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Long Distance
While stranded in an airport, Carter and Lee meet and hit it off immediately. Problem is, he lives in Columbus and she lives in Chicago. Can they manage to have a relationship separated by three hundred miles, a time zone, and the entire state of Indiana?
188 pages, Paperback
First published February 28, 2005
About the author
Thomas F. Zahler
118 books39 followersInto every generation there is born an artist. A being of such amazing talent and skill, that the world is forever changed by the power of his work. He alone stands against the vampires, the demons, and the forces of darkness.
Thom Zahler is not that artist.
He is, however, an extremely hardworking artist, doing what he can with what talent and skill he has. He attended the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art, where he honed his skills and developed strong feelings about the state of New Jersey. Immediately returning to his home state of Ohio upon graduation, he worked as a caricaturist at an amusement park, then later as an advertising artist at a great suburban newspaper, and finally as an art director at an area advertising agency.
Believing that every great success story starts with the phrase “it was a terrible time to start a business,” he quit his day job working for “The Man” in November of 2001 to devote himself full-time to the burgeoning Thom Zahler Art Studios empire.
His artwork has been seen in the nationwide Prilosec advertising campaign, in countless magazines and newspapers all across the country, and in the pages of numerous comic books. He has won awards for both his graphic design and illustration work. A relentless glory hound, he is also a recurring presence on Cleveland broadcast media, both television and radio. He recently made the jump to the national spotlight as a contestant on the syndicated version of “Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?” where he won $32,000. He could have gone farther, but he didn’t know who the hell Charles Goren was.
He is a graduate of the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art. He has drawn silly things and been paid by Marvel Comics, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, and Prilosec. He is also the writer and artist of the Cleveland Indians’ “Slider” comic strip. He has written and drawn three graphic novels: “Raider: From the Shadows”, "Raider: A Cold Day in Heaven” and “Raider: Dead Men’s Tales”. His current project, “Love and Capes” has been critically acclaimed and twice part of the national Free Comic Book Day promotion. A collection of the first six issues will be released in November of 2008.
He lives at his palatial estate, Zahlerdu, in Northeast Ohio. Okay, he doesn’t really call it “Zahlerdu” but if he did, it’d be because he liked Orson Wells’ “Citizen Kane” and not that Olivia Newton John disco-and-roller skating movie. It’s not really a palatial estate, either, but it is a nice place.
Zahler tries to make it a point to have at least one life-altering, horribly-scarring relationship every three years or so. There should be another window opening up next Tuesday.
Thom Zahler is not that artist.
He is, however, an extremely hardworking artist, doing what he can with what talent and skill he has. He attended the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art, where he honed his skills and developed strong feelings about the state of New Jersey. Immediately returning to his home state of Ohio upon graduation, he worked as a caricaturist at an amusement park, then later as an advertising artist at a great suburban newspaper, and finally as an art director at an area advertising agency.
Believing that every great success story starts with the phrase “it was a terrible time to start a business,” he quit his day job working for “The Man” in November of 2001 to devote himself full-time to the burgeoning Thom Zahler Art Studios empire.
His artwork has been seen in the nationwide Prilosec advertising campaign, in countless magazines and newspapers all across the country, and in the pages of numerous comic books. He has won awards for both his graphic design and illustration work. A relentless glory hound, he is also a recurring presence on Cleveland broadcast media, both television and radio. He recently made the jump to the national spotlight as a contestant on the syndicated version of “Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?” where he won $32,000. He could have gone farther, but he didn’t know who the hell Charles Goren was.
He is a graduate of the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art. He has drawn silly things and been paid by Marvel Comics, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, and Prilosec. He is also the writer and artist of the Cleveland Indians’ “Slider” comic strip. He has written and drawn three graphic novels: “Raider: From the Shadows”, "Raider: A Cold Day in Heaven” and “Raider: Dead Men’s Tales”. His current project, “Love and Capes” has been critically acclaimed and twice part of the national Free Comic Book Day promotion. A collection of the first six issues will be released in November of 2008.
