The action takes place in 1975-76, just before and during the summer Olympics in Montreal. Remember gymnast Nadia Comaneci or Canadian high-jumper Greg Joy? Paul is now 16 and in the throes of adolescence. He changes schools, hitchhikes, falls deeply in love, gets dumped, smokes pot and drinks beer. All of this over a soundtrack of Quebec prog rock and Peter Frampton. Paul rides his new moped up north to the Laurentian cottage country of Quebec where he makes new friends. In the end Paul Up North is a story about Pauls struggle to leave his adolescence behind. It is also a stellar graphic novel from a master of the form at the height of his powers.