I, Paparazzi centers on Jake "Monster" McGowran, a celebrity photographer, who runs afoul of a mean-tempered Sean Penn-type celeb, and stumbles into a bizarre conspiracy; actually, this one is THE conspiracy, the one from which all of the other ones were born,

The problems with the book were few, but large:

1)- The "Scooby-Doo" ending renders the whole story pointless. Why travel down such a bizarre road if it's only gonna end in Normalville? If you're going to deliver that kind of ending, it would have been better if the whole story had stayed believable.
and.....

2)- To this long-time Comic reader, the "Fumetti" style (using photographs instead of drawings) will always seem cheap-looking. I have no doubt that the book was expensive to produce, and very time-consuming, and the photography and digital imaging WERE impressive, but no matter how much of this type of work I see, it still doesn't click for me.

I would advise people with $30.00 burning a hole in their pocket to try McGreal's Veils instead.

I, Paparazzi doesn't have the emotional depth of McGreal and Phillips' Veils (another highly recommended graphic novel in photographic format), nor does it have the beautiful lyrical paintings of Rebecca Guay which provided a nice break from the photographic art, but overall I did find this graphic novel to be more entertaining. The story is about a paparazzi who winds up on an X-Files/Robert Anton Wilson inspired adventure that is a lot of fun to read. To add more depth to the story, the author explains why the main character (and others) became paparazzi and defends the lifestyle pointing out, e.g., that it was a drunk driver who killed Princess Di and the fact that stars on their way up warmly welcome paparazzi until they reach the point where they, unlike most of society, no longer have to struggle to support themselves. Being photographed by paparazzi after deliberately placing yourself in the public eye is a small price to pay for such comforts.

The characters are all quite interesting, the dialogue is enjoyable, etc., making this a great read. Those who aren't familiar with McGreal et al's work might want to put off getting this graphic novel until it is available in a cheaper softcover, but I personally found the hardcover format worthwhile. And given the rarity of photographic comics (at least in North America), it also makes an interesting conversation piece.

This is a very disappointing book. Anyone who has read Phillips' columns in magazines such as Southern Sporting Journal will recognize many passages that have been lifted almost verbatim from his other writings. There isn't much new here, there aren't really many secrets shared, and the presentation isn't all that masterful.

Phillips writes in very general terms about tools and tactics that can be used to fish for catfish, the second most popular target for American anglers. He avoids details to a fault, for instance glossing over the fact that tactics well suited for catching blue catfish aren't likely to work well when fishing for flatheads, and vice vera. The important discussion of catfish baits is similarly sweeping. Judging from this book, one might think that all it takes to catch a catfish is a smelly bait. Nothing could be further from the truth. Stink baits certainly will work for bullheads and smaller channel catfish. But larger cats, especially flatheads, have a pronounced preference for live baitfish, such as shiner minnows, and generally ignore any other offerings.

There are other problems, as well. While Phillips does an excellent job of explaining how to fish for catfish in tailraces, the leader is left to infer that tailraces are areas below a dam fed by cool water from the bottom of the lake above the dam. Similarly, he leaps into an interview with Carl Lowrance (inventor of the depth finder) about fishing the thermocline (a zone of transition between warm and cold water that occurs up in large lakes in the summer) without telling the reader what the thermocline is or how to locate it.

The book isn't wholly without merit. For example, Phillips devotes an entire chapter to the excellent channel catfish fishery on the Red River of the North. This fishery is often overlooked by anglers in the eastern US. (Still, one wishes he had provided as much detail about other well-known catfish fisheries, such as the Santee-Cooper system in South Carolina). For another, the section listing several tasty recipes for cooking catfish is quite useful. Last, and by no means least, Phillips' folksy writing style is fun to read, even when it isn't conveying much useful information.

There are better sources of information about fishing for catfish. Channel Catfish Fever, edited by Doug Stange of In-Fisherman magazine is one such source, while In-Fisherman's annual Catfish Guide is another.

This book is an easy read for the novice or Sante-Cooper professional.

Bullhead, Flats, Arkansas Blues, Fiddlers, are all included.

Thank you Mr. Phillips!