He lives at his palatial estate, Zahlerdu, in Northeast Ohio. Okay, he doesn’t really call it “Zahlerdu” but if he did, it’d be because he liked Orson Wells’ “Citizen Kane” and not that Olivia Newton John disco-and-roller skating movie. It’s not really a palatial estate, either, but it is a nice place.
Zahler tries to make it a point to have at least one life-altering, horribly-scarring relationship every three years or so. There should be another window opening up next Tuesday.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
August 21, 2016
Lightning review at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
I’m biased in favor of Thom Zahler, with whom I shared a panel at San Diego Comic-Con, but I just have to say how much I love his romance comic, Long Distance. It tells the love story of Carter, an advertising designer in Columbus, Ohio, and Lee, a NASA scientist who lives in Chicago. The two meet in an airport and embark on a long distance romance.
This is a sweet, funny, warm story that is honest about the challenges of a long distance relationship without being too angsty. It benefits from great supporting characters including Lee’s fabulous grandmother who I adore absolutely. Carter and Lee share geek interests which makes their conversations a lot of fun, and they communicate well. I love it that they are happy going out but they also like watching old science fiction shows on DVD (one time Lee comes to visit, Carter is hit with a deadline, so he works on his laptop while she watches his DVDs). The art is retro and cute and clever, with different color washes representing different points of view.
- Carrie S.
I’m biased in favor of Thom Zahler, with whom I shared a panel at San Diego Comic-Con, but I just have to say how much I love his romance comic, Long Distance. It tells the love story of Carter, an advertising designer in Columbus, Ohio, and Lee, a NASA scientist who lives in Chicago. The two meet in an airport and embark on a long distance romance.
This is a sweet, funny, warm story that is honest about the challenges of a long distance relationship without being too angsty. It benefits from great supporting characters including Lee’s fabulous grandmother who I adore absolutely. Carter and Lee share geek interests which makes their conversations a lot of fun, and they communicate well. I love it that they are happy going out but they also like watching old science fiction shows on DVD (one time Lee comes to visit, Carter is hit with a deadline, so he works on his laptop while she watches his DVDs). The art is retro and cute and clever, with different color washes representing different points of view.
- Carrie S.
November 1, 2015
I have to admit, I love superhero comics. But sequential art is a form that lends itself to many different kinds of stories, and I like them all.
At first blush, the art is a bit cartoony – women’s faces have too many curves and men’s have too many angles.
And the banter is a bit too…uh…what’s the word I’m looking for? Perfect. It’s all too perfect. It’s not really natural. As if someone was writing characters that were all hip and cool and witty words just flowed from their lips.
But then I started to get into the groove of the conversation and it wasn’t that bad. The geek references were fun and witty. And the allusion to men taking all the credit from women’s ideas in academia was a welcome touch of reality.
And the infusion of electronic communication and social media was an interesting touch.
Sweet. Not too sappy. And a twist end that I…no, I’ll let you read it.
Thanks to NetGalley and IDW for a copy in return for an honest review.
At first blush, the art is a bit cartoony – women’s faces have too many curves and men’s have too many angles.
And the banter is a bit too…uh…what’s the word I’m looking for? Perfect. It’s all too perfect. It’s not really natural. As if someone was writing characters that were all hip and cool and witty words just flowed from their lips.
But then I started to get into the groove of the conversation and it wasn’t that bad. The geek references were fun and witty. And the allusion to men taking all the credit from women’s ideas in academia was a welcome touch of reality.
And the infusion of electronic communication and social media was an interesting touch.
Sweet. Not too sappy. And a twist end that I…no, I’ll let you read it.
Thanks to NetGalley and IDW for a copy in return for an honest review.
September 2, 2016
'Long Distance' by Thom Zahler was a different sort of graphic novel than I would normally read. I liked this bittersweet story.
Carter and Lee meet in an airport during a snowstorm that has them both stranded. He is an artist with his own advertising agency. She is a scientist working at research at a university. They hit it off and fall for each other. The problem is that he lives in Columbus, Ohio and she lives in Chicago, Illinois. A budding romance can take a little long distance, but as the months go on, the challenges mount up. She can't leave Chicago because of her grandma. He can't leave Columbus because of his business and the best friend he runs it with. Will it last, or will it end?
