I knew the new Friends of Lulu anthology, Girls’ Guide to Guys’ Stuff, was shipping soon but I didn’t expect it to be waiting for me when I got home from work yesterday. I quickly read the whole thing.
I love it. It’s awesome and worth the wait. You must go buy this now. This anthology is like going to a really great party with some old friends and then making a bunch of new ones.
There is a delightful diversity of comics and creators in this collection, from the touching to the hilarious, from newcomers like Anita Cheng to legends like Roberta Gregory. The art covers everything from realistic to manga-inspired to cartoony to gritty.
While I didn’t love every story in the anthology, I was surprised by all of them and found plenty to relate to — from Missy Kulik’s “Legos” about playing with Legos with her brothers to Yali Lin’s “Sigh …” about the all-too-often cluelessness of men. Even if I didn’t like a particular story, there isn’t one I would get rid of. They all fit nicely together.
It’s not just a great collection of comics by women, it’s just a great collection of comics (and while he may not be the best example of its universal appeal, I did have to tell my boyfriend repeatedly to stop reading it and give it back because I was reading it first).
I am so happy to have this. I haven’t been this excited about comics in a while. Buy yourself a copy here then buy copies for all of your friends and family members and coworkers. You won’t regret it.
(Oh, and speaking of Friends of Lulu, The Beat has the list of this year’s award winners.)
