Slices of Daily Life

You Don't Get There from Here #31-33, #35-36 (November 2013 to July 2014 and October 2014 to March 2015, self-published, $3)
This is one of my favorite minicomics. Written and drawn by Los Angeles-area artist, hiker, and cat lover Carrie McNinch, these digest-sized comics collect her daily one- to five-panel diary comics. We ordered these from John Porcellino at Spit and a Half, and after I read them—as did my wife and son—my wife ordered even more. Since then, I've ordered still more and subscribed directly from Carrie. It's been awhile since I've kept up with her work, having let a previous subscription lapse.

Drawn daily, dated, and indicating part of her daily soundtrack (from Kanye West's "Monster" to Broken Bells's "Holding on to Life" in #31 alone), the comics are pleasant slices of Carrie's life. Like many autobiographical and semi-autobiographical minicomics, it's not always clear where the line between artful narrator and actual person is drawn, but Carrie comes across as very kind and personable in her comics. She is also very open about what concerns her.



Consistent themes running throughout her work include anxiety over her living situation; running, hiking, and walking dogs in the mountains north of LA; hanging out with friends and babysitting; aging, approaching menopause, and health insurance; occasional depression; her father; food and restaurants she frequents; drinking too much; the beauty of nature; the LA Zine Fest; her cats Milo and Chu; acupuncture; Disneyland; and travels to Mexico and Japan.

Her drawing style is simply detailed—at times similar to Porcellino's work—and some of her most impressive panel work depicts either landscapes or cityscapes; or more metaphorical imagery such as disembodied or drunk uncertainty (for example, 12/11/13), the specter of anxiety (2/3/14), and loneliness and the need for physical contact (4/3/14).

Her daily diary comics are occasionally joined by longer-form journalistic pieces about her travels to Mexico and her father, who had Alzheimer's; showing that her comics storytelling isn't limited to several-panel slices of daily life.

Regardless of whether you like minicomics, personal comics, Los Angeles, cats, or any of the other topics mentioned above, check out Carrie's comics. Reading one issue is rewarding, but reading more shares a broader perspective on her life and personal development over that time. Personally, I want to go hiking with her!

Availability: You can order copies from Carrie McNinch, P.O. Box 49403, Los Angeles, CA 90049 or online. Her graphic novel I Want Everything To Be Okay is also available.