The Structure of a Basement: How Deep does it go?

 

Cadence Scheunemann

    "Things in the Basement" is a graphic novel I recently read which is written by Ben Hatke. This graphic novel shows the main character, Milo, as he takes a dangerous trip through the basement of his new house. One of his younger twin siblings has lost her pink sock and Milo must travel through the oddly long, slime-invested maze in his basement. Throughout the adventure, Milo closely tails a sockrat and follows it through secret stairs, slides, and more down all different passageways. I really loved the style and structure of this book as I was reading it. If any design aspects had been changed, "Things in the Basement" would have lost its homey and loveable spark. The main three structures of the book that lended themselves most to the telling of Milo's adventures were the cover art, minimal use of words throughout, and the settings' creative twists and turns.

    When I originally picked up "Things in the Basement" I was wary of actually reading it. The cover is a dark green hue, showing Milo looking down his stairs into a dank, musty place full of barely recognizable creatures. You could say quite simply that I was judging this book by its cover. ( haha :P ) As a general rule, I don't typically read horror books (just because they don't sit well with me) and the cover of "Things in the Basement" led me to believe it truly was a horror book. But, I decided to give it a chance, and I am so glad I did! "Things in the Basement" is the story of new friendship and deep family connection (I'll let you read it to figure out how each of those plays a part in the story). The fact that this book is a story of finding family with a cover I portrayed as creepy adds to the magic of the story. The magical structure of the cover is what makes all different people want to pick it up and read it.

    The structure of graphic novels is usually made in much the same way, with small characters surrounded by big text bubbles, only really leaving space for the words. The structure of this graphic novel is super unique and adds to its likability. "Things in the Basement" is cool because it only uses words when absolutely necessary, like when Milo chickens out and runs out of the basement only to see his mom talking to the twins and saying, "'Shhhh, Leo.' 'Lucy.' 'Milo will be back soon, loves.' 'He'll have your sock.'" (Hatke 31). The soothing voice of Milo's mom restores his courage. This quote is from a page covered with way more pictures than words, showing the importance of the words present. Additionally, one of the friends Milo makes on his journey through the basement is a skeleton head, floating in a cloak. The skeleton talks in pictures, showing just how important words (or the lack of them) are to the story. One prime example of the skeleton's communication is when he says, "❤️" (Hatke 225) to his friends while they are hugging. This simple drawing inside of the skeleton's speech bubble shows the large number of ways love can be expressed through "Things in the Basement's" structure.

    The style of "Things in the Basement" is also different as the setting remains the same but also changes. Let me explain. The entire time Milo is on his adventure he remains in his basement. However, a series of secret passageways continue to lead him deeper into the miles of underground tunnels below his house. Some pages the setting is an old painter's study, others, it's an amber cave carved with petroglyphs. The scenes of the graphic novel also change drastically as Milo and his friends slip and tromp through the unknown. Overall, the style and connection of the settings really make the story come to life.

    If any of my descriptions of Hatke's style intrigues you and you want to know if Milo finds his sister's sock, PLEASE read "Things in the Basement"!!!