Lockdown Cartoons 1 Review

 

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis: A collection of one-panel comics by Times of India writer Sunil Agarwal and British cartoonist Ian Baker.

 

My Thoughts: Ah 2020, a revolutionary opening to a new decade that has so far brought forth niceties such as… COVID, COVID, COVID which has further opened to doors to conspiracies, anti-maskers, quarantine, and absolute socioeconomic chaos. For all these qualities this year has been emblematic of, I suppose it was inevitable that we would have entire books primarily dedicated to these surreal happenings such as this short comic strip compilation.

 

In the vein of single-panel features such as The Far Side and New Yorker cartoons, these comics exaggerate the droll absurdities of daily living by infusing it within lines of crudely basic yet distinctively charming drawings. While most of the book comprises of cartoon germane to the pandemic, there are also several concerning other subjects to serve as a well-needed reprieve. Tantamount to the beforementioned single-panel comics, many of the ones contained here made me chuckle or at least smile at the astute subtleties embedded within the dry humor.

That being said, not unlike many of these forms of gag-a-days, there were also quite a few jokes where I just shrugged in confusion at their opaque nature which may or may not be my fault for not spending more time looking into it. Case in point:

Final Thoughts: Despite the occasional esoteric quip scattered throughout, Lockdown Cartoons 1 is still an entertaining collection worth your time if you’re in the mood for a quick read (I finished it in less than 15 minutes tops) to console you from the insanity that is this year.

Thank you Book Sirens for this free e-book copy in exchange for an honest review.