Praise for Other Stories and the Horse You Rode In On:
“The wide open prairie of Saskatchewan, the domestication of garden gnomes, the psychoanalytic breakdown of 8-bit video games — into these and other subjects Dakota McFadzean digs with his pen and brush, unearthing truths that discomfit even as they entertain. This collection of his best work to date mashes cuteness into cruelty, hope into resignation, and life into death, leaving us with one slow-burning ball of phosphorescent comics.” — Jason Lutes (author of Berlin)
“Lurking in the background of this comic is the fear that you can’t protect your children; the fear that you are going to be like your parents; or the fear that you won’t be able to give your child more than what you had. But perhaps more remarkable . . . is how well it blends autobiography and supernatural horror. It’s a standard reflective parenting comic, until it’s not. And in that moment when the boundary is crossed, that’s where McFadzean’s work shines.” –Alex Hoffman, Sequential State
“Other Stories offers a glimpse into a mind dedicated to opening up worlds of possibility just to see what might happen. Each story pits the limitless imagination and optimism of childhood against the realities of the adult world. Thankfully, the playfulness ultimately wins the day.” – Quill & Quire
“The writing is brilliant and imaginative, providing just a nudge in one direction or another that leaves the reader to fill in the blanks. It’s engaging, mysterious, and satisfying… The masterful art shifts styles from one story to the next to suit the mood, or sometimes to ironically oppose it. One half of an equal partnership, the images convey as much plot and characterization as does the text. To Know You’re Alive is a thoughtful, chilling peek into the darkest corners of life.”
~Peter Dabbene, Foreword Reviews
