The most memorable children’s stories are the ones that respect the intelligence of their audience. Just because it’s geared toward children doesn’t mean they can’t understand deeper concepts. I always appreciate shows like Gargoyles, DuckTales Reboot, and Craig of the Creek because the writers broke down adult concept/themes then incorporated them into a kid’s show. That’s the mark of a great writer to me. Tony Weaver, Jr. utilizes this same method in his book Weirdo.
Before we can dive into Weirdo, we have to talk about the author, Tony Weaver, Jr. Tony is a proud blerd and fellow internet archeologist. He digs online to unearth projects from Black, brown, and POC creators to highlight on his platform. All while not shying away from debunking racists comments, tropes, and beliefs from people that try to deny space to creators, shows, stories, and projects because they don’t center whiteness. Tony Weaver, Jr. does just that trill talk online. You can find him at different cons on various panels talking about media or in schools as a guest speaker talking with children about their interest from anime to television and books.
Weirdo is for Everyone Outside The Cool Kid’s Table
Weirdo is not only a book geared for kids but a memoir as well. Drawn by Jes & Cin Wibowo, Weirdo centers a young Tony Weaver, Jr. having to deal with changing schools, the pressures of being the new kid, and the expectations that come with being in a gifted program. When we look at the tribulations pre-teens and tweens go through, it can be hard not to make them feel like a common place or the usual trope we find a protagonist going through. That isn’t the case for Weirdo. What makes this book stand out is the realism Weaver writes brings into the story. There’s an element of our protagonist being damned if he does or doesn’t. That’s a level of reality you don’t see happening often in children’s books.
A good writer is going to make you feel something when reading their work. As I read through Weirdo, my immediate issue was frustration for the situation we see Tony find himself in when it comes to being bullied. The author does a great job depicting the evolution of bullying. How it’s no longer just name calling and physical but something that can happen online as well. Trying to navigate through the different cliques in a school feels like understanding the gangs in a prison yard. One wrong move done on your part or someone else doing to you, and you’ve got this stigma you can’t shake off. How do you fight something that’s digital and not physical? Then, when things get physical, why are you scolded for defending yourself when you aren’t the person that escalated things?
What’s good about Weirdo is that we don’t see Tony as a protagonist that has the answers for what he’s going through. We also see how parents and teachers don’t always get it right until it’s too late. The book doesn’t shy away what too late is and the issues of suicide/self harm. The handling of this topic was beautifully done; it isn’t a corner stone of the book but more-so a moment. The reader doesn’t need to know the exact details about what happened, just the act that it happened is enough. The handling of such a serious tone is expressed incredibly through the artwork to create a strong visual for the narrative.
The artwork provided by Jes & Cin Wibowo plays such a strong factor into the fluidity of the storytelling. Their coloring is vibrant, the characters come to life, and each person we meet feels just like their own character outside of the main protagonist. I’m a visual guy, so this memoir being a graphic novel was easy for me to get into. The use of colors by Jes & Cin Wibowo is such a brilliant way to indicate the feelings of characters and moments and making this memoir a graphic novel is such a brilliant choice. There are so many pop culture and nerd references that we get to see visually play out in front of us. This choice allows us to switch between reader and audience member. That is something that’s not easy to pull off seamlessly but this creative team trifecta gets it right.
My favorite thing about Weirdo is the theme of light at the end. The way that light comes through in finding community is a beautiful thing to me. It always peaks my interest in seeing how characters thrive when they are around other eccentric people. They don’t even have to be like minded, just unapologetically themselves.
I think it is important to stress that although this is a book geared for kids, Weirdo is a relatable story for all ages.
Weirdo is published through First Second and can be found where most books and comics are sold.
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