''Skim'' is a Canadian

graphic novel A graphic novel is a self-contained, book-length form of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and Anthology, anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comics sc ...

written by

Mariko Tamaki Mariko Tamaki (born 1975) is a Canadian artist and writer. She is known for her graphic novels '' Skim'', ''Emiko Superstar,'' and '' This One Summer''."Mariko Tamaki". CBC Radio, '' The Next Chapter'', 12 November 2012. In 2016 she began writing ...

and drawn by

Jillian Tamaki Jillian Tamaki (born April 17, 1980) is a Canadian American illustrator and comic artist known for her work in ''The New York Times'' and ''The New Yorker'' in addition to the graphic novels ''Boundless'', as well as ''Skim (comics), Skim'', ''T ...

. Set in 1993, in a

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

Catholic girls high school, it is about an outsider girl called Skim.

Plot

Skim is a "not slim" sixteen-year-old

Japanese-Canadian are Canadian citizens of Japanese ancestry. Japanese Canadians are mostly concentrated in Western Canada, especially in the province of British Columbia, which hosts the largest Japanese community in the country with the majority of them living ...

who is a student at an all-girls Catholic school. She is known as a

Goth Goth or Goths may refer to: * Goths, a Germanic people Arts and entertainment * Gothic rock or goth, a style of rock music * Goth subculture, developed by fans of gothic rock * ''Goth'' (2003 film), an American horror film * ''Goth'' (2008 f ...

, and practices

Wicca Wicca (), also known as "The Craft", is a Modern paganism, modern pagan, syncretic, Earth religion, Earth-centred religion. Considered a new religious movement by Religious studies, scholars of religion, the path evolved from Western esote ...

. When popular girl Katie Matthews gets dumped by her athlete boyfriend, who days later kills himself, the entire school goes into mourning overdrive. With the school counsellors breathing down her neck and the popular clique (including Katie's best friend Julie Peters) forming a new club, Girls Celebrate Life (GCL), in its wake, Skim finds herself in the crosshairs, deepening her alienation. And if things cannot get more complicated, Skim starts to fall for an equally quirky teacher.

Characters

* Kimberly Keiko Cameron, a.k.a. "Skim": a

Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, a Germanic people **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Gothic alphabet, an alphabet used to write the Gothic language ** Gothic ( ...

, Japanese-Canadian schoolgirl. ** Katherine Farmar of ''

The Irish Times ''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It was launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is Ireland's leading n ...

'' wrote that Kim is "an unwilling outsider", "overweight, introspective, too cynical to fit in with the “normal” kids ..but not cynical enough to maintain a veneer of cool aloofness". ** Her ethnic background is relevant to two scenes in the comic, including an incident at Julie Peters' birthday party where Kim and another girl are kicked out of the party. Suzette Chan of

Sequential Tart ''Sequential Tart (ST)'' is an online magazine focused on comics and popular culture from a female perspective. It was created in the late 1990s to serve "as an advocacy group for female consumers frustrated by their historical neglect or patroni ...

stated that Kim does not frequently "stake her identity" on her Japanese Canadian background.Oki, Emma. "They All Look Alike? Representations of East Asian Americans in Adrian Tomine's ''Shortcomings'' and ''Scenes from an Impending Marriage''" In: Ayaka, Carolene and Ian Hague (editors). ''Representing Multiculturalism in Comics and Graphic Novels''.

Routledge Routledge ( ) is a British multinational corporation, multinational publisher. It was founded in 1836 by George Routledge, and specialises in providing academic books, academic journals, journals and online resources in the fields of the humanit ...

, November 20, 2014. , 9781317687160. Start: p
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CITED: p
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* Lisa Soor: Skim's best friend (and fellow Wiccan), although they are beginning to drift apart. ** Jacqueline Danziger-Russell, author of ''Girls and Their Comics: Finding a Female Voice in Comic Book Narrative'', stated that the comic normally depicts Lisa as "a rude and selfish girl".Danziger-Russell, Jacqueline. ''Girls and Their Comics: Finding a Female Voice in Comic Book Narrative''.

