There is something wholly satisfying about a trilogy. From The Godfather to The Dark Knight and from Dollars to Three Colours, cinema is replete with stories in three parts. Here, a familiar duo have completed a memorable trilogy in the world of Arsenal books.
RELEASE DATE: August 2024
To 2018's 'Arsène's Double Double: A Cool Cat in his Magic Hat' and 2023's 'Double Double to Invincibubble' will soon be added 'Wilderness to Thrillderness: The Return of the Magic Hat'. While the first two instalments celebrated a rise to unparalleled success, the last part takes us through some lowlights before the glory of the 2014 FA Cup run. This completes an epic ode to Arsène Wenger's tenure at Arsenal - with some gut-punches and a redemption arc included.
This first two instalments in this series were released in 2018 and 2023
Of course, the wilderness to which the title refers is the much-discussed trophy drought that became totemic of Wenger's relative failures beyond his first decade in N5. While the frustrations of this period were real, the team was almost invariably pretty good, and we never had to plumb the depths of - actual or even threatened - relegation. That the 'wilderness' was more malaise than catastrophe is signalled by: a long, unbroken run of Champions League qualification being sustained throughout; and the drought's lowest moment of all (or, at least, the one that I can least bear to recall) being played out in the prestige of a Wembley Final. You, of course, know which one I mean... Obafemi and all that.
From our defeat to soon-to-be-relegated Birmingham City in the 2011 League Cup Final, it is likely the image seared into your memory features Laurent Koscielny and Wojciech Szczesny. Moreover, I expect that your unwelcome recollection of chaotic psychodrama closely matches the illustration that fills a full page of 'Wilderness to Thrillderness'. This is the moment of dithering misunderstanding. The regeneration of the Keystone Cops in football form.
We know the image well. Perhaps, too well. Why, then, should Jacob 'Poorly Drawn Arsenal' Todd go to the bother of illustrating this more than a dozen years later? We've repeatedly seen this moment of infamy in high-resolution photographs. Why would we appreciate it as a rudimentary line drawing rendered in a colour palette of around eight colours? Well,... because Poorly Drawn Arsenal is magical!
Last year, ahead of its release, I reviewed 'Double Double to Invincibubble' with a focus upon the rhyming-style of the text. In particular, I made highfalutin allusions to the oral traditions of epic poems. After all, from Old English to Ashburton Grove, we have claimed our history through rhyming verse (e.g. "We won the league at Anfield / We won it at the Lane / Stamford Bridge, Old Trafford / No-one can say the same..."). In this review of the third Magic Hat, I'll eschew connections to Beowulf in favour of spotlighting the not-so-poorly-drawn illustrations.
A few years ago, Jacob's rise to prominence in Arsenal supporter culture appeared to be instant and emphatic. His drawings documented the momentous, trivial and downright absurd in the same simple style. Every image appeared to capture the uniqueness of an Arsenal moment in a distinctive and compelling way. Many - including me - loved Poorly Drawn Arsenal straight away, and eagerly followed the development of his portfolio and skillset.
It's remarkable that Jacob's self-consciously simple drawings manage to resemble a person more wholly than a photograph of the person concerned. Thinking back to the Koscielny-Szczesny Wembley mix-up: there's something about the illustration of Laurent's bulging eyes that reflect better than any photograph the maddening urgency of the blunder.
The power of Jacob's simplicity reminds me of the somewhat similar appeal of Julian Opie's work. Those not directly familiar with the artist may, nevertheless, know his album cover art for Blur (... and before looking down one's nose at the artistic merit of an album cover, one should note that the four portraits depicted reside within the National Portrait Gallery in London). These images of the band members - and many other images that Opie has produced in this style - distil the features of an individual to their striking essence.
Just as Julian Opie's work adds through subtraction, Jacob's work gives us striking images of Arsenal with the noise removed. He takes almost everything away, yet all we'll ever need still remains. Take every illustration in this book and hang them in the Louvre... and put all three books from the Magic Hat trilogy right beside them.
'Wilderness to Thrillderness: The Return of the Magic Hat' will be published by Legends Publishing in August 2024 and is available for pre-order here.
PUBLISHER'S DESCRIPTION
Only a year after Seager’s highly popular second instalment of his Wenger inspired ‘Cool Cat in a Magic Hat’ series, the prolific author, and trusty collaborator, Poorly Drawn Arsenal, are back. Picking up after ‘From Double Double to Invincibubble’, the new book will be the final instalment in the trilogy.
Wilderness to Thrillderness! – The Return of the Magic Hat, chronicles what many Arsenal fans christened the banter era, spanning nine years of penny pinching, near things and of course the infamous succession of fourth place trophies. The wilderness years are described in Seager’s usual comedic rhyming, yet always entirely accurate prose, with key moments, mostly lows brought brilliantly and uniquely brought to life on the pages, by the brilliant Poorly Drawn Arsenal.
Thankfully, the book enables the reader to laugh at memories today, which may not have felt quite so amusing at the time. The breakup of the Invincibles, the Gallas tears, the star player exodus, the Koscielny and Szczesny Wembley heartbreaker and so many more, before moving to the more enjoyable turning of the corner in 2012/13. Arsene, having juggled the finances for the club finally had some money to spend and his and Arsenal’s fortunes were on the up.
The second half of the book focuses on this new look team, with new stars and the magnificent journey, with every match and goal covered on the 2014 FA Cup run, the road to Wembley. Finally, Seager takes the reader on the roller coaster of a ride that was the 2014 FA Cup Final v Hull City. Every kick, every vital moment, every bizarre referring decision, and every tactical change in the 120 plus minutes, is covered, with no detail spared.
Relive and enjoy, in the original and perfectly complementary Seager, Poorly Drawn Arsenal style, the nine wilderness years and joyously, the return of the magic hat!
Comments