Quick Reads: “You’re All Just Jealous of My Jetpack”

Courtesy Drawn & Quarterly

You’re All Just Jealous of My Jetpack
By Tom Gauld
Drawn & Quarterly

Readers of the Guardian and the New York Times Magazine may recognize the poignant and often dark humor of Tom Gauld, whose new collection of mostly unpublished cartoons pokes fun at literature and media of all stripes—a Beckett spin on Tintin, a Bronte sisters video game!—not to mention futurism, religion, modern art, and the hubris and frivolity of humankind in general. In one strip, a pretentious worm reproaches his unseen inquisitor for asking, “Are you happy?” So the questioner instead turns to a bird that has just swooped in to devour the worm. Answer: “Yes.” Ideal for your coffee table—or that rack by the shitter.