I just read Matt Silady's heart-rending graphic novel The Homeless Channel, a visually stunning story about the rise of a 24-hour cable network devoted to homelessness in America.
The Homeless Channel is created by Darcy Shaw, whose schizophrenic sister is herself living on the streets. Shaw sells the channel to a huge media conglomerate on the basis of her gutsy ideas and sharp pitching skills, and fights furiously with the network to stay true to her vision.
The shows are imaginative and disturbing, including an overnight program that's just live camera feeds of homeless people on the streets, each hour sponsored by a different company — and Darcy's struggles with the ethics of "sponsoring" homelessness are among the best parts of this book.
Silady is unflinching in his confrontation of the contradictions of homelessness, and that's what makes this book so fine. It's the kind of storytelling that is both thought-provoking and emotionally engaging. At the story's climax, I found myself misting over and wiping my eye.
Matt Silady, the author/illustrator, creates his layouts by photographing real people and places in the poses he needs for his panels, then converts the photos to line-art. The result is expressive and moody, with a firm line that says an awful lot with very little. Silady's site features a backstage view of how he does this neat trick.
