Supercute cuddlecore comics, talking about founder Ruthanne Prices’s experiences as a librarian. That’s your premise for Casual Librarian and true to form, it’s an effective biopic of Ruthanne’s life as she knows. No topic is too banal (drinking coffee, reading, arts and crafts) but that’s what gives Casual Librarian its charm. Ruthanne can talk about her Christmas vacation, her relations with her squeeze Ruthanne, and it’s a slice for the reader because it’s done in a straightforward and wholly unpretentious manner. The drawings themselves are likewise forthright, with Ruthanne interpreting herself as a floppish round-face in square-cut glasses-who knew? And the best part is, a lot of the action takes place in Thornhill, my hometown and the absolute best-est of the Toronto suburbs still serviced by the TTC. Being the 14th version of Casual Librarian, there aren’t any real surprises here but if you’re into navel-gazing portraits of an artist-or maybe just the Dewey Decimal System-look this one up. (Cameron Gordon)
comic, #14, $1 or trade, 16 pages, Ruthanne Price, PO Box 53119, 10 Royal Orchard Blvd, Thornhill, ON, L3T 7R9, [email protected]