Oh No

I love this webcomic, even though I had no idea it was actually called Webcomic Name or that the author was Alex Norris.

Calling the book Oh No was smart, as that’s how most people know it, since that’s the punchline to every three-panel installment. I think we all can sympathize with the pink “disappointed blob” that features in it, and seeing so many resigned “oh no”s in a row created in me a kind of bemused resignation. Although I could identify with the feelings in many of the strips, seeing them portrayed so bluntly made them more manageable, somehow.

This volume is billed as containing “the series’ greatest hits”. Up until its early 2019 publication date, anyway, which is why my favorite strip isn’t included. But since I hadn’t been paying much attention, there were plenty here that were new to me, including one that really hit home called “Procrastination” and another, “Hesitation“, that I found remarkably philosophical.

The ones about making art, and how it might be interpreted, are surprisingly thoughtful for such a misleadingly basic format. There’s a brilliance in the simplicity here, and the commitment to the format is impressive, to the extent of using it for the table of contents and explaining what a running gag is.

This is the kind of collection that is easy to dip in and out of, and the reader will find new things at different points in their life. It’s a lovely little book. (The publisher provided a review copy.)