Artist, storyteller, and official comedic genius Emily Brooks Millar let SNACK take a swatch at her latest creation, the graphic novel Birddad. Now, I’ve read a lot of comic books and graphic novels (we’ve a walk-in cupboard in the house containing too many boxes of them), and I can honestly say that nothing in my vast collection has ever made me laugh out loud.
Birddad is a collection of pivotal life moments told to us by the titular character, a wee blue pigeon. It takes us from his humble beginnings to making a real go of it as a dad, to that time with aw the drugs, right up to his current state. It’s satire, it’s postmodern, it’s a big what-if, and it’s REALLY fucking funny. The artwork is simplistic and colourful, almost childlike in its execution, and this pairs wonderfully with the written story. FYI, you probably shouldnae share it with your weans, but it’d be kinda worth it for all of the awkward questions they’d ask.
The comic-book industry, like many others, is male- dominated, so to read Birddad, knowing it was created by a Scottish woman, made it that bit more enjoyable for this writer. If you’re looking for a book to make you guffaw embarrassingly on the subway, or you want a gateway into the world of graphic novels, or if you just fancy supporting growing Scottish creators, then grab a copy of Birddad… coo coo ya bams.
You can get your very own copy of Birddad and a plethora of other cool things at emilybrooksmillar.com
