Review
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Title: Family Portrait
Author: Matt Page
Illustrator: Matt Page
Publisher: Matt Page
Genre: Graphic Novel/Comic
Year Published: 2023
Number of Pages: 22
Binding: paper
ISBN:
Price: 15.00
Reviewed by Andrew Hamilton for the Association of Mormon Letters
In 2013, LDS illustrator and comic artist Matt Page added an illustration to his website of a not-conventionally attractive woman and her alien-appearing son. Over the next decade, he would occasionally upload a new illustration with the same pair, turning it into a series. This unusual pair gained quite the following, and in 2023, Page compiled the illustrations he had already made, added a couple of new ones, made some minor edits, and released the series as a published zine titled Family Portrait.
If you look at the illustration accompanying this post of the cover, you may think that Family Portrait is a little weird, and quite frankly, it is! BUT it is also VERY sweet, emotional, and touching. There is so much pathos in the images in this story, ESPECIALLY in the ending. I LOVE all of Page’s work, but this is his most powerful and emotional story. It is so good. If you have ever felt like an outcast, if you have lost a loved family member, especially a parent, you will be immensely touched by this powerful story. At 22 pages, Family Portrait is very short, even for a zine. But in those short pages, you will feel a full range of emotions. The child in it may be an “alien,” but the story is very down to Earth and relatable, especially for anyone who has raised a child. One of my favorite images is one of the child reproducing the “Double image” style school photo that was so popular in the 90s and early 2000s. It’s just so real.
Sadly, Family Portrait will not win any awards, but it should. It is an award-winning caliber piece of art. It made me cry, and I say that about very few books, let alone a comic book with no dialogue. I own everything Matt Page has published. I have enjoyed every page of every comic, zine, and booklet. “Family Portrait” is my absolute FAVORITE. Thank you, Matt, for this wonderful little gift. It was published originally as a limited edition; I got 10/100! I am not sure how many are left, but I highly recommend getting a copy while you can!
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