Longtime Razorcake readers are probably familiar with Mitch’s illustrations that grace the columns pages or when he drew a one-page autobio comic in twenty-four issues of the mag. And if you haven’t noticed those, maybe you saw his punk-centric comic Nothing Nice to Say. Or how about a dozen covers of 7”s by punk bands in the mid-’00s? What I’m getting at, is there’s a good chance you’ve seen Mitch’s comics or artwork somewhere without even trying.
My Stupid Life is a collection of Mitch’s autobio comics ranging from 2006-2014 chunked into several eras. The earlier San Antonio Rock City comics are good, but they don’t become great until they take on the name My Stupid Life where Mitch rocks a “less is more” cartoonist style. My Stupid Life starts as a webcomic of varying length and then moves on to the aforementioned one-pagers in Razorcake.
The comics tend to be somewhat observational humor. They remind me of jokes one would write for standup comedy. Some strips even start with Mitch standing on stage talking into a microphone. While some are just little gag strips, some have a story that goes over several of the strips. All kinds of hilarities are to be chuckled at with Mitch going on tour with bands, being deathly allergic to dogs, having his home infested with ants, and attempting to propose to his now-wife/collaborator, Amanda Kirk, who did coloring on a large chunk of these strips. There are also some book and movie reviews done in comic form. It’s kinda strange, but it works!
The later and multi-page strips done for the As You Were punk comic anthologies don’t just go for the jokes. Mitch’s tone shifts and focuses more inward as we see him deal with anxiety, body issues, and other relatable turmoil that arises in your thirties.
I’ve talked about Mitch Clem’s art style before in a previous review for the Nothing Nice to Say: Complete Discography. It’s like an Archie style but with a focus on detail. Mitch’s work never seems lazy and Amanda Kirk’s coloring makes them look great.
Overall, this collection is funny, a little pervy, insightful without being too wordy, and easy on the eyes. You may find yourself reading it all in one sitting like I did. –Rick V. (store.silversprocket.net)