Fatal Distraction

Tami Oliphant is a Ph.D. candidate in Library and Information Studies at the University of Western Ontario.

Fatal Distraction is the culmination of five years’ worth of drawings
and musings by Sonja Ahlers, the author of the graphic novel Temper,
Temper (1998). The book is likened to a “DJ sampling and mashing
fragments” and offers a scramble of images and words. Each page stands
on its own and does not have to be read in a certain context. Although
there is no linear narrative, Fatal Distraction is loosely divided into
a number of themes exploring work, copycats, relationships, and rock
’n’ roll.

Ahlers’s images run the gamut from cartoon bunnies, to magazine
cut-outs, to gothiclike images. Her collages of image and text are
infused with dry humour; for example, there is an image of a rabbit
giving the peace sign while the caption below reads “Hair Peace.”
Ahlers has a curious mind and it shows in her creative juxtapositions
between images and words, such as the animal commentary on the Ramones
and ethereal girls dealing with relationships. At times her art is
reminiscent of Beatrix Potter’s work.

So what does this all add up to? The title of the book and the
omnipresence of bunnies in it indicate a play on the movie Fatal
Attraction and its infamous bunny-boiling scene. The book’s underlying
theme is a meditation of sorts on obsession, gender stereotypes, and how
we distract ourselves from the darker sides of life. This is an
intriguing collection where something new is uncovered with each
reading.