It saddens me to say that Ben Snakepit’s loyal canine companion, Peeber, has passed away. It is however a small consolation that his wonderful dog (and friend) is so vividly documented in his daily diary comics. In the introduction of this latest collection, he writes, “I spent two decades partying, traveling, shitting my pants and passing out in a ditch.” That life is behind him but he hasn’t suddenly transformed into an uptight, humorless black hole.
Instead of drunken shenanigans, Snakepit grapples with buying a house in the suburbs of Texas, a new job, Karen and his struggle to get pregnant, and other adulthood dilemmas. His life may be more “adult” now, but it’s all nevertheless equally captivating and mundane; the daily comics are addictive because of these relatable predicaments. As I read, I fell into a holding pattern, anxiously awaiting his next revelation: it’s often something as small as pizza for dinner or wanting to know how the homebrew will taste.
He reveals so much of his personal life that bingeing his comics ultimately invites self-reflection: What have I been doing with my time? What would my life read like in comics? But even when Snakepit gets heavy, he is still the master of the human poop pile. And, for longtime readers, there’s a surprise ending to this excellent collection. –Sean Arenas (Microcosm, $14.95, microcosmpublishing.com)