NICK POPE: SUMMER OF ’88

Stanton’s graphic novel takes the form of a fictional teen’s diary chronicling a life-altering summer in the 1980s.

It’s June 1988, and Nick Pope has just finished his sophomore year of high school. He’s struggled with his mental health for years, but now he’s off his medication and out of therapy. He tells his large family that he’s doing better, but the tragic loss of someone close still affects him, as do the effects of bullying he suffers due to the pronounced birthmarks around his eyes. He plans to spend the summer working at his father’s movie theater, Wallflower, selling tickets and popcorn. The summer progresses with a balance of mild family drama and boredom until Nick receives the unexpected opportunity to show his artwork in a new gallery. Nick is wary at the prospect: “Sometimes if I tell people about stuff and then it doesn’t work out, it hurts EVEN MORE.” At the same time, he develops feelings for a charismatic artist from a nearby Catholic school, which forces him to confront long-standing questions about his sexuality. The work vividly re-creates the 1980s with nostalgic easter eggs; details like Nick’s sister April’s involvement with a man tied to the Michael Dukakis presidential campaign or a mention of the 1976 horror film Squirm ground the narrative, but the story never feels dated, nor do these nods to the time grow cloying. The evocation of teenage melancholy in Stanton’s prose is a delight to read: “I felt like melted vanilla ice cream. Plain and melted and not much of anything”; “I’ve been feeling pretty okay lately. I know the weather will change though.” Klecker’s black-and-white artwork, edged with a punk sensibility, complements Nick’s adolescent voice and masterfully illuminates his interior life without overwhelming the story. The text and illustrations authentically portray grief and mental health struggles in a way that speaks to the past as much as to today.

A great addition to the literature of teenage angst.