Rowman & Littlefield Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group is an American independent academic publishing company founded in 1949. Under several imprints, the company offers scholarly books for the academic market, as well as trade books. The company also owns ...

, 2013. , 9780810883758. p
96
Kim does not tell Lisa about her feelings for Ms. Archer, and the girls drift apart.Danziger-Russell, Jacqueline. ''Girls and Their Comics: Finding a Female Voice in Comic Book Narrative''.

, 2013. , 9780810883758. p
99
Marni Stanley, author of "Unbalanced on the Brink: Adolescent Girls and the Discovery of the Self in ''Skim'' and ''This One Summer'' by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki," stated that Lisa "is not very nice to im" In the conclusion the girls are not as close friends as they were but still are friends; Lisa finds her first love even though she previously does not believe in love.Danziger-Russell, Jacqueline. ''Girls and Their Comics: Finding a Female Voice in Comic Book Narrative''.

, 2013. , 9780810883758. p
100
* Ms. Archer: The school's

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

and

drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...

teacher, also the only teacher at the school that Skim respects, although she is flaky. ** Ms. Archer gives a lot of attention to Kim, who is infatuated with her; Danziger-Russell stated that the attention is "unhealthy". Kim and Ms. Archer kiss, but Ms. Archer leaves the school afterwards, causing Kim to perceive abandonment. Danzinger-Russell stated that after Ms. Archer ends their relationship, Kim "feels a confused mixture of rage, sadness, and self-pity."Danziger-Russell, Jacqueline. ''Girls and Their Comics: Finding a Female Voice in Comic Book Narrative''.

, 2013. , 9780810883758. p
97
** Ms. Archer lives on Deneuve Street, a reference to

Catherine Deneuve Catherine Fabienne Dorléac (born 22 October 1943), known professionally as Catherine Deneuve (, , ), is a French actress. She is considered one of the greatest European actresses on film. In 2020, ''The New York Times'' ranked her as one of th ...

.Stanley, P
192
* Katie Matthews: a popular girl at the school, the former girlfriend of John and former best friend of Julie. She later befriends Skim, becoming closer after she defends Katie during the dance. Katie becomes estranged from the GCL girls. Danziger-Russell wrote that Katie "turns out to be a deceptively deep and respectful friend, the type of friend that Lisa never was." Katie appears on the final page in the area where Kim previously develops her relationship with Ms. Archer. Danziger-Russell stated it is up to the reader to determine whether Katie and Kim become romantically involved. * John Reddear: Katie's former boyfriend. A star

volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...

player at a neighboring boys' school. After dumping Katie, he kills himself by overdosing on his mother's heart medication. He is rumored to be

gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late ...

. ** Stanley stated that the purpose of the rumors is to show Kim's classmates' low opinion of homosexuality; according to Stanley the story is not definitive on John's sexuality but the veracity of the rumors is immaterial to the story. * Julie Peters: Another popular girl, Katie's best friend (at first) and founder/president of the GCL Club. Skim later confronts her for what she really is: "a know-it-all pain in the butt". ** John A. Lent described her in the ''

International Journal of Comic Art The ''International Journal of Comic Art'' is a journal about comics art, published twice a year. It was established in 1999 by John Lent (Temple University), who is also the editor-in-chief. The journal is independently published and does not mai ...

'' as Skim's school's "authoritative teen drama queen" who determines the "touchy-feely" tone there. * Anna Canard: Another GCL Club member, whom Lisa associates with more as the story progresses. She's a big-mouthed, boy-crazy gossip, although Katie thinks (as to Skim) that she's a big slut and has the

cold sores A cold sore is a type of herpes infection caused by the herpes simplex virus that affects primarily the lip. Symptoms typically include a burning pain followed by small blisters or sores. The first attack may also be accompanied by fever, so ...

to prove it.

Development

''Skim'' was originally thought of as a " gothic Lolita story", and what eventually became part I of the story was run as a 30-page preview in an indie magazine. Mariko Tamaki wrote the story much like a play's script, and Jillian Tamaki illustrated the novel as she saw fit.

