The fifth collection of comics in the Sarah's Scribbles series by Sarah Andersen is Adulthood Is a Gift!, which once again contains always humorous, often insightful, and sometimes thought-provoking illustrations about life and what it is to survive in the world today. I am always thrilled to pick these up and laugh at life, and at what I find in these comics that reminds me of myself.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a collection of comics that follows 2021's Oddball. Andersen once again tackles familiar territory of adventures at social events as an introvert; the stress and uncertainty that comes with being an artist; and what cat ownership really entails. Also included are more topical comics dealing with the changes to Twitter, the rise of TikTok, the return of early 2000s fashion, and even the obsession our society has with true crime and serial killers. Near the end, Andersen reflects on the last ten years of her career, how it started, and how she got here. Included are some of her earliest comics, as well as a few pages dedicated to showing how each comic goes from an idea to a finished product. And a delightful inclusion with this book is a page of stickers at the end, because as one of my friends recently pointed out, no one truly ages out of the ability to have fun with stickers.
My Verdict: I have enjoyed all of the collections in the Sarah Scribbles series, but this one may be my favorite. They have all made me laugh out loud, and shake my head, and occasionally roll my eyes and some of the more painful truths. But this one shows more maturity (which makes sense as it has been 10 years since Andersen started this journey), while still being funny and remaining true to what brought such a large audience to Andersen's work in the first place. And her thoughts and reflections at the end of the book provide an interesting look at her process, growth, and some of the lessons she has had to learn along the way. I am happy to be able to slide this one in next to the others on my bookshelf, and am excited to see what follows.
Favorite Comics: There is one comic that employs the phrase "Christian Autumn Girls" and I laughed out loud, because that is certainly a thing. And then there is the comic where a minimalism advocate is stressing the importance of clean lines and empty spaces, while Andersen's character expresses exactly what those of us with large and very full bookshelves think of that kind of advice. But the winner for me - the one that made me laugh out loud the longest and hardest - would be a comic where an aging Andersen with a walker is talking to Death, and his response is so perfect and classic that I may end up printing out this comic and pinning it on my board at work.
Recommended Reading: I of course recommend every book in the Sarah Scribbles series, but also the work of Kate Beaton, and the graphic novel A First Time for Everything by Dan Santat.
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