Horrocks says his novel is about marginalisation and life at the edges, both in terms of New Zealand’s place geographically and cultura lly, but also life as a comic artist at the margins of the art and literary worlds. Printed entirely in blank and white, this first New Zealand edition is a reprint from its original 1998 Canadian print but with an especially drawn introduction by the author reflecting on the story today. This graphic novel is a solid 245 p ages and includes a substantial glossary. Conta ining in-references for comi c enthusiasts, Hicksville is intertextual, using a-comic-within-a-comic device to convey back story or elucidate ideas.
Horrocks raises the stature of graphic art by making it taonga, so mething sacred to be respected and treasured. Captain Cook and Hone Heke make an appearance along with the likes of Captain Haddock from Tin Tin. Horrocks intertwines comic book history with New Zealand history and takes liberties with both. Hicksville’s setting is an integral part of the story and there are plenty of nods to New Zealand culture in the form of tea houses, tikis and tattoos. Horrocks presents the reader with a storyline that transverses time and place, providing a challenging and interesting work of post-colonial literature and social commentary that conjures up notions of national identity as well as themes of personal and artistic integrity. Not your usual comic kids, this graphic novel set in a fictional small town in New Zealand revolves around an overseas reporter coming to Hicksville to investigate the background of a New Zealander who has become a megastar comic artist in the US.
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