George Sprott: (1894-1975)

The cartoon works of Seth often celebrate a bygone era, and in George Sprott: (1894-1975), two subjects are viewed through his nostalgic lens: Canadian local broadcast television, and the personal life of the title character. On the face of it, the fictional Sprott was one of TV's grand treasures, an adventurer during his youth who later hosted a weekly film series on Arctic exploration. But as the book unfolds in all its fragmented glory, it becomes clear that there was more to the jocular ‘‘Uncle George'' than met the audience's eyes. Seth takes a non-linear approach, alternating among unreliable narrators, talking head-style interviews, and what could be construed as a replay of the protagonist's own memories to show how the public and private man differed. Spectacular two-page splashes of the Canadian Arctic—arguably where Sprott's legend began—give way to single pages crammed with panels, many of them betraying personal demons of regret and loneliness. Interestingly, the narrative continues on after Sprott's death, suggesting that even a seemingly comprehensive work like this couldn't hope to be the final word on anybody. More than an elegy, George Sprott is a commentary on how other places, eras, and people have a way of living on, both in ourselves and down through history.