I liked this sweet story. The art leans more towards caricature, and I was less crazy about it, but it fits okay with the story. The story has a few twists and turns, and those kept me interested in finding out what happened.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from IDW and NetGalley. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
Carter and Lee meet in an airport during a snowstorm that has them both stranded. He is an artist with his own advertising agency. She is a scientist working at research at a university. They hit it off and fall for each other. The problem is that he lives in Columbus, Ohio and she lives in Chicago, Illinois. A budding romance can take a little long distance, but as the months go on, the challenges mount up. She can't leave Chicago because of her grandma. He can't leave Columbus because of his business and the best friend he runs it with. Will it last, or will it end?
I liked this sweet story. The art leans more towards caricature, and I was less crazy about it, but it fits okay with the story. The story has a few twists and turns, and those kept me interested in finding out what happened.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from IDW and NetGalley. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
November 7, 2023
I super-love this author/illustrator. I love how real his characters are. In this story, how he used two colors to show which character was providing the narration was inventive and very clear to read. The only reason this isn't a five-star book is that the story lacks a sense of time: it could have been set any time in the last 10 years, maybe more, and it also isn't clear how quickly time progresses over the course of the story. So I felt a little at sea. Otherwise excellent; I highly recommend this author.
Edited to include cross-references: Under the Moon: A Catwoman Tale
Edited to include cross-references: Under the Moon: A Catwoman Tale
July 11, 2017
Sweet is the perfect word for this book. Long Distance explores (you guessed it) a long distance relationship between a couple who met at an airport and lives in different states. From their first kiss at the airport to boyfriend/girlfriend status, it's a delight to witness. And the book is made all the sweeter by the abundance of nerdisms shared between the couple.
August 12, 2023
Commercial artist Carter Blue and rocket scientist Lee Smith meet in a New York airport when he’s knocked over by an unruly child. She sees his sketches, they both make geeky references, the two start talking, and a spark is lit. This could be love. Just one big problem–he lives in Columbus, Ohio and she lives in Chicago, Illinois. That’s a considerable drive or an expensive plan ticket to go on dates together. Can they make this long distance relationship work?
This romance comic started, the introduction and author’s notes mention, as a pitch for a romantic comedy television show. Like the vast majority of such pitches, it wasn’t picked up and sat in a drawer for a decade until the creator needed an idea for a comic book miniseries. Newer communication technology changed the shape of events a bit, a lot of pop culture references had to be updated, and the arc shortened to fit in four issues instead of an entire TV season. But the basic idea was still sound.
There’s a framing device of Carter telling the story of the relationship to a stranger he met in the airport; thankfully the shortened arc sticking with the early days of the story means it doesn’t reach How I Met Your Mother levels of implausible timeframe.
Good: This is a feel-good story. The big stressor on the romantic relationship is exactly the difficulties that arise from the physical distance, and its conflicts with the reasons each of the couple has to not just move to the other’s location. The closest thing to an antagonist is Lee’s boss Dr. Clark, who’s just inconsiderate, full of himself and not trained for a management position. This is contrasted to Carter’s partner Tim, who is good at management and knows when to support his employees vs. when to give them a push.
The use of duo-tones (black, white and just one other color) to indicate locations works well. Ohio is green, Illinois an orangish-brown, and other states their own colors. This helps give the impression that these locations really are different places, and sells the distance effect.
Less good: Some of the advertising tries to sell this as a “romantic comedy” but the humor is only mildly amusing geeky references in conversational banter. (On the plus side, the story does meet the Shakespearean definition of a “comedy” as it ends with the successful establishment of a relationship.)
A big deal is made of Carter not going for sex on the first date to show that he has more moral fiber than other men Lee’s dated–and then they just go ahead and have sex on the second date. It still feels a bit rushed to me.
Content note: Extramarital sex happens (off page) and is talked about. Also, one of the variant covers shows a woman in an undergarment. While I don’t think readers from junior high on up will have any difficulty here, the general tone and subplots really aim this story at adults of working age.
Overall: The ending just kind of skims over several seasons’ worth of what might have been a successful sitcom, but for a comic book miniseries, it’s just the right length. It’s a good choice for comic book fans ready for a contemporary adult romance, or for romance readers who prefer non-fantastical stories in their comics.
