Desperately seeking someone

I Saw You… turns missed connections into illustrated inspiration

By Ashley Harris
Published: January 29th, 2009 | 12:20pm

Who doesn’t love to procrastinate during the workday with a healthy dose of missed connections? Whether you’re in the market for love, or merely voyeuristic, they beckon to be read. Julia Wertz, editor of the anthology I Saw You…: Comics Inspired by Real-Life Missed Connections, successfully captures the odd appeal of these personal, yet anonymous, invitations for romance.

The graphic novel, as a genre, seems perfectly poised to address the whimsical and absurd nature of the missed connection. Whether through a simple line drawing or a statement like “you got on the Blue line to O'Hare,” the two share an initially superficial quality, that, when done well, unfolds to reveal something far more complicated. Just before we dismiss a seemingly innocuous line like, “you smiled at the bus driver,” we are struck by the presence of the other figure, watching, taking notes, vulnerable in his or her keen observation. We wonder whether or not, we too, smile at bus drivers, and if there is someone else to take notice.

It is easy to critique missed connections as pathetic attempts at love by the lonely. But many of the comics contained in this anthology tap into the innocent amusement these posts provide, leaving the reader to ask what is it that makes them so darn entertaining? Perhaps it is the odd detail, well-illustrated by authors Shannon Grant and Jason Martin. Maybe it is a moment too mundane to repeat aloud, yet one we can't seem to forget, as narrated in strips by Corinne Mucha and James Smith. Or, it could be that in a culture where "love found me" is often deemed the only respectable approach to partnering, missed connections give us permission to seek and be sought.

In several instances, Wertz’s editing is laudable, such as the witty contributor bio section that addresses the reader as if pursued by the author in a missed connections posting. She falls short, however, in her choice to open the book with Lucy Knisley’s cynical account of unrequited lust that attempts to explain what the missed connection is rather than expose it frame by frame. Thankfully, the rest of the book is chockfull of funny, cringe-worthy, and heartfelt pieces to sate the closet romantic in all of us.

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ABOUT THE BOOK

I Saw You...: Comics Inspired by Real-Life Missed Connections (Three Rivers Press)
By Julia Wertz
192 pages
$12.95