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The Woodchipper
Joe Ollmann
Drawn & Quarterly (2026)
The short story is often an under-appreciated literary form.
Joe Ollmann’s new graphic novel The Woodchipper makes this explicitly clear. I realize even in writing that sentence that the word “novel” doesn’t quite suit. A better descriptor might be graphic collection. Or, in the case of Ollmann’s genius work, a big bowl of literary chips: tasty, salty little treats. No one eats just one chip. You need many.
That short stories and illustrated images would work well together might seem an obvious marriage, but in Ollmann’s capable hands it is a convergence of the highest order.
In The Woodchipper, we find a woman accidentally locked in the workplace bathroom over the Christmas holidays. A guy tries to build a retirement nest egg by renting out a cheap apartment to short-term residents until tragedy upsets his financial applecart. As in Ollmann’s previous work, a deep and wonderful understanding of human foibles is on full display.
Each story is a stand-alone wonder. But taken cumulatively, they add up to something even greater, offering reassessment of the short story form and why it works so beautifully with certain kinds of storytelling. There are twist endings and unexpected swerves, but there’s also the tidiness of a fully realized slice of life that is exactly as long as it needs to be.
In an era when feature films frequently exceed two-hour runtimes and novels weigh in at 600 pages, this comes as a huge relief.
The Woodchipper also reminded me that some of the greatest writers in the world did their best work in short form. Think Shirley Jackson, James Baldwin, James Joyce. It also works wonders for pulpier authors such as horror master Stephen King or mystery writer/good old boy James Lee Burke. A stunning example of this is Burke’s luminous Jesus Out to Sea.
Ollmann prefaces his new book with an explainer of why short stories have remained an enduring literary love affair for him since childhood. One of his early attempts at writing a short tale conflated the Barenaked Ladies (the band) with bear naked ladies (the animals). One will sing you a pop hit about having a million dollars and the other will eat your face off, so best not to confuse the two.
Ollmann’s take on the weird and wonderful allows for dips into all manner of worlds and experiences. There’s a mysterious lab, a quiet bookstore, a city maintenance yard.
The book’s opening salvo “Nestled All Snug” sets the tone. A bookstore clerk named Sasha is preparing to close up shop and spend the holidays on her own, after her partner has stormed off to visit his parents. But a last-minute trip to the bathroom at work, and hello, fate has other plans.
The story that gives the collection its title is an eviscerating look at workplace dynamics. It’s also a nuanced peek into how trauma can manifest, even when the very worst possible outcome doesn’t happen.
The sophistication of Ollmann’s drawings packs an emotional weight that many thousands of words couldn’t adequately summarize. But a single drawing can tell an entire story.
A true joy of wit, suspense and humanity in all its scratchy glory elevates The Woodchipper into a category all its own.
A thing of many small beauties and great heart. ![[Tyee]](/design-article.thetyee.ca/ui/img/yellowblob.png){kind=small}
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