This romance comic started, the introduction and author’s notes mention, as a pitch for a romantic comedy television show. Like the vast majority of such pitches, it wasn’t picked up and sat in a drawer for a decade until the creator needed an idea for a comic book miniseries. Newer communication technology changed the shape of events a bit, a lot of pop culture references had to be updated, and the arc shortened to fit in four issues instead of an entire TV season. But the basic idea was still sound.
There’s a framing device of Carter telling the story of the relationship to a stranger he met in the airport; thankfully the shortened arc sticking with the early days of the story means it doesn’t reach How I Met Your Mother levels of implausible timeframe.
Good: This is a feel-good story. The big stressor on the romantic relationship is exactly the difficulties that arise from the physical distance, and its conflicts with the reasons each of the couple has to not just move to the other’s location. The closest thing to an antagonist is Lee’s boss Dr. Clark, who’s just inconsiderate, full of himself and not trained for a management position. This is contrasted to Carter’s partner Tim, who is good at management and knows when to support his employees vs. when to give them a push.
The use of duo-tones (black, white and just one other color) to indicate locations works well. Ohio is green, Illinois an orangish-brown, and other states their own colors. This helps give the impression that these locations really are different places, and sells the distance effect.
Less good: Some of the advertising tries to sell this as a “romantic comedy” but the humor is only mildly amusing geeky references in conversational banter. (On the plus side, the story does meet the Shakespearean definition of a “comedy” as it ends with the successful establishment of a relationship.)
A big deal is made of Carter not going for sex on the first date to show that he has more moral fiber than other men Lee’s dated–and then they just go ahead and have sex on the second date. It still feels a bit rushed to me.
Content note: Extramarital sex happens (off page) and is talked about. Also, one of the variant covers shows a woman in an undergarment. While I don’t think readers from junior high on up will have any difficulty here, the general tone and subplots really aim this story at adults of working age.
Overall: The ending just kind of skims over several seasons’ worth of what might have been a successful sitcom, but for a comic book miniseries, it’s just the right length. It’s a good choice for comic book fans ready for a contemporary adult romance, or for romance readers who prefer non-fantastical stories in their comics.
January 10, 2024
This is a really nice book. It's got the sense of humor I've come to expect from gen X comic book writers, which is a lot of 'so epic' and geek references, but it's not TOO overwhelming, and it's charming. It fits the characters well, too. The art style is really consistent and dynamic enough that you don't get bored reading all of the dialogue. What also helps is how constantly it changes between the different styles of communication, such as text message bubbles, twitter, email, phone calls, and speaking out loud.
This is a comic that benefits greatly from being one. Thomas Zahler makes full use of the visual medium, with the colors changing based on who's the focus or where they are, with that color coding going so far as to signify who's speaking or texting without having to add anything. The paneling is well done and great for the style, as my eyes followed it around so naturally and it was varied just right. I liked the visual ways that he showed time passing, as well, from shadows falling on a door to wine glasses emptying. It was a real treat to read this, even just artistically.
But it was a treat to read for the story, too. I'm in a long distance relationship myself, going on two years now. I'm hoping to move soon, but it's hard. Moving that great a distance, leaving everything behind, is a scary task, and scarier still is the fear of the unknown. At the same time, though, it's really difficult to be away from the person I love and to not take care of her when she's sick or comfort her if she's crying. There were so many small details in this that were so relatable, from getting sick due to being in airports so much, to not wanting to waste a single second of the brief time you have together. It was, overall, a very touching story, and I have to say I was actually surprised by the ending. I figured it was going for the easy, predictable ending, which I still would have enjoyed. The fact that it took it a step further was clever, and proof that I was right to be Thomas Zahler's personal hype woman to random strangers for the past eight years.
Highly recommend a read.
This is a comic that benefits greatly from being one. Thomas Zahler makes full use of the visual medium, with the colors changing based on who's the focus or where they are, with that color coding going so far as to signify who's speaking or texting without having to add anything. The paneling is well done and great for the style, as my eyes followed it around so naturally and it was varied just right. I liked the visual ways that he showed time passing, as well, from shadows falling on a door to wine glasses emptying. It was a real treat to read this, even just artistically.
