Introverted and bullied, Tom is the school nerd who finds it difficult to make friends. The victim of cruel tricks, he often finds himself alone or ignored; even the cute girl he fancies is rude to him. Increasingly, he seeks solace in nature and the wild spaces of his imagination. After a particularly sick prank, he reaches a tipping point and the wilderness breaks through, triggering a disturbing metamorphosis. No longer the boy he was, Tom now faces the world as a man transformed.
In Outburst, Pieter Coudyzer combines autumnal colour tones and detailed drawings to create a darkly compelling and deeply moving modern fairy tale. A disturbing magical realist fiction, Coudyzer’s graphic novel has the dark edge of Kafka’s Metamorphosis and recalls the surreal work of filmmaker Jan Švankmajer. A masterful debut book from an award-winning animator, the release of Outburst marks the emergence of a fresh new voice in graphic fiction.
Translated from the Dutch by Peter Mennen.
About the author
Pieter Coudyzer is an award-winning artist and animator. Winner of multiple animation awards, his short films include Tree (2014) and My Heart Is Not Here (2015). Outburst is his debut graphic novel. He lives in Ghent, Belgium.
