Sarah Andersen likes to scribble. She likes to draw scribbles about the things that make her happy, the things that make her anxious, the things that make her human. She feels like an oddball, and she uses her unique art to bring us into her world and celebrate all that things that make us oddballs too.
With humorous illustrations that are as honest and personal as an essay, Andersen shares her feelings on being a millennial, bring an artist, fan fiction, cats, introversion, procrastinating, finding a new hobby (obsession), social media, and making friends.
She’s happy to share her experiences of discovering a series long after everyone else has left the party or having to explain over and over that her art is more about practice than innate ability. She talks about how she has a tendency to overshare, or how it feels to finally find someone who sees the world the same way you do. She loves books, cats, comfortable clothes, and anything spooky.
Oddball is the latest in the “Sarah’s Scribbles” collection, and it’s just as inviting and inspiring as her previous books. Whether she’s making a comic out of her cat drinking from her water glass or writing about how difficult 2020 was, she is clearly putting her intelligence, her compassion, and her transparency on full display for us. She has found a unique voice and an utterly charming way to express herself, and I for one am a fangirl of Sarah’s Scribbles.
I love Oddball, both for its message and for its creative artistry. I admire Andersen for her artistic ability but also for her courage to share herself the way she does and for her positivity in difficult times. She doesn’t shy away from talking about her own struggles or her anxiety, but she tries to treat herself and others with kindness and patience. She understands what it’s like to fail, to be different, to feel unheard, and she welcomes anyone else who has similar experiences to be an oddball with her. I, for one, am in.
Egalleys for Oddball were provided by Andrews McMeel Publishing through NetGalley, with many thanks.
