Awkward Pause is a must-have collection of Ryan Harby’s online comics ‘Honey Dill‘ and is available now from Renegade Arts Entertainment. Here is my review:
Awkward Pause a collection of Ryan Harby’s popular online comics Honey Dill.
A love letter to odd humour, Awkward Pause is a mix of joy and sorrow, both soft and sharp. The book includes over 50 comics, which range in topic from mental health to time travel, murder, and butts. Absurd and strange in ways that will warm even the coldest of hearts. (synopsis from Renegade Arts Entertainment).
If you’re a fan of The Oatmeal, aka the beloved artist and cartoonist behind the iconic design of the acclaimed card game EXPLODING KITTENS, then you have wandered smack dab into the correct place today to learn more about Awkward Pause. Ryan Harby’s collection of online comics from his HONEY DILL website will brighten your dismal day; it is a must-own for fans of The Oatmeal, especially in 2020 when most of the world absolutely sucks. There’s a chapter called “How to Win Friends and Influence People” where a man with beautiful flowing blond hair is about to have a job interview that will change him forever and the end results still make me giggle like a dork when I think about where Harby takes that unexpected punchline. The eclectic mix of cartoons here run the gamut from Honey Dill’s origins to Harby’s more recent offerings. If you’re puzzled by the opening “Plant Lady” strip because the comedy here might be reserved for the weirder crowd, then maybe you’ll appreciate the follow-up “Percival The Bad News Bear” more, as you follow a man struggling to deal with a bear in a fine sweater who pops up at the worst times to deliver news like “Someone Broke Your Toilet” or “You hit Reply All”.
Harby’s comedy here is infectious and struck a cord with my nerdy sensibilities with such a wonderful variety of comics. Some run 4-5 pages and others are simply one pagers that opt for more visual gags such as Harby’s brilliant “Judge Judy: Into the Judyverse” spread which obviously includes Judy Hendrix, Judy 3028 and more shocking variations I’ll leave for you to discover yourself. I wasn’t familiar with Honey Dill until Renegade Arts compiled these hysterical doses of online comedic gold into one convenient little package with the most adorable cover of 2020. I’m constantly blown away by the diverse roster of talent that Renegade Arts continues to enlist under their banner and this book is yet another hidden gem that should not fly under your radar anymore.
Awkward Pause belongs in every bathroom and deserves to sit atop all of our coffee tables so that our houseguests can be entertained to the fullest – that is if you’re into that sort of thing still in 2020. As an added PG bonus; it isn’t super offensive either, so don’t worry about any surprise dick jokes popping out of nowhere to ruin your children’s day. On second thought – I think there actually are balls in one image, but God is also present which balances the whole Balls thing – and you may be shocked to see Beethoven shaking that ass for the good of his career so that’s a thing. Sooooooo — Read at your own risk! But make sure you read nevertheless suckers – this one is funny as Hell.
Rating: 4.5/5