Dogs on Dates

Dogs on Dates began a few years ago as a series of strips on Luke Healy's Instagram account, and I have been looking forward to this book. It follows the lives of Brad and Bernie, a couple of gay dogs whose "meet cute" involves a broken plate glass window and a shared ambulance ride. 

What follows is a series of dates, some quotidian and others quite outlandish, and the duo gets to know each other. Much of the book is composed of single page strips that depict a single date, though there are some extended sequences where some of their more complicated adventures occur. These sequences are suspenseful and well-plotted, making them real page-turners. Also, the character designs, gestures, expressions, and interactions make these cartoon dogs palpable and relatable.

Overall, I loved getting to know these characters and seeing how their relationship develops and unfolds. There is lots of drama and emotional baggage, from meeting parents to dealing with employment issues to learning about past relationships, but this book presents them in frank, refreshing, and utterly charming ways. It made me laugh and worry and my heart melt. It is a feel-good read, in a wonderful and substantial way, a reaffirming tale that shows the realities and absurdities of love.

The book's author Luke Healy is a cartoonist, comedian, and screenwriter. He has made all sorts of comics from short-form to graphic novels like Self-Esteem and the End of the World and The Con Artists. I feel the need to read more of his work soon.

All of the reviews I have read of it have been positive. Lindsay Pereira wrote, "There is a lot of sensitivity on display here, especially when one considers that these feelings are being filtered through the lives of two anthropomorphic canines." Jeff Provine highlighted "the genuine humanness of two guys just trying to be a couple in a world packed with awkwardness and responsibilities as well as amazing snacks and belly laughs." Killian Fox called it "an endearingly scrappy piece of work whose charms make up for its occasional misfires."

Dogs on Dates was published by Drawn & Quarterly, and they offer an excerpt and more here.

 

Fungirl

I have not read a book as enjoyable, funny, and profane as Fungirl in a long time. The title first came to my attention because of a kerfuffle about its mature readers label (an depictions of sex toys) for a book on Free Comic Book Day. I picked up that issue from my local comic shop, and it set me up well for the whole book. 

This book reads like a wonderfully deranged situational comedy, in the best kid of way. It stars the titular Fungirl (her actual name is not given), a young woman who I have seen described aptly as a "hot mess." She has no job, a long line of dysfunctional sexual relationships, and few prospects for the future. She lives with her roommate (an ex-girlfriend) Becky, a hard working relatively normal person, and they often deal with Peter, Becky's polite-to-a-fault boyfriend. Much of the humor of the book comes from watching these three bounce off each other, but there are also lots of strange, unique situations.

Early in the book, Fungirl finds a job as a mortician's assistant, a position where she creates all sorts of mayhem. She takes naps in coffins, sets multiple accidental fires, gets extreme in making up the corpses, and has some really strange interactions at a professional convention that features unusual rivalries between undertakers. In addition, there are lots of other embarrassing, uncomfortable, and hilarious situations she finds herself in, including visits to llama farms, drunken revelries, bus rides, shopping expeditions, and a memorable self help seminar.

Whenever there is a crossroads, Fungirl can be counted on to make a misinformed decision that ends in calamity and hilarity (for the reader). Still, she does try her best and occasionally there are moments of fleeting clarity and insight. These are few and far between, however, and most of the book is chock full of jokes and humor. I laughed out loud while reading this book quite a few times, and I could not stop reading it, even though I planned on taking my time. If you like compelling graphic novels and laughing at others' misfortune, this is the book for you.

Fungirl was written and drawn by the German artist Elizabeth Pich. She is best known as co-creator of the popular webcomic War and Peas.

All of the reviews I have read about this book have been positive. Calvin Reid called it "awkward, biting, shameless, wildly improper, aroused, maybe even dangerous." Publishers Weekly described it as "an outlandish romp past the boundaries of good taste and into dangerously revealing—and truly funny—psychic territory." There are more reviews at Goodreads where it has a 4.1 (out of 5) star rating as of this writing.

Fungirl was published by Silver Sprocket, and they offer a preview and more information here. As should be clear by now, this is not a book for kids.