Art style

The splash pages usually have Kim's diary entries rather than speech bubbles as the narrative vehicle. Jillian Tamaki stated that she was influenced more by

ukiyo-e is a genre of Japanese art that flourished from the 17th through 19th centuries. Its artists produced woodblock printing, woodblock prints and Nikuhitsu-ga, paintings of such subjects as female beauties; kabuki actors and sumo wrestlers; scenes ...

than she initially believed.

Reception

Reception was positive. In their review, ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

'' called ''Skim'' an "auspicious graphic novel debut" with a "fine ear for dialogue" that is "rich in visuals and observations".

Paul Gravett Paul Gravett is a London-based journalist, curator, writer, and broadcaster who has worked in comics publishing since 1981. He is the founder of ''Escape (magazine), Escape'' magazine, and for many years wrote a monthly article on comics appear ...

called it "the most sophisticated and sensitive North American graphic novel debut of the year." In ''Kliatt'' it said that the narrative manages to avoid the usual cliches of a coming of age story. The Suzanne Alyssa Andrew of ''Toronto Star'' compared the story to ''

Dead Poets Society ''Dead Poets Society'' is a 1989 American coming-of-age drama film directed by Peter Weir and written by Tom Schulman. The film, starring Robin Williams, is set in 1959 at a fictional elite boarding school called Welton Academy, and tells ...

'' and ''

Heathers ''Heathers'' is a 1988 American teen dark comedy crime film written by Daniel Waters and directed by Michael Lehmann, in both of their respective film debuts. The film stars Winona Ryder, Christian Slater, Shannen Doherty, Lisanne Falk, K ...

''. Elizabeth Spires of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' wrote that it "deepens with successive rereadings." The

Cooperative Children’s Book Center A cooperative (also known as co-operative, coöperative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democra ...

recommended ''Skim'' for ages 14 and up, saying that Skim's struggles have universal qualities. The ''Metro News'' praised that the narrative voice sounds authentic. ''Skim'' was listed as one of the

Young Adult Library Services Association The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), established in 1957, is a division of the American Library Association. YALSA is a national association of librarians, library workers and advocates whose mission is to expand the capacity of l ...

's 2009 Great Graphic Novels for Teens award. Skim also won the 2008

Ignatz Award The Ignatz Awards recognize outstanding achievements in comics and cartooning by small press creators or creator-owned projects published by larger publishers. They have been awarded each year at the Small Press Expo since 1997, only skipping a ...

for Outstanding Graphic Novel. ''Skim'' was nominated in four categories in the 2009

Eisner Awards The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, are awards for creative achievement in American comic books. They are regarded as the most prestigious and significant awards in the comic industry and often referred ...

and won Best Book at the 2009

Doug Wright Award The Doug Wright Awards for Canadian Cartooning (established in December 2004) are literary awards handed out annually since 2005 during the Toronto Comic Arts Festival to Canadian cartoonists honouring excellence in comics (including webcomics) ...

s. ''Skim'' was a finalist for the

2008 Governor General's Awards The 2008 Governor General's Awards for Literary Merit: Finalists in 14 categories (73 books) were announced October 21, winners announced November 18. The prize for writers and illustrators was $25,000 and "a specially bound copy of the winning bo ...

in the children's literature category. The

Canada Council for the Arts The Canada Council for the Arts (), commonly called the Canada Council, is a Crown corporation established in 1957 as an arts council of the Government of Canada. It is Canada's public arts funder, with a mandate to foster and promote the study a ...

, the award program's administrator, faced some criticism around the fact that the nomination was credited to Mariko Tamaki, who wrote the graphic novel's text, but not to her cousin and co-creator Jillian Tamaki, who drew the illustrations. Jillian later said she was "extremely disappointed" that she had not been included in the nomination. Two prominent Canadian graphic novelists,

Seth Seth, in the Abrahamic religions, was the third son of Adam and Eve. The Hebrew Bible names two of his siblings (although it also states that he had others): his brothers Cain and Abel. According to , Seth was born after Abel's murder by Cain, ...

and

Chester Brown Chester William David Brown (born 16 May 1960) is a Canadian cartoonist. Brown has gone through several stylistic and thematic periods. He gained notice in alternative comics circles in the 1980s for the surreal, scatological '' Ed the Happy Clo ...

