num_pages: 64
description: Mr. Mendoza Mexicos self-described king of graffiti blesses the small town of Rosario with his sardonic wit. Deflate your pomp or float away! he paints on the body of an unexpectedly exhumed monk. No intelligent life for 100 kilometers he proclaims on the sign that announces Rosarios boundaries.The residents of Rosario tolerate or enjoy Mr. Mendozas commentary as best they can. But the town goes crazy when Mendoza announceson the side of a pigMendoza goes to heaven on Tuesday. Each new declaration from Mendoza drives speculation about his future. Suicide? Cancer? Syphillis? All the theories were in play until the Tuesday when Mendoza transformed his life with art.Mr. Mendozas Paintbrush was originally written as a short story by Luis Alberto Urrea a Pulitzer Prize finalist for The Devils Highway and an Edgar Award winner for his short story Amapola. It was published in 2002 as part of his collection Six Kinds of Sky. Artist Christopher Cardinale whose graphic essays have appeared in the seminal magazines World War III and Punk Planet adapted the short story to the graphic novel form.And critics are raving about the outcome. The Bloomsbury Review says Mr. Mendozas Paintbrush is a rich gift an off-center enigmatic tale with a well-coupled balance of narration and art. Urrea and Cardinale are a match made in heaven. And Publishers Weekly adds that this lovely comics adaptationmay have found the ideal way to present magical realism graphically.
language: English
title: Mr. Mendoza's Paintbrush
publisher: Cinco Puntos Press