There's a slim chance that you aren't already a reader of Hyperbole and a Half, the amazingly funny narrative comic written by Allie Brosh, but just in case I'm going to write all about why this is the perfect time to dive in. Maybe you've wanted to check out her work, but thought she wouldn't live up to all of the hype? I'm here to fix that incorrect notion (you're welcome).
Hilarious face picture taken directly from her twitter page. Makes me laugh every time.
1. She's funny
I mean funny funny.Every article over at Hyperbole and a Half is comedy gold. Lengthy reads, to be sure, but completely worth it. Her stories are largely memories from her childhood spun into laugh out loud reads, combined with current day happenings. Many of her posts leave me breathless from intense, audible laughter. At times I even have to stop reading because I'm laughing too hard. This kind of humor is few and far between for me, and I have yet to find prose and life experiences similar to hers.
I think we all know this feeling. From,"Spiders Are Scary."
2. She's relatable
After reading a few of her stories, you'll realize that she writes universally. Spiders, geese, skeezy apartments;Hyperbole and a Half has it all. She's socially awkward and anxious, which I think we've all experienced to a certain extent. Who else knows what it's like to have every intention of a productive day, only to end up on the computer instead?Humans love relatability, and Allie delivers that in droves. Her readers frequently comment with remarks such as, "Have you been watching me?!" or, "This sounds just like my life!"
[
The magnificent Alot, donein paint!! From,"The Alot is Better Than You At Everything."A personal favorite.
3. She uses paint
Every one of her stories is accompanied by a wealth of painstakingly drawn doodles, all done in the Windows program Paint. This is impressive for a few reasons. The first is that Paint sucks (IMHO), and the second is that she has developed a style all her own even through this terrible and limited program. She has stated that the drawings take her a long time to complete, because she always has an exact image in her head. Some drawings will be created over and over again to reach wonky perfection. For some reason I think this is insanely impressive. I also believe it adds a certain level of charm and hilarity to her articles; a slight (intentional) lack of polish that contributes to the wacky and awkward feel of her stories.
The brilliant meme that you see recreated everywhere? Yeah, that's from Allie. And it's from a great article called,"This is Why I'll Never be an Adult."
4. Everything is an adventure
Some people think that they lead dull, uninteresting lives, when in reality a quick shift in perspective can make anything entertaining and exciting. Allie leads a life full of hilarious encounters, and has helped my life to be more colorful as a result. She talks of drinking out of other people's water hoses, her frightened dogs, loud next door neighbors, and curious looks from strangers when returning movie rentals (among many, many other scenarios). Without a doubt, her stories will make you realize that your life is far more interesting and funny than you thought.
From her most recent (as of this writing) article, titled,"Depression Part Two."
5. She's a voice for depression
Many of her posts focus on her anxiety as a source for reader entertainment. Simple tasks become full blown stories of internal struggle and comedy once they're on the pages of her website. Occasionally she'll write a very serious piece about her depression, though. And it's something incredible. She creates these simple to understand, and extremely accurate, portrayals of being caught in depression. With her eloquent words and Paint creations, anyone can reach a level of understanding regarding the pain and difficulties of depression (either their own, or that of a loved one). She has touched the lives of many readers, and I truly think has helped people realize their own problems and pain. Knowing that we aren't alone in our struggles is of huge help and comfort to some people.
When 'Depression Part Two' went up, Allie hadn't written in nearly a year and a half. It appeared that her depression had become too much, and she was also working on writing a book. The internet breathed a collective sigh of relief when she resurfaced a few months ago, though. She's a rare talent, and a glorious comic writer. It also happens that her book, titled,"Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened" is now available for pre-order on Amazon! It releases on October 19th, 2013, and so far the listing price is $10.63 with free shipping.
I am legitimately overjoyed that she has continued to persevere, and I can't wait to have her book in my hands. So if you haven't ever read her work, please take a minute to check out one of my favorite websites. You should pre-order her book, too! I bet it'll sell out.
What do you love about Allie Brosh?
-MJ
**Header image taken directly from Hyperbole and a Half, because I could never create something as brilliant to represent Allie Brosh and her work! All images also screenshotted from Hyperbole and a Half, and used with all of the love and respect in the world.
2 comments:
Intrigued!
Have you checked out her site, Jennifer? She really is incredible!
Post a Comment