This week an unusual 'graphic novel' will hit the stands.

It's called 'Growing Up With Comics', and it was conceived and drawn by Toronto artist R. G. Taylor.

The premise is simple. Rick asked several of his friends and family to write stories about the comic book that changed their perception of comics. He got me (The Spirit #1), Beguiling proprietor Peter Birkemoe (Frontline Combat), cartoonist Ron Kasman (Avengers #4), artist Paul McCusker (Spider-Man #'s 31,32,33), and cartoonist Rob Walton (The Demon #1) among others to write short stories about these pivotal comics in our lives. Then Rick added a several longer pieces about the local Toronto comic book scene.

When the project started I took it at face value. I thought this was going to be a celebration of certain comic books, a valentine to the comic books of the sixties and seventies. But what ended up happening was that each writer placed their comic book into a biographical context, so 'Growing Up With Comics' is a portrait of men, obsession, and life choices. Many of the stories are about families, communities, and art, and the stories are united by the theme of memory.

Many of the stories are tinged with regret, and there is a sense that the world where comics loomed so importantly in the imagination of young men is vanishing like the ever changing urban landscape.

The highlight of the book, for me, is the art. Rick Taylor has spent the last few years as a painter, and his various portraits and landscapes are top notch. He has also drawn portions of the comic books, and manages to capture the essence of the original drawings.

'Growing Up with Comics' will be available at fine comic book stores this Wednesday.