I’m not the biggest comic book reader in the world, but I completely appreciate the medium. There is just something amazing about being able to convey a full story within a storyboard and have to get through the plot without having the luxury of hundreds of pages of text at your disposal. And, on top of that, it is something that needs to be aesthetically pleasing as well.
Matt Crehan Comics will be releasing The Art of Running: The Steve Prefontaine Story on May 30, 2015 and has given Run Oregon a sneak peek into the story of our native running son – Steve Prefontaine.
Author and illustrator Matthew Crehan is actually a National level runner, with dreams of competing in the Olympics as well. When asked about the Art of Running project, he said: “I wanted to show the sport of track and field as a real art form, as Prefontaine always thought of it, and give athletes a book that was something different but also inspiring.” This graphic novel was actually funded through Kickstarter back in 2013, which led to enough funds for artwork and printing costs.
The comic chronicles Pre’s life, from his start in Coos Bay, to attending the U of O, to his visit to Munich for the 1972 Olympic Games, and his death as well. Although many of us Oregonians are familiar with Pre’s rise and fall, and about his lasting legacy here, this offers a unique perspective that may bring new eyes into learning about both him and about the sport of running. The storytelling is solid and I found the artwork mesmerizing. It does a great job at holding attention, all the while capturing Pre’s true essence.
You can get Issue 1 digitally for about $3, and pre-order the entire digital series for about $11 on Matt’s webstore.
Funny, but I thought the illustrations were waaaaay off the mark. Anyone with even a passing knowledge of Prefontaine and Bowerman would not recognize them in this medium, perhaps due to the fact that neither family approved of or participated in this project. Also, it was particularly bizarre that different illustrators suddenly jumped in and then jumped out again. Lastly, I question the veracity of much of the dialogue that is attributed to Pre, Bowerman, Mary and others depicted. I found this hugely disappointing.