But it was a treat to read for the story, too. I'm in a long distance relationship myself, going on two years now. I'm hoping to move soon, but it's hard. Moving that great a distance, leaving everything behind, is a scary task, and scarier still is the fear of the unknown. At the same time, though, it's really difficult to be away from the person I love and to not take care of her when she's sick or comfort her if she's crying. There were so many small details in this that were so relatable, from getting sick due to being in airports so much, to not wanting to waste a single second of the brief time you have together. It was, overall, a very touching story, and I have to say I was actually surprised by the ending. I figured it was going for the easy, predictable ending, which I still would have enjoyed. The fact that it took it a step further was clever, and proof that I was right to be Thomas Zahler's personal hype woman to random strangers for the past eight years.
Highly recommend a read.
October 26, 2020
"I used to be in a long-distance relationship ..." Carter says at the start of the story (don't worry, it's not as downbeat as that sounds). He runs an ad agency in Columbus; he meets Lee, a scientist living in Chicago. They hit it off, begin visiting back and forth, but they don't want to do that forever, so what happens when it loses its charm?
For my taste, not as much fun as Zahler's super-hero rom-com, Love and Capes, but charming nonetheless.
For my taste, not as much fun as Zahler's super-hero rom-com, Love and Capes, but charming nonetheless.
August 21, 2017
DNF AT 20% and flipped quickly through the rest to see if it would improve. Mind numbingly dull and slightly sexist. The banter is blah. The way the women are drawn with fat, cushy, colored lips is annoying AF.
January 31, 2019
I read the first issue of this as a comic and loved it. But I can see the cuteness of it wearing thin as the story were to continue. Beginnings are great, but then fights and heartbreak happen. I'm going to end THIS relationship on a high note!
April 16, 2023
Really great romantic comedy about a long distance relationship. I hate to to tell too much of the story of this one because I think a lot of the charm of the story comes from learning about the characters as the characters learn about each other. It is really charming as all get out, real life drama, without being overly dramatic. The two tone color changing for each location is really clever and adds to the art in a lovely way.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
August 27, 2014
Gosh, I love all the romantic things Thomas F. Zahler makes.
January 8, 2016
Amazing! A definite must read for anyone in an LDR or been in one. So many scenarios that I can relate to!
April 23, 2016
This was absolutely adorable.
September 13, 2015
Super cute love story. Funny and adorable.
February 1, 2016
An almost-perfect romantic comedy. Really enjoyable.
Read
November 7, 2016At least it ended better than the explosive disaster that was mine.
May 31, 2017
I've been fond of Thom Zahler's work for a long time now, starting with his wonderful superheroic romantic comedy Love and Capes. It took me far longer than it should have for me to pick up this followup, but I'm so glad I finally got around to it. Zahler is an incredibly skilled storyteller, and his careful layouts and expressive characters perfectly complement his dialogue and make all of the emotional beats land just right. The book is witty, clever, and geeky, but also packs an emotional punch. It manages to incorporate texting, Twitter, and other modern technologies without awkwardness, which is an accomplishment in itself. And though this is, at it heart, a fairly conventional narrative about a somewhat-star-crossed white, heterosexual couple, I really appreciated the diversity (in terms of race, gender, and sexuality) of the supporting cast, not to mention the fact that the female lead is a literal rocket scientist. In addition, the backmatter gives readers a thorough and fascinating behind-the-scenes look at how Zahler's art comes together -- the trade is worth reading for that reason alone.
I do my GoodReads reviews based on enjoyment, not any kind of empirical "quality" ranking, so ultimately I can only give this 4 stars, since conventional romantic comedy, without any superpowered elements, isn't really my genre. But this is an excellent example of that genre, so for those for whom it holds inherent appeal, I would highly recommend Long Distance.
I do my GoodReads reviews based on enjoyment, not any kind of empirical "quality" ranking, so ultimately I can only give this 4 stars, since conventional romantic comedy, without any superpowered elements, isn't really my genre. But this is an excellent example of that genre, so for those for whom it holds inherent appeal, I would highly recommend Long Distance.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews