The Chuckling Whatsit

A genre-defining masterpiece of graphic noir comes back into print. In The Chuckling Whatsit Sala weaves the gothic cartooning traditions of Edward Gorey and Charles Addams with a densely constructed melodramatic murder mystery involving astrology ghouls academia and outsider art. Part noir part horror and part comedy this labyrinthian tale of intrigue follows an unemployed writer named Broom who becomes unwittingly ensnared in a complex plot involving mysterious outsider artist Emile Jarnac the shadowy machinations of the Ghoul Appreciation Society Headquarters (GASH) and the enigmatic Mr. Ixnay. Salas deadpan delivery makes this ingeniously layered narrative a roller-coaster ride of darkly pure comic suspense. Salas drawing style while most often compared to Edward Gorey also reveals the influence of everything from Hollywood monster movies and Dick Tracy to German expressionism and Grimms fairy tales. Its a style thats perfectly suited to the narrative constantly flirting with Salas fascination for the grotesque and lending palpable tension to the gruesome riddle of The Chuckling Whatsit. Salas eclectic career includes contributions to Art Spiegelmans RAW magazine MTVs Liquid Television The New York Times Playboy and his ongoing Evil Eye comic book series from Fantagraphics though The Chuckling Whatsit remains his most popular work.