, circulated an open letter to the Canada Council asking them to revise the nomination, arguing that unlike a more traditional illustrated book, a graphic novel's text and illustration are inseparable parts of the work's narrative, and that both women should accordingly be credited as equal co-authors. Their letter was also endorsed by other prominent Canadian and American graphic novelists, including

Lynda Barry Linda Jean Barry (born January 2, 1956), known professionally as Lynda Barry, is an American cartoonist. Barry is best known for her weekly comic strip '' Ernie Pook's Comeek''. She garnered attention with her 1988 illustrated novel ''The Good T ...

Dan Clowes Dan or DAN may refer to: People * Dan (name), including a list of people with the name ** Dan (king), several kings of Denmark * Dan people, an ethnic group located in West Africa **Dan language, a Mande language spoken primarily in Côte d'Ivoir ...

Art Spiegelman Itzhak Avraham ben Zeev Spiegelman ( ; born February 15, 1948), professionally known as Art Spiegelman, is an American cartoonist, editor, and comics advocate best known for his graphic novel ''Maus''. His work as co-editor on the comics magazin ...

Chris Ware Franklin Christenson "Chris" Ware (born December 28, 1967) is an American cartoonist known for his ''Acme Novelty Library'' series (begun 1994) and the graphic novels ''Jimmy Corrigan, the Smartest Kid on Earth'' (2000), ''Building Stories'' (2012 ...

and

Julie Doucet Julie Doucet (born December 31, 1965)
is a Canadian

, as well as by Chris Oliveros of Canadian comic and graphic novel publisher

Drawn & Quarterly Drawn & Quarterly (D+Q) is a publishing company based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, specializing in comics. It publishes primarily comic books, graphic novels and comic strip collections. The books it publishes are noted for their artistic con ...

, and Peter Birkemore of Toronto comic store The Beguiling. Melanie Rutledge, a spokesperson for the Canada Council, responded that it was too late to revise the nominations for the 2008 awards, but that the council would take the feedback into account in the future. Later, both Jillian and Mariko Tamaki applied for and received grants from the Canada Council for the Arts to launch ''Skim'' in Spain. In 2023, the book was banned, in Clay County District Schools, Florida.

References

* Stanley, Marni (

Vancouver Island University Vancouver Island University (abbreviated as VIU, formerly known as Malaspina University-College and Malaspina College) is a Canadian public research university serving Vancouver Island and coastal British Columbia. Malaspina College opened in 196 ...

). "Unbalanced on the Brink: Adolescent Girls and the Discovery of the Self in ''Skim'' and ''This One Summer'' by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki" (Chapter 12). In: Abate, Michelle Ann and Gwen Athene Tarbox (editors). '' Graphic Novels for Children and Young Adults: A Collection of Critical Essays''. Univ. Press of Mississippi, April 27, 2017. , 9781496811684.

Reference notes

External links

Skim
at

House of Anansi Press House of Anansi Press is a Canadian publishing company, founded in 1967 by writers Dennis Lee and Dave Godfrey. The company specializes in finding and developing new Canadian writers of literary fiction, poetry, and non-fiction. History Anansi ...

Skim at Groundwood Books' websiteSkim
at Jillian Tamaki Illustration
Mariko Tamaki's official website"Thinking in Comics: A Roundtable on the Present and Future of the Graphic Novel featuring Matt Kindt, Hope Larson, Nate Powell, Dash Shaw, James Sturm, Jillian Tamaki, and Will Wilkinson" in ''Gulf Coast: A Journal of Literature and Fine Arts'' (26.1)
{{Japanese-Canadian relations 2000s LGBTQ novels 2008 Canadian novels 2008 LGBTQ-related literary works Books by Mariko Tamaki Canadian bildungsromans Canadian graphic novels Canadian LGBTQ novels Lesbian fiction Doug Wright Award winners for Best Book Fiction set in 1993 Ignatz Award winners for Graphic Novel LGBTQ-related graphic novels Novels set in Toronto Graphic novels set in Ontario Graphic novels set in the 1990s