I know I say this sometimes, but I seriously think I've found my favorite web comic ever! Don't get me wrong! The Abominable Charles Christopher is still waaaay up there, but I feel like Lackadaisy Cats by Tracy J. Butler speaks more to the nerdy history-loving photographer in me. There's something about it that just wows me. There's so many awesome things about it that this may end up being quite a lengthy review, my friends!
The comic, launched in 2006, takes us back to the 1920s. It follows the lives of an entire city of anthropomorphic cats in St. Louis, MO . This was an exciting time for Americans, mostly because of- yup, you guessed it- alcohol. Actually, the lack thereof. "Lackadaisy" is the name of the speakeasy (an underground pub/bar where, with the right amount of cash or status, one could access the illegal alcohol) that is owned and operated by Atlas May. Atlas builds an "empire" and a fortune, but competition among underground establishments is stiff. Atlas is murdered and his wife is left with everything (hm....accident? I think not...). Lackadaisy struggles to survive, but, somehow, it does. The remaining pages follow the present-day owners and operators of Lackadaisy. I haven't read through ALL of the pages, but let me tell you...it's anything but slow. Within the first couple of pages, the first present-day character we meet (Rocky) is captured, beaten, thrown in the back of a truck, tied up, and has his tie nailed to the railroad tracks. If you're wary of having a lot of comic to catch up on, don't be! The comic is updated pretty irregularly with, on average, no more than 20 pages a year (after 2008, the comic started to update on a MONTHLY basis, the first two years had no more than 30 pages). It's definitely worth going back and reading everything! I'll be doing it in any downtime I have (ha!).
What's so fantastic about "Lackadaisy Cats"?
Creativity of Writing: 5/5 This is a fresh and unique idea. The subject matter, based partially in history, really draws me in. Each character has their own distinct look (we'll get into that in "Creativity of Art") and personality. Anthropomorphic isn't taken lightly here. The characters ARE people...just...in cat bodies. I love how classy the characters are formed. This isn't a furry comic. I mean...I suppose people would argue that, but I always think of...well, let's not go there. For future reference, NEVER Google "Furry Comics" when doing research on anthropomorphic works. Back to the writing...it's very clear, very easy to read...it flows nicely and the plot is awesome. There's SO much humor. Sometimes, you find something that you feel like you're dragging through. Reading "Lackadaisy Cats" is not a fight. It goes by so fast, that you're amazed at the number of pages you've read already. The plot, the consideration to the era, the humor, and more make this a winning read.
Creativity of Art: 5/5 Each page is colored in a sepia scheme. This, of course, makes one think of old photographs. The thing that I love the most is that consideration to era is given in the art, too. It's far too easy to add a futuristic spin on an old look. That isn't the case here. The clothing, the styles, the surroundings...everything looks authentic. It took a lot of research to be able to write the comic, let alone illustrate everything accurately! The comic is VERY detailed (another thing that hooked me!) and each panel looks like a piece of fine art. The expressions of the faces are another thing that I love. They're not flat like most anthropomorphic faces are. In fact, I've seen HUMAN faces with less expression. Overall, the comic is BEAUTIFUL. There's SO much talent put into the final product's look.
Overall Casual Read Rating: 5/5 I absolutely recommend this webcomic to ANYONE. The fact that its so easy to catch up on is awesome (now you don't have an excuse NOT to read it!). It's highly entertaining, very humorous, and entertaining to even just LOOK at. Don't miss out on it!
Note to the Creator(s): You now have a new stalker. Just sayin'. I'm in LOVE with Lackadaisy and I'd probably kiss your feet if I could. Ok...not feet. How about brand new shoes...? (This is no reflection of how much I friggen love Lackadaisy...I'm just a germaphobe, I guess).
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