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Herman by Trade: Chris W. Kim's debut graphic novel about an unexceptional street cleaner

Herman is a seemingly unexceptional street cleaner. His fellow workers regard him as dull and unambitious, but during the night he takes to the streets in secret and makes use of a remarkable hidden talent: an ability to transform his appearance at will. When cult film director Mio calls an open audition for roles in her next project, Herman is emboldened to perform. But his decision to join the queue that forms along the city’s waterfront has far reaching and irreversible consequences.

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A figure in a hooded grey garment shown in profile, with shadowy crowds and tall buildings filling the warm orange sky behind them in this illustrated scene from Chris W. Kim's graphic novel Herman by Trade

This is Herman by Trade, a captivating and cinematic debut graphic novel about art, identity and making room for self-expression – illustrated by Toronto-based artist Chris W. Kim who combines atmospheric, intricate pencil work with a compellingly offbeat story that blurs the lines between reality and fantasy.

"I like the films of Jacques Tati and Federico Fellini, and both have done documentary-style films about circuses (Parade and I Clowns, respectively) which I used for inspiration," explains Chris. "Also, Toronto has an annual busker festival which I go to sometimes. I always find it both lighthearted and incredibly chaotic. That was the initial impetus for using buskers/circus performers in the story."

A graduate of OCAD University in Toronto, Chris's clients include The New York Times and The Hollywood Reporter, among others. He regularly posts illustrations and short stories at chriswkim.com. Herman by Trade is his first graphic novel.

A sequence of black-and-white comic panels showing a man preparing for an audition, with close-ups of different outfit combinations and panels of him walking through a hallway and looking out a window
Grid of twelve sketched profile portraits showing a man's face with varying expressions and features, demonstrating character design studies for Herman by Trade
Comic panels showing Herman joining a queue of performers along a city waterfront at night, with dialogue about seeing a marquee light in the distance
Black and white comic panels showing a street scene with a figure viewing a theatre marquee, a crowd of performers gathered outside, and characters in conversation inside a venue
Black and white comic panels from Herman by Trade showing a man obtaining a theatre ticket, attending a street performer festival, and entering a theatre with a crowd of onlookers
Herman by Trade graphic novel cover by Chris W. Kim showing the title in white text on an orange background above an illustrated street scene with a man's face in the foreground
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