A comic I like: My Cardboard Life by Philippa Rice.

I’ve read this one for quite some time, but this particular strip sums up so much of what makes me cackle. I love the media she uses – characters can be bobby pins or Band-Aids or foil or other bits of cut-out paper and fabric scraps, often as unexpected as they are appropriate. At first glance, this makes the strip seem deceptively folksy and cute. Then, suddenly: voodoo head-shaped pancakes, and fork-inflicted wounds! Or any other number of sly jokes tinged heavily with cruelty and cleverness. Think about it: the second most twisted line in this strip is “Now eat your own face, Colin!” That’s some potent shit.

I’m a long-form person; panel-panel-punchline is not the form for me. Consequently, when someone does it so very well, in such a deceptively casual way, they get my instant admiration. My Cardboard Life gets it consistently and always in a new and surprising way.