I’m slowly getting into travel comics chronicling the tales of those who get to travel the world and explore places I’ll likely never see.  The 120 Days of Simon follows the real life travels of Simon Gärdenfors as he spends four months on the road.  There’s simple rules, he’s not allowed to return home for 120 days and can’t spend more than two nights in the same place.  The story is fascinating and brutally truthful, not always painting it’s writer and subject in the best light.

The 120 Days of Simon began when Swedish cartoonist/rapper Simon Gärdenfors left his home to spend four months on the road. The rules were simple: For 120 days he wasn’t allowed to return to his home, or to spend more than two nights at the same place. Otherwise, anything could happen… and it did.

This simple idea grew into an epic adventure across Sweden as Simon slept on strangers’ couches, visited an ostrich farm, ate a psychedelic cactus, practiced free love, received death threats, was beaten up by teenagers, got adopted by a motorcycle gang, drank obscene amounts of alcohol, and sacrificed his underpants to the Nordic god Brage. And that’s just for starters!

When this graphic novel was released in Sweden, it created a bit of a scandal. Some readers wanted to punch Simon in the face, while others hailed him as a hero. Top Shelf is proud to present this all-too-human journey to an English-speaking audience. … A graphic novel packaged in the style of a traditional pulp novel. — A 416-Page Graphic Novel packaged in the style of a traditional pulp novel, 4.25″ x 7″, Diamond: FEB10-1095

The first thing that struck me was how different between what’s acceptable in Sweden and what’s acceptable in the US.  There’s admissions of acts that could be crimes here, but I guess not that big of a deal in Sweden.

Gärdenfors comes off as rather self-centered and doesn’t really take responsibility for his actions.  Often dealing with the ramifications instead of thinking before he acts.  In the end though, no matter how much shit he causes it all seems to work out.  This drove me to generally dislike Gärdenfors.  And I guess having a reaction, especially one such as that, is impressive in the storytelling.

If you want a rather crazy tale, chronicling a interesting experiment/experience then this is the “travel journal” graphic novel for you.

Read more