Overview

In a dishevelled and ransacked backyard, a dog named Simon has been forgotten by his owners. Simon contemplates breaking free and eventually partners up with a raccoon and a deer who take him into the woods. But Simon realizes he is not quite ready to live in the wild. Vacancy, along with many of Lee's works, explores the ways that animals think; how they may internalise their changing environment and express their thoughts, fears or excitement. And in the abandoned and destroyed areas of the town strange things begin to happen...

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9781907704970

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Reviews

Vacancy is adorable but sad, with masterful and compelling storytelling [] Lee tells a sweet and sad story that could symbolize a lot of different moments in life. [] I m certain readers will project any number of feelings and experiences onto this story, which gives it both a universal appeal and an added weight. [] she [Lee] is an incredibly talented cartoonist and I hope that future endeavors include some fascinating work in both print and digital. Comics Alliance Author-artist Jen Lee s detail and attentiveness in this aspect is a pleasure to behold; fashion is a facet that s too often overlooked and underused in comics. [] Vacancy (Nobrow Press) is a beautiful looking book in general; Lee s use of color and shape is gorgeous and evocative. The sense of emptiness and uneasy quiet she conjures is almost absolutethe broken landscape a constant background even as the inherent beauty of the natural environment offers its own deceptive juxtaposition. You can choose what to see. The AV Club Lee s iconic character design and use of eye-catching color is just as good on paper as it is on screen. -Mental Floss It s a beautiful book both in terms of its storytelling and well as its craft. Lee s use of color is breathtaking [] Lee s world-building is as dynamic a character as her anthropomorphic heroes Comics Bulletin Fables of making it in the big, wide, dangerous world have been done before, but perhaps never so pleasing to the eye as with this short effort by Jen Lee. [] Lee s art is colorful and frenetically-paneled, bringing out the desperate nature of the action scenes, and well capturing the frantic emotions of the clueless companions. [] Vacancy reveals the movement inherent in her work on the page. Vermicious The narrative rides these emotional rails to great affect, and you never feel safe from this sense of restless dread that serves as VACANCY s emotional core. [] VACANCY feels personal for Lee. There s a palpable sense of anxiety here, a nervous energy that s difficult to conceive of, let alone approximate, if you ve never felt it yourself. [] there s a deep, abiding pathos in those abstracted faces. It s a book that is essentially about being comfortable in your own skin, and it s about the journeys we sometimes have to go on to assume that comfort for ourselves. [] VACANCY is rooted in optimism. Its dystopia is one limited to the now, and it s a story about how we learn that it doesn t define the futureif we don t let it. -This Is Infamous The artwork is wonderful. The linework is clean and detailed and the characters designs really look like modern children with their fashion and style but they re animals. -Comic Bastards I applaud her for using a deer as one of the troublemakers. -Topless Robot [Jen Lee s] art combines qualities that are both eerie and cute, which helps define both the uneasy & disturbing world, but also the strength of the friendships blooming amidst disaster. And that, in short, is just plain cool! -The Comic Age

Vacancy is adorable but sad, with masterful and compelling storytelling [] Lee tells a sweet and sad story that could symbolize a lot of different moments in life. [] I m certain readers will project any number of feelings and experiences onto this story, which gives it both a universal appeal and an added weight. [] she [Lee] is an incredibly talented cartoonist and I hope that future endeavors include some fascinating work in both print and digital. Comics Alliance Author-artist Jen Lee s detail and attentiveness in this aspect is a pleasure to behold; fashion is a facet that s too often overlooked and underused in comics. [] Vacancy (Nobrow Press) is a beautiful looking book in general; Lee s use of color and shape is gorgeous and evocative. The sense of emptiness and uneasy quiet she conjures is almost absolutethe broken landscape a constant background even as the inherent beauty of the natural environment offers its own deceptive juxtaposition. You can choose what to see. The AV Club Lee s iconic character design and use of eye-catching color is just as good on paper as it is on screen. -Mental Floss It s a beautiful book both in terms of its storytelling and well as its craft. Lee s use of color is breathtaking [] Lee s world-building is as dynamic a character as her anthropomorphic heroes Comics Bulletin The narrative rides these emotional rails to great affect, and you never feel safe from this sense of restless dread that serves as VACANCY s emotional core. [] VACANCY feels personal for Lee. There s a palpable sense of anxiety here, a nervous energy that s difficult to conceive of, let alone approximate, if you ve never felt it yourself. [] there s a deep, abiding pathos in those abstracted faces. It s a book that is essentially about being comfortable in your own skin, and it s about the journeys we sometimes have to go on to assume that comfort for ourselves. [] VACANCY is rooted in optimism. Its dystopia is one limited to the now, and it s a story about how we learn that it doesn t define the futureif we don t let it. -This Is Infamous The artwork is wonderful. The linework is clean and detailed and the characters designs really look like modern children with their fashion and style but they re animals. -Comic Bastards I applaud her for using a deer as one of the troublemakers. -Topless Robot [Jen Lee s] art combines qualities that are both eerie and cute, which helps define both the uneasy & disturbing world, but also the strength of the friendships blooming amidst disaster. And that, in short, is just plain cool! -The Comic Age

The narrative rides these emotional rails to great affect, and you never feel safe from this sense of restless dread that serves as VACANCY's emotional core. [...] VACANCY feels personal for Lee. There's a palpable sense of anxiety here, a nervous energy that's difficult to conceive of, let alone approximate, if you've never felt it yourself. [...] there's a deep, abiding pathos in those abstracted faces. It's a book that is essentially about being comfortable in your own skin, and it's about the journeys we sometimes have to go on to assume that comfort for ourselves. [...] VACANCY is rooted in optimism. Its dystopia is one limited to the now, and it's a story about how we learn that it doesn't define the future--if we don't let it. -This Is Infamous The artwork is wonderful. The linework is clean and detailed and the characters designs really look like modern children with their fashion and style... but they're animals. -Comic Bastards

Author Information

Jen Lee was born in Manhattan but grew up in a beach town in Florida. Lee started to draw and make stories in elementary school; they were usually about animals. Lee studied at the School of Visual Arts in NYC for a BFA in illustration, whilst also taking classes in comics, graphic design, and writing. After graduation she picked up a job in graphic design/marketing with a software company. Lee currently freelances in a farmhouse out of Idaho, some of her clients include Drop Dead Clothing, Burton, Boom! Studios, and Nickelodeon. Her work is influenced by artists such as Marc Boutavant, Dave Cooper and Andrei Tarkovsky.

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