Mr. Birthday Cake by Leomi Sadler

Mr. Birthday Cake by Leomi Sadler
Toy Box Coffin 2024
32 pages black & white, high gloss color cover, staple bound. 6.5 x 10.25

Sadler’s comics can be tough to get a grasp on. They move fast. They’re frenetic. The absurdity in them is turned up to such a degree that they fold back in on themselves and an inner logic reveals itself. Somehow making it all seem completely reasonable. The characters are rude and brash. Mischievous. Always on the move and defying expectations. I’ll spare you plot summation, because these are about much more than the things that happen. These are comics to be read and experienced. Felt. To be clear, they are not devoid of content like some art comics can be. There’s themes of destiny, fate, religion, ambition, and authority. It's all so baked in and fully realized by what Sadler draws and how she draws it. There’s familiar touchstones in her cartooning like Gary Panter’s ratty line and the simple shapes and facial expressions of Roger Hargreaves. But it’s all put through a personal staticky filter. I also have to mention the covers and over presentation of these comics. Designwise, they look like a Web 1.0, popup ad, virus-infected PC. Not quite at the point where it's unusable, but loading up Doom 2 or checking your email will be a struggle. The noise being an integral part of the message.