Just The Basics
Published: August 23, 2016
Genre: Graphic Novel, Action Adventure, Coming-of-age
Pages: 112 Pages
Acknowledgements: YASL Great Graphic Novels for Teens
"Heavy Vinyl" is a graphic novel series about a young lesbian girl named Chris, who, by getting a job at her local record shop, Vinyn Destination, unknowingly joins the ranks of an all-girl vigilante fight club. Heavy Vinyl is set in 1993, and in a vein very similar to Scooby Doo, this group of young heroines solves crimes that the police are either too busy or too stupid to understand. In this first volume of the series, Chris is introduced to the gang at Vinyl Destination and leverages her adoration for her favorite band, Stegosour, to solve the mysterious disappearance of the band's front woman, Rosie Riot. This graphic novel is about girl-power all the way; each of the Vinyl Destination employees is emblematic of passion, knowledge, and self-sufficiency. Chris and the other girls find identity and power in their time in the fight club, as well as finding depth in their passion for music. This is only the first part of the series, but Heavy Vinyl sets up a feminist story where young passionate music fans take on a music industry hell-bent on removing the message of empowerment from female voices in music, attempting to undercut this message in exchange for conformity and male-dominated voices.
Why "Heavy Vinyl Volume 1"?
"Heavy Vinyl" struck me by its art style first and foremost. When compiling my list of YA titles, Nina Vakueva's art brought me back to the days of classic comic books. This first volume took a while to get on loan from the library, evidently very popular among young readers. I have always loved vinyl records, so the setting of Vinyl Destination in the 1990s seemed fun and charming. I don't think this is a series I would have read as a young man; however, I see why both the art style and topical feminist focus would draw in young queers girls in particular. For music-passionate young women, this graphic novel would be a fun read, especially if readers listen to the music explored in the story, like Placebo, Portishead, and more. Chris and Maggie's (another Vinyl Destination employee) queer love story adds another dimension that both characterizes these two while also making another access point for young readers to see themselves in the story. This story marries several interests and niches of young queer life in a way that students can relate to while reading a mysterious story, packed with action and humor.
Teaching Considerations
I think Heavy Vinyl is for an age range a bit lower than those I teach in high school; this comic seems most appropriate for middle schoolers, grades 7th to 8th. Describing the teaching considerations for this story is a bit difficult for me, as the story seems mostly for entertainment. The moments where feminism, girl-power, and the literal fighting of the patriarchy are explored all seem very blunt and not clouded by any subtext. From a visual analysis standpoint, the art also does not shrowd the story in any symbolism, limiting the visual analysis of Heavy Vinyl to how the font choices might reflect some characterization. This first volume of Heavy Vinyl would best suit low-level readers at the beginning of their secondary education. The themes of this story are clear, direct, and, while a bit ham-fisted for me, would be easily noticeable by young 7th graders. I think this graphic novel is best for individual reading or choice reading in or out of the classroom. There are no real warnings for language, sexual content, and even the violence in this story is few and far between, existing as nothing more violent than fighting in early superhero comics (think pow! Boom! Splat!). If this comic finds its target audience, I'm sure they will enjoy it, but for those students who do not see themselves reflected in this book, they will likely speed through this volume without gaining much.
` Sections to Read Aloud & Reasoning
- Chapter 3, Page 74
In chapter 4, the story of the first volume has been concluded, while the overarching struggle of Rosie Riot and the silencing of her voice by her record company is just beginning to unfold. This is another thematic moment where an oppressive system aimed at silencing women is highlighted. This moment also exposes where the entire series is going, and would get those readers who liked this volume to keep reading. This plot line is only getting started in this chapter, but is what will be explored in the next volumes.
Overall Thoughts
Heavy Vinyl is not for me, and that's OK. In a classroom setting, I don't think there is much to say about this story, its themes, or its subtext. The themes of female empowerment raging against the patriarchy are important, and I did love all the musical nods, but this story seemed basic, blunt, and sometimes flat. The characters were cute, developed, and relatable for young readers, but still didn't seem very "teachable" for me. This graphic novel seems a better choice for students to read for fun rather than something I should assign in class. I hope young queer girls who are passionate about music find this story and enjoy seeing themselves presented clearly in this work. I like knowing about this series as a recommendation to students for some fun summer reading, but I don't think this story has enough to analyze to have a space in my curriculum. From an artistic standpoint, the paneling, shot choice, and use of color are fun and nice to look at, but there is also little room for subtextual analysis of the decisions made by the illustrator. This comic was cute, don't get me wrong, but I think assigning this book is not something I'm looking to do. The fun of Heavy Vinyl should be for those who relate to it, finding it for themselves, and bingeing the story all in one weekend.
Future Explorations
Growing up, I read lots more manga than I did American comics. I always found manga to tell more compelling stories with much more interesting and substantive visuals. Heavy Vinyl Volume 1 did get me thinking, have I maybe been missing out? My misgiving of this story still did not scare me off from wanting to read more YA graphic novels of this style. In fact, I am more passionate now about finding more thematically deep American comics/graphic novels that are worth reading and analyzing in a classroom setting. The artwork of this volume was amazing; however, the story didn't land with me. I may also look through other illustration work of Nina Vakueva, just to see what else she has lent her talented hand to.
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