“In the words of that immortal god / Samuel J. Snodgrass / As he was about to be led / To the guillotine: Make ‘em laugh!” – Cosmo Brown, “Singin’ in the Rain”
Award shows love to laud dramatic actors, but I’ll tell you what: Comedy is way harder to do well than tragedy. True comedians – folks who can be clever and insightful and witty, who punch up rather than down, who can make you cackle until your sides ache and your throat’s raw – are rarer than gold dust.
And the truly great comic artists, like Bill Watterson and Gary Larson, walk away long before we, the audience, are ready to say goodbye, because they know it’s better to end on a high note than become derivative and boring.
So when I find someone who can make me belly laugh, I cling to them like a life preserver. Because when life gets really rough, laughing until you cry can be the catharsis that gets you to tomorrow.
So just in case someone else is in desperate need of a chuckle today, here are four side-splitting authors/comic artists to check out:
4. “Zeus Grants Stupid Wishes” by Cory O’Brien
Love world mythology, but wish it could be more sweary, accompanied by crude drawings and delivered to you as if shouted by an overly-excited college student with a PowerPoint presentation following an all-nighter powered by Red Bull?
Then this is the book for you!
Yes, this book is riddled with four letter words. No, O’Brien doesn’t edit out any of the vulgarities, weird sex stuff or downright bizarre oddities the original myths contained.
This is absolutely not a book for children.
But it is hilarious. The sort of thing best read dramatically aloud to a group of like-minded friends; think the “Drunk History” series, but for mythology, and you’ll have a perfect picture of this gem. My recounting of O’Brien’s take on a particular Egyptian myth once made a coworker choke on her salad, then had her giggling sporadically the rest of the day. *Victorious fist pump*
3. “Sarah’s Scribbles” and “Cryptid Club” by Sarah Andersen
An incredibly popular web comic for the past twelve years – I can guarantee you’ve seen at least one of Andersen’s pieces on Facebook before, even if you don’t recognize her name – and now available in print, “Sarah’s Scribbles” may be very simplistic in design.
But Andersen has perfectly encapsulated Millennial experiences and attitudes in her basic, black and white, four-panel or less drawings. Nearly every one of her comics has me clapping and going, “That’s me!” – they’re that relatable.
Her comic avatar loves Halloween, is obsessed with cats, can’t help but do weird things in public, laments the harsh realities of the economy, becomes overly invested in fictional worlds ... Truly, she is one of my people.
And in the past couple years, Andersen has also released a series of endearing cryptid-based comics featuring the likes of Nessie, Bigfoot, the Flatwoods Monster, Mothman, Siren Head, Fresno Nightcrawlers, krakens and a jackalope.
One of the best things about Andersen’s work is it’s almost always wholesome and all-ages appropriate. These are comics both kids and grandparents would giggle over (though certain references may have to be explained, lol).
2. Jenny “The Bloggess” Lawson (“Let’s Pretend This Never Happened,” “Furiously Happy,” “Broken (In the Best Possible Way)”)
Lawson first became known thanks to a series of viral blog posts, particularly her story “And That’s Why You Should Learn To Pick Your Battles,” about Beyoncé, the Giant Metal Chicken (seriously: just pull it up online. HILARIOUS). Several books quickly followed, beginning with “Let’s Pretend This Never Happened.”
All of Lawson’s books are equal parts memoir/personal reflections and goofy essays. Which isn’t to say her writing is non-stop laugh-inducing: she’s never held back about the realities of growing up in poverty in rural Texas, or her myriad and awful health struggles, or the difficulties she and her husband faced to have a child. All of that is given the somber weight required.
But Lawson knows how to leaven the sorrow with silliness and joy, as she also shares with us her ridiculous taxidermy collection (Juanita the Weasel, for instance); childhood remembrances of Rambo, the pajama-wearing raccoon; and the many pranks she’s pulled on long-suffering husband Victor (see: the aforementioned Giant Metal Chicken).
Lawson has a wonderfully weird way of looking at life, and delivers her stories with fun flair and beautifully blunt honesty. If you’ve ever struggled to survive the medical industry, she’s the best friend you always needed, full of empathy and rage.
1. “Hyperbole and a Half” by Allie Brosh
And here’s another gutsy lady who got her start with an online blog! Thanks to a combination of hysterically, intentionally rudimentary drawings made in Paintbrush and brilliant storytelling, Brosh has charmed folks since 2009.
From recounting childhood escapades involving a forbidden birthday cake, trying to jump out of a moving car while high on dental anesthetics, or refusing to take off a dinosaur costume ...
To trying to train her certifiably stupid, absolutely dumb-as-a-box-of-rocks dog or fleeing from a goose that invaded her house ...
To describing the nature of a “Sneaky Hate Spiral,” or why the “Alot” is better than you, or how “This Is Why I’ll Never Be An Adult ... "
All the way to discussing truly crippling bouts of depression, suicidal ideation and the loss of her sister ...
Brosh gave the Internet some of its most iconic memes, became one of the first webcomic bloggers to secure a book deal and had thousands of devoted fans checking in on her when she disappeared from social media for several years.
While she fought her way through dire personal lows, she created two incredibly funny, incredibly touching books: “Hyperbole and a Half” and “Solutions and Other Problems.” Like Lawson, Brosh never pulls any punches when it comes to the real, heavy stuff. But she also hasn’t let her hardships destroy her sense of whimsy and weirdness.
And I gotta say: there were definitely times when pulling up her classic essays on her “Hyperbole and a Half” blog got me through an especially rough day. Because at the end of the day, so much of comedy is about a sense of community. When you laugh at something someone else said or wrote or drew, you’re really laughing together.
And that’s a lovely thing to hold onto.
• ANGIE BARRY is a contributing columnist for Shaw Media. To suggest future topics for The B-List, which covers topics in pop culture, history and literature, contact her at newsroom@mywebtimes.com.