Goliath

Since the 2011 release of Goliath, Tom Gauld has solidified himself as one of the world’s most revered and critically-acclaimed cartoonists working today. From his weekly strips in and , to his lauded graphic novels , Gauld’s fascination with the intersection between history, literary criticism, and pop culture has become the crux of his work. Now in paperback, with a new cover and smaller size, is a retelling of the classic myth, this time from Goliath’s side of the Valley of Elah. Goliath of Gath isn’t much of a fighter. He would pick admin work over patrolling in a heartbeat, to say nothing of his distaste for engaging in combat. Nonetheless, at the behest of the king, he finds himself issuing a twice-daily challenge to the Israelites: “Choose a man. Let him come to me that we may fight.” Quiet moments in Goliath’s life as an isolated soldier are accentuated by Gauld’s trademark drawing style: minimalist scenery, geometric humans, and densely crosshatched detail. Simultaneously tragic and bleakly funny, displays a sensitive wit and a bold line—a traditional narrative reworked, remade, and revolutionized into a classic tale of Gauld’s very own.