I love the Thought Bubble convention for many reasons - the atmosphere, the opportunity to buy awesome original art, and most importantly, the chance to fall in love with something new. Last year, this series was Giant Days, the story of Susan, Esther and Daisy. Three students who meet at University and form a bond that expertly balances comedy, angst and tragedy in equal measure. It is, quite simply, my favourite Western comic series. And here's why.
The characters
You can't have a character-driven story without great characters, and without a doubt the three leads are amazing. Susan Ptolemy is a diamond-in-the-rough from a large family with, let's say, issues. Esther DeGroot is a spoiled only child with a Goth-Loli fixation and "drama-field" that can be used for good or ill. But her porcelain beauty is only exceeded by her ability to slack off and chase men. Daisy Wooten, on the other hand, is a shy, home-schooled orphan raised by her Gran. She comes with some sexuality questions and a gift for organisation that borders on genius. Together, they must survive the heartache and adventure that is a British Education.
The University setting gives us a great supporting cast. Loser-in-lust over Esther, Ed Gemmell, has been permanently friend-zoned by the object of his desire. As such his sad-sack but ever-hopeful presence gives us our everyman who is often blown around in the wind of the girls' turbulence. Poor bastard. McGraw on the other hand is a man's handyman. Sporting an impressive 'tache, a common sense attitude and a gift for DIY, he's the calm in the eye of the storm. It doesn't help that he his relationship with the fiery Susan often sees him the butt of her fury despite his best intentions. The boys have their own arch-nemesis too, the superior and extremely punchable programmer Dean Thompson. Think Arnold Rimmer without the charm.
The sit in the com
The comic draws from a lot of inspirations. From The Young Ones to Spaced, littered with cult Sci-Fi references, the witty script makes the most of every situation. Be it finding a new place to live for second semester, flunking tests or romantic entanglements, the setting gives the story a lot of dimension. Ultimately it also gives the story a sense of urgency. With only three years to tell our story, and the book already into its third year, every issue seems a sad march to the inevitable intrusion of life away from learning. I've come to love the characters so much that this limited lifespan is bittersweet indeed.
Storylines include Daisy's insanely annoying German love interest, the will-they won't they tension between Susan and McGraw, Esther's increasingly bizarre lifestyle and somewhere amongst it all, the actual process of learning. It's a wonderful book with a great cast that allows everyone to have their moment, no matter how brief.
Always the bridesmaid...
Giant Days has been nominated for several awards between 2016 and 2018 at the Eisner and Harvey Awards, but so far hasn't managed to take one home. This is a great shame as the talent behind the book deserve more recognition.
John Allison is the writer behind the series, but is also an award winning artist. His Bad Machinery series won the British Comics Award for Best Comic in 2012.
Lissa Treiman is a Disney animator who has worked on films such as Wreck-it Ralph, Tangled and Big Hero 6. Her expressive artwork really makes the book stand out, which is all the more impressive when you find out this is her first comic project. She rocks.
Max Sarin is the book's other artist and no less talented. She started working with John while studying at the University of Wales, a perfect muse for a book like Giant Days!
Finally, colourist Whitney Cogar gives the book it's unique tone - her work is subtle and suits the artwork perfectly. Her work can be seen in many other Boom! titles.
And the special bit...
What makes the book work is the chemistry. All the characters, despite their many quirks, feel real and are endearing. Whenever I get that email from comixology to tell me that the latest issue has landed, I get a little tingle of excitement to be walking back into their world. It's the same sort of joy you may remember from getting to see a new Blackadder episode. It just feels special.
I'll be very sad when Giant Days ends. I'm collecting the physical books in the hardcover "Not on the Test" editions, which contain many extras. It's the best way to get every drop from the series, and I heartily recommend them.
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