I Left the House Today! declares Cassandra Calin.
Yet, if she leaves too often, she will only have about half of what she writes about in this delightful little book. Of course, sometimes she must be dragged out there blinking and wondering what is going on, but regardless of if she is in or out, she always has something to say.
In Calin’s relatable comics of everyday issues humor, pain and reality are put into (no more than four) panels. Calin talks leg hair, parents on computers, boyfriends being pretty decent even if they fall asleep after asking about your day, boob sweat, expectations vs. the reality of baby bangs and so much more.
The black and white art is simple, cozy and with minimal detail. Yet, everything you need is there. The facial expressions of Cassandra when she waits for her boyfriend to come to the relation why the X on the keyboard is broken. The snot that goes flying out after her boyfriend snorts up her hair while sleeping and then sneezing it out. The expression on her face when her father wants to show her something on the computer. The puffy eyes after crying. The joy of becoming a blanket taco. What Calin goes through we all have at least once in our lives.
Calin’s work is along the lines of the Cartoon Greats who deal with life. However, she does not focus as much on obvious mental health issues as she deals with the everyday. She is as if Sarah’s Scribbles and The Latest Kate got together. The chaos of Sarah is not there, but neither is the (wonderful) feel good of The Latest Kate. It is somewhere in between.
