Snagged from its own Wikipedia, Lackadaisy is “set in a Prohibition-era 1927 St. Louis with a population of anthropomorphic cats, the plot chronicles the fortunes of the Lackadaisy speakeasy after its founder is murdered”.
As per usual I discovered my latest gem via Twitter and fell head over heels in love with this sepia toned webcomic entirely about anthropomorphic cats. So naturally, I’d have to recommend Lackadaisy to any cat-lover – which is more than enough reason to check out this highly decorated webcomic. As you slowly get sucked into the alternative history, you come to see Butler’s detailed and unique style that depicts each cat in their own way. This is insanely helpful for a comic that’s not in color (which can make it difficult to tell characters apart) and I imagine you’d have to be innovative to have a variety of cat faces.
Additionally, Lackadaisy is a long form comic, which I’m beginning to prefer because you get exposed to more of the characters and plot at once, and it’s an overall more enjoyable read.
We’re first introduced to Rocky, a wise-talking manic who probably has some form of attention deficit as he’s often all over the place, easily distracted and seems unwilling (or unable) to read social cues. But he’s incredibly lovable as the main rumrunner and, right after the introduction, we get straight to the heart of the story.
The actual story itself is incredibly interesting and Butler’s dialogue is quick-witted with several parts having me laugh out loud. Each character’s speech is utterly distinct, a rather impressive feat considering how large the cast is and how each cat-person is not just an individual, but multidimensional – another bonus.
Everything about the comic feels just right – I never once felt the comic moved too slowly, or not enough was happening. Because of the cast, it did take me a while to remember who was who and to keep up with all the dialogue’s contents. I did find myself skimming long pieces of conversation, preferring to reference the panels instead to give me an idea of what’s being talked about.
Overall, Lackadaisy is an excellent, on-going webcomic that I highly suggest. And as a little bonus, Butler sometimes places tidbits of information about St. Louis (during that time period), a bit of the research behind what it took to draw something historical or what was going on during that time period.
Not big into anthropomorphic tales, but this one looks like it might change my opinions. Plus, love the title.
I haven't gotten a chance to find and read much anthropomorphic stuff but I really love it. PLUS CATS. Yes, it's really nifty. I find the prohibition era interesting, at least in this cat-based context. And the creator has also drawn human counterparts which is a great way to visualize the webcomic too.
Agreed Jeff that title is brilliant. I find the different types of comics people want to write extremely fascinating. This one is a prime example of not what you expect when you think comics. But lets be honest in this day and age comics can be pretty much anything.