Hairshirt

John and Naomi were childhood sweethearts— and then they grew up. Life took them on very different paths, but accidents will happen. When their two lives intersect again, they decide to have another go at love. But this is no simple romantic rekindling: Both John and Naomi are wearing the hairshirts of miserable memories and dark nightmares, which may be too painful to shed, even if they hold each other tight again. Their terrible struggle is powerfully represented in beautifully nuanced art that reflects a soulless city, troubled love, and tense aimlessness.

Praise for Hair Shirt:

“Unlike the whimsical logic that often governs courtship comics . . . McEown’s characters behave with believable insecurities and are simultaneously responsible for and helpless against the deterioration of their love.”  —Publishers Weekly

“Nothing about McEown’s dark-hued, scratchy art or his intense exploration of guilt and shame is generic.” —The A.V. Club

“With Hair Shirt, McEown constructs a dark and dreamlike visual spectacle that tackles memory and the labyrinthe of emotional trauma that can follow suit.” —The Beat