Clay Footed Giants, Alain Chevalier and Mark McGuire
In English, 264 pages in black and white, softcover, 16.83 x 1.52 x 25.72 cm, Mad Cave Studios, November 2024
Set in Montreal, Clay Footed Giants is a tragicomic reflection on fatherhood, masculinity, and violence.
Being a father is much harder than Pat ever imagined. While his partner Ester is away on a work trip, Pat loses his temper and turns into an aggressive father, scaring his children and increasing his guilt. The advice of his friend Mathieu, a stay-at-home dad, does not help at all and only emphasizes Mathieu's professional shortcomings. The two men soon realize that their children are mirrors that reflect old wounds that may never heal.
Meanwhile, an unexpected package arrives from Pat's estranged father, containing letters, photos, and a mysterious medal from his time as a soldier in Vietnam, which fuels Pat's obsessive quest to understand his family's dark past. As Pat delves deeper into his research, he and his family reach their limits. With the help of Mathieu and Pat's mother, Pat investigatesthe roots of her family's intergenerational trauma and learns to heal herself in the process. Growth is possible, but so is forgetfulness. Eventually, the light comes out.
