With Fun, Italian comic book artist Paolo Bacilieri undertakes an imaginative pop culture archeological dig: the hardcover graphic work investigates the origin and spread of the world’s most ubiquitous word game, the crossword puzzle. In lavishly sketched panels, Bacilieri identifies the crossword’s beginnings in a 1913 edition of the New York World’s Sunday supplement, a section titled “Fun.” His narrative hopscotches through time, detailing the crossword’s viral spread following World War I and a fictional contemporary story concerning an esteemed professor who enjoys crosswords and explores their connection with comic strips in conversations with a young admirer. Fun is informative, entertaining and, yes, a fun read.
