It's a good life, if you don't weaken

In his first graphic novel, It's a Good Life, If You Don't Weaken, Seth pays homage to the wit and sophistication of the magazine cartoon. Disaffected by the crassness of contemporary culture, Seth takes refuge in a quest to uncover the life and work of Kalo, a forgotten New Yorker cartoonist from the 1940s, but his obsession blinds him to his increasingly withdrawn lover and the quiet desperation of his family. Charming old-fashioned style characterizes this gently wry modern quest tale about longing, anxiety and the lessons of nostalgia.