MY FAVORITE COMICS - It's a Good Life, If you don't weaken

I first came across the softcover edition of this comic (originally serialized in the series Palookaville between numbers 4 and 9) without any previous knowledge of its content or its author. The beautiful design and obvious care taken on its production and packaging attracted me in a "love at first sight" manner. The almost pulpish paper, the lush brushstrokes and cartoony style of the artwork, even the smell of the object were inviting,  to say the least. It took me only  a cursory glance to realize this was one to keep.

On the wasteland of my college years, this book proved to be a gleam of light and comfort. The title alone was enough to seduce a young man whose romantic dreams of love and art were constantly demolished to pieces by the hardship of many uphill battles. With its contemplative approach to storytelling and subject matters ranging from comics, cartooning and cartoonists to the experiences of loneliness and nostalgia (all aspects that seem to be tied up, I think). Seth built a tale that, just like everyday life, may seem  bittersweet, at best. Like an old memory from long ago, "It's a good life, if you don't weaken" manages to be simultaneously beautiful and haunting.