The Sculptor

by Scott McCloud

The Sculptor is the story of David Smith, a man determined to make a name for himself in the art world. The novel starts with a small chapter, featuring the panel to the left and a female character that we do not know yet, leaving with a cliff hanger as to what was said between them. It then picks up with David meeting an old family member, his Uncle Harry, unexpectedly while out to eat at a diner. Within this first scene of the story, we find out about David’s past, his failed sculpting career, the death of his family, and his current situation in New York City. Eventually David realizes, through his drunken stupor, that there is something wrong with his Uncle Harry, and the novel’s main plot starts from there.

David makes a deal with death in order for him to manipulate any material he touches, with the price of only living for 200 more days. His desire to make the best art of his life, to make a significant impact on the art world around him, and to immortalize himself through his art drives his decision to make the deal, and we witness David’s immediate up and (mostly) down life since receiving his gift. But despite all his hardships, things seem to change when we meet Meg, a beautiful actress with her own secrets and issues.