up a copy of “Blankets,” Craig Thompson’s epic coming-of-age graphic novel that came highly recommended. But the dude behind the counter, an avid comics reader, said, “That’s good, but this is much better.” He handed us a copy of blue soft cover book he’d just finished reading, Michel Rabagliati’s “Paul Has a Summer Job.” “They both have similar themes,” he said, “But Michel draws better, and the story is really sweet.”

It was a fairly small volume — about 150 pagess — which the jacket revealed was a loosely autobiographical comic about a high school dropout who becomes a counselor at a Quebec camp where he falls in love with a fellow counselor. And bookstore dude was right. It was fantastic. It wasn’t flashy or over-written. It was a simple story, both small and charming, emotional and profound. Like his fellow Canadians the Weakerthans, Rabagliati’s story found beauty in the small things.

Since that first volume, Paul has embarked on other adventures, all equally lovely, and all worth reading. We’ve gotten to see Paul grow up, get married, and in the latest installment, “Paul Goes Fishing,” see him prepare to become a father as he reflects back to his youth on a fishing trip with his wife.

Here’s a brief look at the books in the series:

“Paul Has a Summer Job” (2003)
TIME says: “Both funny and touching, Michel Rabagliati’s ‘Paul Has a Summer Job,’ has an authenticity sorely lacking in most forms of entertainment, not least of all comix. Exactly like a restorative trip to the woods, it reminds you of what you really enjoy literature for — the chance to connect to others and what’s real — and get away from superficiality and irony.” | Source

“Paul Moves Out” (2005)
Onion AV Club says: “The geniality of ‘Paul Moves Out’ becomes infectious, as Rabagliati recreates what it’s like to be an inexperienced young person learning about art, film, food, music, and love. He works deliberately toward a quiet but devastating finish, which recasts all that’s come before as a kind of origin story: not for a superhero, but for a life.” | Source

“Paul Goes Fishing” (2008)
Entertainment Weekly says: “A warm and funny guy (who delivers a goofily compelling Hank Williams tribute, to boot), you can’t help but like Paul: He’s yet another a man who predictably cites ‘The Catcher and the Rye’ as his favorite book, but is self-deprecating enough to admit that he loves Lucie most because she’s smarter than he is. While the flashbacks remain amusing and insightful (such as an adolescent Paul explaining that while he thinks of Jesus as his friend, God’s more like his scary father), a large cast of friends and family — and subplots therein — can crowd the story. Still, the overall humanity of Rabagliati’s tale and the wit with which it is written and drawn will grab you — hook, line, and sinker. | Source

You can get more info on the “Paul” books and Michel Rabagliati at Drawn and Quarterly.

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