Ice Haven

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Ice Haven is a graphic novel by Daniel Clowes told in comic strip form. It centers around the residents of the small town of Ice Haven. The only uniting plot line of the book involves the kidnapping of a boy named David Goldberg. Like Clowes's Ghost World and his other work, each character breaks popular stereotype.

[edit] Characters

Random Wilder - The supposedly humble narrator of the story who's neither humble nor much of a narrator. He's mainly concerned with his own problems. Wilder is an aspiring writer who nurses a bitter rivalry with Ice Haven's current poet laureate, Ida Wentz. He lives alone and looks down on the general public.

Vida - Described as an "out-of-town guest", Vida is a struggling writer who is visiting her grandmother, Ida Wentz. She writes a magazine which doesn't sell. After reading some of Random Wilder's poems, she becomes obsessed with the neighbor who she describes as an "owlish oddity", and begins to follow him around.

David Goldberg - The silent boy who is kidnapped during the course of the story.

Charles - A quiet boy who only talks at length and intelligently to his young neighbor, George. He's disturbed by the behavior he observes from Carmichael, with whom he goes to school. Secretly, Charles is madly in love with his step-sister, Violet, and wishes to end the marriage of their parents in order for them to be together at a later date.

Carmichael - A "troubled youth." He mainly speaks to Charles though they aren't exactly friends. He loans him a comic book about the Leopold and Loeb murder. Charles believes Carmichael might be involved with David Goldberg's kidnapping.

Violet - A teenager in her senior year of high school. She's romantically involved with an older man named Penrod and often daydreams about him. She is unhappy at home with her mother and step-father, is teased at school, and appears to only be friendly with a girl named Julie.

Harry Naybors - A serious comic book enthusiast and critic. He's the first character to be introduced after David Goldberg. Harry is the only character to break the fourth wall and speak directly to the audience.

Mr. Ames - A man investigating the dissapearance of David Goldberg. He has angry outbursts but is otherwise emotionally unreadable. He cares deeply for both his wife and his work.

Mrs. Ames - Married to Mr. Ames and growing increasingly fed-up with him and their marriage. They're investigating the kidnapping of David Goldberg together.

Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb - Murderers of fourteen year-old Bobby Franks in 1924, Chicago. Both were described as thrill killers out to plan and commit the perfect crime. They're featured in the book that Carmichael loans Charles and a short black and white comic where they buy a television station. The latter comic may or may not have symbolic meaning.

Ida Wentz - Vida's kindly and emotional grandmother. Poet laureate of Ice Haven.

Julie Patheticstein - An overweight friend of Violet's who works at a convenience store and is generally miserable.

Kim Lee - A convenience store worker who is uncommunicative with customers.

Paula - A young girl that goes to school with Charles and Carmichael. She is taking ballet and is revealed to have a particularly gloomy outlook.

George - Charles's young neighbor in whom he confides. George rarely speaks and is never seen without his toy, Blue Bunny.

Blue Bunny - George's stuffed animal. In a short comic, Blue Bunny is shown in his anthropomorphic form, where he is revealed to be psychotic.

Penrod - Violet's love interest. He probably doesn't return Violet's affection to the same degree.

Rocky - A caveman possibly modeled after Fred Flinstone. He is mainly concerned with survival, procreation, and other aspects of living in the year 100,000 B.C. He apparently was the first man in modern day Ice Haven.

Officer Kaufman - A police officer that appears on and off through out the book.