Lint Boy by Aileen Leijten
Aileen Leijten has created something so original and fresh that I can't stop marveling over the wonder of Lint Boy. How in the world did she ever come up with the idea? A collection of lint located in the clothes dryer is fashioned by heat and motion into a tiny boy doll. Like Pinocchio, this inanimate object becomes real. Soon a companion emerges, another mass of lint, shaped into a friendly bear, aptly named Lint Bear. Up to this point, everything seems rosy and charming. I was expecting some simple little story about friendship and being true to oneself. Not so. There is evil lurking within the pages of this graphic novel. Mrs. PinchnSqueeze is a deranged old hag who has an obsessive compulsion to perform Frankenstein-esque measures on dolls. She keeps the captured dolls in cages and practices her own form of bizarre surgery and mutilation on the once cuddly toys. This woman is so vile that "even moths shrivel up when she looked at them." |
Lint Boy is determined to rescue his friend from the clutches of this evil woman. He sets out on his noble task with assistance from the captive dolls and battalion of lost socks. Armed with courage and a very sharp needle Lint Boy succeeds.
The book's design and page layout have a unique style that is a visual treat. There is a art nouveau feel to the text and image arrangement as well as to the individual panel shapes and ornamentation. Soft pastels fit nicely with the sweet fabric characters.
There are just enough chilling details to make the villain truly evil. But the fanciful setting and the charming characters keep the story well within the realm of fantasy. Lint Boy is destined to enjoy a prosperous life on bookshelves everywhere. Thank you Aileen Leijten for this delightful graphic novel gem.
Creating with Lint
Here is the lint from a load of heavy white bath mats. I think I can see Lint Boy potential here. | Time to raid my button box. Every time I open this tin of assorted buttons, I find treasure. | Now to rummage through my bag of felt scraps. I like to make my own felt and this texture seemed to fit for Lint Boy. |