I discovered the Poorly Drawn Lines webcomic a number of months ago and loved it so much that I went back to the beginning of the comic’s history and literally read every one on Reza Farazmand’s website. Not every installment speaks to me, but it is quite reminiscent of the things I would find perfect and wonderful when I was a teenager. Since that dry and subtle sense of humor still exists inside me, 25 years later, I still love reading things like Poorly Drawn Lines.
And now it’s in book form. Poorly Drawn Lines: Good Ideas and Amazing Stories comes in a square and smaller-than-expected but perfect-for-me format, along with shiny pages (ooo, shiny!). The book’s comics are divided up by category: The Natural World; A Better Tomorrow; Heavy Stuff; Unexplained Events; and Friends, Feelings, Lovers, and People. (And the author gets points from me for using the serial comma.) Many of the included comics have run on his site, but there is plenty of brand new content created just for the book, including some text-based humor.
The book is filled with some real twisted entries, some that have become new mantras for me, and some that just amuse. And, inevitably, there are a few that I just don’t get. But the best bits of humor always have some things that go over your head.
Reza Farazmand’s art is simple, clear, flat, and perfect. And his humor is so very wry. Even the About the Author section and Introduction reflect that humor. You know you’ve got the right book when you’ve been laughing before you even begin to read the main content. I would totally read a picture-less book by this guy.
Almost all the comics in the book bring a smile to my face or a hearty laugh. Most of them are the type that I can re-read and laugh or smile again, just as much as the first time. For me, that makes it a book worth buying. Re-readability makes all the difference.
If you enjoy Poorly Drawn Lines on Reza’s website, or you just like darkish and sometimes subtle humor, definitely check out this book. Poorly Drawn Lines: Good Ideas and Amazing Stories is available now, and is completely awesome.
Note: I received a copy of the book for review purposes.
