One Model Nation by Courtney Taylor-Taylor and Jim Rugg

'One Model Nation' is a graphic novel by Courtney Taylor-Taylor, of the rock band The Dandy Warhols, and illustrated by Jim Rugg. Titan Books offered me a copy for review.

The story is set in West Berlin during the late 70s, which was a time of political volatility. The Baader-Meinhoff gang, a part of the radical left Red Army Faction, is terrorizing the city with bombings and shootings. A paranoid government is cracking down on every suspicious youth conspiracy.

In all this turmoil, the band One Model Nation is making waves with an industrial rock sound that is changing Germany's music scene. Their popularity, however, comes at a price. The Baader-Meinhoff gang sees them as an inspiration for Berlin's disenchanted youth to join the leftist cause. The government considers them conspirators of terrorism. In 1978, after several incidents involving the Baader-Meinhoff gang rock Berlin, One Model Nation mysteriously disappears.

It's an intriguing premise. Unfortunately, that's about it.

Courtney Taylor-Taylor may be an accomplished musician and songwriter with The Dandy Warhols, but he's a rookie at story-telling in an extended format. The story here is weak and incoherent at times; more like a sketch of ideas rather than a continuous narrative. Principle characters come and go without reason or consequence, and a b-story involving the Baader-Meinhoff gang that is supposed to clarify the band's connection with them opens more questions rather than answer them. A cameo by David Bowie is entertaining but comes off as a random interlude. The language is stitled and anachronistic – did they really say "you're the man" in 1977 Germany? I don't think they even say it now. It's a good thing the dialogue is sparse otherwise it would complicate an already plodding and dis-jointed story.

The main reason for this book is the premise: a band became famous and then vanished. If it were played up as a mystery with a satisfying resolution, maybe the story would have been more engaging. But here it's just as likely the band disappeared into obscurity which makes me wonder why bother telling the story in the first place.

The artwork is the book's saving grace. The images are gritty and industrial, a perfect fit and feel for 1970's Germany. That said, Jim Rugg's drawings are nothing incredible. A better example of his work can be found in the 'Afrodisiac' series, a punchy take on the 70's pop culture in America and Blaxploitation in particular.

Here, the band members are mostly unidentifiable, which may be for effect but it makes connecting to them difficult. But since the band doesn't really do much, I suppose it doesn't matter what they look like. Details overall are lacking. Most scenes are closely-cropped interiors and the few exteriors are non-descript. The bare-bones art plays well with the Euro-minimalist style popular at the time and lets the action sequences stand out with dramatic effect.

I really wanted to love this book. The premise is intriguing and the setting has been long-enough abandoned to seem new and exciting. The execution, however, is disappointingly weighted by an obvious first-time foray into a format by someone with enough money and/or influence to see it published. It's an enjoyable enough read for a rainy afternoon, but an insignificant addition for comic book collections.