The Incantations of Daniel Johnston Paperback – July 19, 2016

This is a hard book to process, as it's dealing with quite a bit in such a small space. Even more, it's complicated by it being a "translation" of another text--though, it's really a rewrite based on the artwork and not a direct translation, which is odd in and of itself.That all being said, it's still an interesting and enjoyable read--though often depressing and heartbreaking.It may have some odd asides--and some of the images' captions are too-self-referential and trying to lighten things from time to time--but it tackles the heart of what many artists struggle with: the feeling of worthlessness brought on by our own creations. It's handled, here, in such a way that it resonates and wrestles with what goes on with a "tortured artist."The art is wonderfully vivid and fantastic. The colors are gorgeous, even if--at times--it seems sloppy. (Honestly, I wasn't sure about it at first, but the more I was privy to, the more I enjoyed Cavolo's style.)In the end, it's not for everyone--as I can see the writing, the art, or both pieces bothering some readers--but it's an interesting tome, and one of the more unique things I've read in recent times.

The art is, of course, amazing, but the the writing is what really struck me. The "narrator" is going along, telling you Daniel's story, and then totally attacks you and tells you you're worthless and you should kill yourself. This is done to make you feel the way Daniel did in his dark times, and it worked on me. This book will make you feel mixed up and sad. An absolute must for any hardcore Daniel Johnston fan.

Great book! I was expecting something else, but was pleasantly surprised by this.

Great purchase! So happy to own this :)

Good book.

Excellent artwork and writing. Recommended for people looking for questions, not for answers

My introduction to Daniel Johnston was a little convoluted. Working at a skate shop during college, my boss was buying DVDs from this guy whose self-definition as an "artist" became increasingly manic and stubborn as the aughts drifted by. In one of these movies, he would interrupt his usual visual collage of his friend's skating (mostly his own) and some blend of world music & Morrissey deep cuts to inject a badly-rendered puppet which he called a "demon" haunting him, singing odd, simplistic melodies that dripped with sadness. I remember those parts sticking out because it seemed too specific to be a reference to something, that this guy had obviously ripped off some kind of life story and copy-pasted it to his own.I didn't find out until years later that the music I had been hearing and the story of the "demon" were taken from the life of Daniel Johnston. I fell down a youtube rabbit-hole of MTV nostalgia and came across his performance, and I immediately recognized it from those DVDs. I looked into him more and the story started to build itself of the man's life, work, and struggles, defined by mental illness and fires of creativity that came from within. Like Ray Johnson or Roky Ericksson, he's an artist in it's truest sense, forever grappling with the extremes of their work, leading a normal life, and dealing with the special kind of trauma that nature & humanity bestows on us. They are artists in the ugliest, realist sense, forcing us to look at their unflattering natures and glimpse our own future, our own truth.Because of this, I think Scott McClanahan is the most equipped to tell this kind of story. His own life bears the similar kind of ups and downs of Johnson, who also started his life in West Virginia and was influenced early by life-encompassing nature of organized faith. I know less about Ricardo Cavalo, but one read-through his beautiful illustrations should clear any doubt of his qualifications. Johnson's life is illustrated and written here with the kind of irreverence, sadness, and beauty that it deserves, with the same kind of accessibility of Johnson's work. It is the kind of book everyone can enjoy, one that celebrates the complex nature behind what seems like simplicity. In a way, Johnson's story is archetypal to the human story, a life vividly painted with sadness & regret, but highlighted by joy and triumph. If viewed in that way, then I guess that guy who made the DVDs was justified in using Johnson's work to paint his own, but still makes him kind of a douchebag.

The Incantations of Daniel Johnston isn't about Daniel Johnston. It isn't really about mental illness, or cult-celebrity, or any of that tomfoolery either. It's sorta about Scott McClanahan -- who isn't even real, really. It's a bit of a love note from Spanish artist Ricardo Cavolo to Daniel Johnston, but only a little. Mostly, the book is about you, reading Amazon right now, and the battle of good versus evil, and being free or being cursed by life...sometimes both at the same time. It's about art in a way, but mainly because it IS art...vivid, in-those-moments-before sleep-or-waking kind of art. It's beautiful. And you're made more beautiful for having seen it. This is barely a book, and yet such the same vital thing as a book can be. It's the kind of thing to make you curious about people, curious about the past, about the present, the future, curious about the hows and the whys of life. The Two Dollar Radio folks say it's a graphic novel...that it's "biography | music" but I don't know. It's something...it sure is something. Certainly it's a thing you won't see much in this world: it's a warning and a prayer, it's a certain kind of feeling put down in pages, and in beautifully stinky ink. You'll find yourself in the book, and wonder how you got in there when you know nothing of Daniel Johnston or Scott McClanahan or Ricardo Cavolo...a part of yourself that you'll think, "hey, where have you been so long?" and be glad that you finally have it back.

This book is a little hard to come by at the minute but it is WELL worth the read, the delivery was also very quick and it came in great condition!

Fue un regalo. La persona quedó encantada

Esta muy cool este libro, ame la historia, el cómo está contado y sobretodo enamorada de la ilustración

i can't think of a sufficient enough way to articulate how awesome this book is.