I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
The Mollusc Dimension shares a collection of comic strips that share powerful moments of their life in the book collection “The Weird & Wonderful Surviveries of Squid Horse.”
The Synopsis
“The Weird & Wonderful Surviveries of Squid Horse” is a colourful comic memoir about defying multiple, hidden challenges and daring to tell one’s story as a fish out of the water creative in a norm-core world refusing to believe you exist.
37 independent yet inter-connected short stories are told from the point of view of the child of Chinese immigrants, born and raised in the UK, and who happens to be neurodivergent, queer and trans. Themes explored include mental health mazes, a missing person mystery and the power of the imagination.
For as long as he can remember, Squid has drawn comics to process anxiety and confusion. Since his teens, Horse’s friends and family have been puzzled by his depressive rages. After cataclysmic events, Squid and Horse go on a fragmented adventure with dream-like twists, encountering weird memories, past and present selves and magical discoveries.
Dialling in from the swamp of the model-minority myth, this adorable huddle of fragments features interactions with Chinese parents, awkward 90s goth teen times, romance, aliens and cats. Muddling through mental health journeys, playful, subversive moments and finding friends in unexpected places.
THE REVIEW
This is a compelling, gripping comic book collection. Each comic strip does a wonderful job of highlighting pivotal experiences and moments in the artist/author’s life while also balancing humor and emotional storytelling. The wonderfully weird aspects of both the artwork and the storytelling in each comic strip are something all readers should be able to embrace, as people should embrace their own weirdness, as it makes them unique and often very creative.
There are some really powerful themes at work throughout these comic strips. Each page dealt with topics such as mental health, grief, the daily struggles of those who identify as LGBTQ+, and so much more. The abstract nature of the artwork allows the dialogue and writing that represent the author’s inner thoughts to have a deeper impact, and allows the reader to feel immersed in the world the Author has crafted.
THE VERDICT
Thoughtful, creative, and thoroughly engaging, The Mollusc Dimension’s “The Weird & Wonderful Surviveries of Squid Horse” is a must-read collection of comic strips that blends memoir-style storytelling with abstract, poignant artwork. Stories, revolving around identity and struggle, play a prominent role in these comics, and at the heart of these creative, strange yet beautiful comics, resides a relatable and compelling story of an individual working their way through hardship and struggle to find themselves in the world and build a community that will resonate with their story. If you haven’t yet, please be sure to grab your copy of this wonderful book today!
Rating: 10/10
About the Author
The Mollusc Dimension is a British-Chinese multidisciplinary artist. His colourful graphic memoir “The Weird & Wonderful Surviveries of Squid Horse” explores mental health, grief and growing from the perspective of a neurodivergent, queer, trans-masculine, non binary creator. Shortlisted by The Selfies Book Awards for non-fiction, his comic book was supported by Arts Council England and the audio-described version is in progress. The Mollusc Dimension’s writing has been published by Arcana Poetry Press, Partially Shy Magazine, Present Tense Zine, t’ART Magazine, Writing Our Legacy, Wrong Directions and others.
Drawn to the feminist DIY art scene in the early 2000s, The Mollusc Dimension has self-published 20+ zines and tabled at fairs since 2011. The Mollusc Dimension has given talks for LDComics, Print Gully, Queer China UK and run drawing/creative workshops for various LGBTIQA+, neurodivergent and other community endeavours.
In 2022, his music video “Asians Have Feelings Too” received the “Favourite Award” at the Trans Pride Brighton Film Festival. As well as being the official piano accompanist for London Trans Choir, The Mollusc Dimension’s previous live, solo performances include: Bitten Peach UK (RVT, The Vault Festival), ESEA Sisters (Southbank Centre), FOC it up Comedy, London Trans Choir (The Vagina Museum), Quiplash (Mighty Hoopla), Moonfest (Trinity Centre, Bristol), Trans Music Takeover (Silk Street Theatre, Guildhall School of Music), Trans Pride Brighton (Brighton Dome) and many more.
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