Meg Adams is a comic artist and illustrator with a very personal point of view. She writes comics as ArtbyMoga, and her first book is filled with moments funny and poignant but always honest. Her comics center on herself, her husband, and their two dogs, opening a door into their relationship, their enthusiasms, their differences, and what is clearly a lot of love.
The cartoons in Why Are You Like This? are colorful and endearing, emphasizing Meg’s love of Halloween, giant sunglasses, hot cocoa with sprinkles, gaming, and the rain. There are comics about her and her husband shopping for Christmas trees and shopping for candy the day after Valentine’s. They will try to destroy each other while gaming but will support each other when they make mistakes.
Not all of Meg’s comics are happy. She has clearly had her struggles with anxiety and other mental illnesses. She is honest about that, about her feelings of shame and keeping her illness under control with therapy and medication, and about how she has to work to prioritize self-care. I know I can relate to that, and I appreciate her openness about her struggles.
But much of this book is simply joyful. It’s a reminder of the things that make us happy, the moments that bring smiles, the choices that bring us closer together, the comfy blankets and big sweaters and snoring dogs that make each day warmer. It’s a celebration of the dorkiness that enriches our lives, and I loved every page. I saw myself in so many of these pages, from my own struggles with anxiety to loving the rain to wanting full-size candy bars. I can’t draw, but I can read, and I can relate, and I can appreciate Meg and all the reasons she is like that.
Egalleys for Why Are You Like This"? were provided by Andrews McMeel Publishing, with many thanks.
