Top Five Drawn and Quarterly Comics To Blow Your Mind

Drawn and Quarterly is an incredible publisher and a behemoth. Their works are some of the most cutting-edge and stunning artistic creations on the market. The intro on their website says it all:

Over the past thirty years, Drawn & Quarterly has grown from a single-issue magazine to an internationally renowned publisher of the world’s best cartoonists. D+Q has published many North American luminaries of the medium, including Adrian Tomine, Lynda Barry, Nick Drnaso, Kate Beaton, Chester Brown, Aminder Dhaliwal, Ebony Flowers, and Seth, as well as international authors, including Tove Jansson (Finland); and many more cartoonists from across the globe.

*A collection of my top favourite Drawn & Quarterly Comics*

It’s hard to pick only five favourites, but here are the top five Drawn and Quarterly graphic novels I recommend:

Cyclopedia Exotica by Aminder Dhaliwal

Cyclopedia Exotica is a graphic novel about a world where cyclops live alongside humans. The story focuses on the everyday lives of the cyclops community, exploring their experiences with things like identity, discrimination, relationships, and body image. Each cyclops has their own story; some are funny and some are serious. It shows how they deal with being different from humans while also highlighting the common struggles everyone faces, like love, work, and family.

Dhaliwal’s characters and joke-laden stories look deceptively simple, but she’s a master of the punchline. Her sparse lines and mostly black-and-white panels tell a powerful, and hilarious, story.

Nineteen by ancco

Nineteen is a collection of short stories about the tough and often painful lives of teenagers in South Korea. The comic focuses on young people who struggle with growing up, feeling lonely, dealing with difficult families, and trying to figure out who they are. The characters face issues like bullying, bad relationships, and feeling trapped.

The stories are raw and sometimes dark, showing how hard life can be for young people when they don’t have much support or are misunderstood. The art has a rough style that matches the harsh realities the characters go through. Even though it’s often sad, the comic gives a voice to teenagers who feel lost or disconnected.

Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton

Ducks is a graphic memoir about her time working in the oil sands of Alberta, Canada. After college, Kate moves there to pay off her student loans. The oil sands are rough and isolated, mostly filled with men working long hours in harsh conditions. The comic shows Kate's challenges as one of the few women there, dealing with loneliness, sexism, and the harsh environment.

Through her experiences, the book explores significant issues like environmental damage, economic struggles, and how people are affected by the demanding jobs in the oil industry. It’s also about Kate’s personal journey, showing how the work changes her and what she learns about herself and others during that time. The comic mixes moments of humour, hardship, and reflection, giving a real and human look at life in the oil fields. While Beaton was first known for her hilarious, slapstick online comic Hark! A Vagrant, she’s shown she’s a memoirist to be reckoned with in this CBC Reads-winning graphic novel.

Roaming by Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki

Roaming is a beautiful graphic novel by cousins Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki. Three friends take a trip to New York City during spring break. The story focuses on two old friends, Dani and Zoe, who have known each other for years, and Fiona, Dani’s new college friend. The trip is supposed to be fun and exciting, but it also brings out tensions between them.

As they explore the city, visit famous places, and have new experiences, the friends notice how they’ve changed and grown apart. There’s a mix of excitement, awkwardness, and jealousy as they try to connect. The comic is about friendship, how people change over time, and the emotional ups and downs of growing older. The art captures both the city's beauty and the characters' emotions.

While this story was a touch slow for my liking, Jillian Tamaki’s art is not to be missed. An incredible force in Canadian illustration, her signature jagged linework and depth of detail make every page a beautiful treat.

Making Comics by Lynda Barry

Making Comics is a fun and creative guide to making your own comics, even if you think you’re not good at drawing. Barry teaches readers how to let go of their fear of making mistakes and just enjoy the process of creating. The book is full of exercises and ideas to help people draw and tell stories in their unique way.

It’s not just about drawing well; it’s more about using your imagination, memories, and emotions to express yourself through pictures and words. Lynda encourages people to think of drawing as a way of thinking and feeling, not just a skill. The comic is inspiring and playful and meant to show that anyone can make comics if they give it a try.

This book looks like the signature composition notebooks Barry insists all her students use in the many classes she’s taught, and that alone is a visual delight. But getting a peek into the brain of a brilliant comics instructor and incredible storyteller is an experience you can’t afford to miss.