Why Are You Doing This?

Imagine a long-forgotten, never-produced Alfred Hitchcock "wrong man" thriller screenplay discovered, adapted and filmed by a modern minimalist like Jim Jarmusch and you'll have some idea of the unique flavor of Jason's latest graphic novel. The protagonist, a moody twenty-something wallowing in depression after a breakup with his long-time girlfriend, finds himself drawn into a paranoid's worst nightmare after his best friend is murdered and the blame is pinned on him. With the help of a single mother who spontaneously throws in her lot with him (not to mention her precocious daughter), he sets out to clear his name. Soon new relationships are forged, dark secrets from the past are revealed, and the real killer comes back into the picture...with a vengeance.

"Jason's trademarks are all here, from the anthropomorphic animal characters to his minimalist six-panel layout, an economy of expression giving Jason's work a poetic edge despite the madcap B-movie stylings." – The List

"A short, sharp, cleanly plotted story that takes on unexpected emotional weight... [Why Are You Doing This?] takes a familiar plot and gives it a tragic twist that would provide a knockout punch for any screenwriter." – The Hollywood Reporter

"Cross Ingmar Bergman with Walt Kelly and Raymond Carver and you may have some idea of what Norwegian cartoonist Jason's work is like. This work solidifies Jason's reputation as one of the medium's finest storytellers." – Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Haunting and lyrical. Jason is building up a powerful body of work." – Heidi MacDonald

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