Macanudo: Optimism is for the Brave

by Liniers

The second volume in Fantagraphics’ English-language collection of the internationally beloved newspaper strip. Elves, witches, forest monsters, unicorns, children, talking cats and penguins… plus zombies with fitbits, Stephen King’s Christine working as an Uber, and office politics? The bounds of a daily comic strip don’t restrict Macanudo ’s imagination or subjects. With the range of The Far Side , the whimsy of Mutts , and the heart of Calvin & Hobbes , artist Liniers brings his distinctive illustrative line and sensitive watercolors to whatever crosses his mind on a given day. Readers of the previous volume will recognize some recurring characters and stock players, but each book stands alone, and every strip builds its own world. Whether commenting on pop culture, society, or the environment, or celebrating art, nature or the act of reading, Liniers (Ricardo Siri) expresses his thoughts with joy and beauty. Most of them are pretty funny, too. Beginning in 2002 in Buenos Aires, Macanudo steadily gained popularity around the world, and has been appearing in US newspapers since 2018. Optimism Is for the Brave is the second of a series of volumes collecting Liniers' groundbreaking strip. Full-color illustrations throughout

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Comic Strips, Humor, Cartoon, Art

176 pages, Hardcover

Published November 7, 2023

About the author

Nombre con el que firma el historietista Ricardo Liniers Siri.

Ricardo Liniers lives in Buenos Aires with his wife and two daughters, who inspired this story. For more than ten years, he has published a hugely popular daily strip, Macanudo, in the Argentine newspaper La Nación. He also tours the world drawing onstage with musician Kevin Johansen. His work has been published in nine countries from Brazil to the Czech Republic and in the United States.

Reviews

[Drew Canole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fans of Calvin+Hobbes and Tom Gauld strips should really enjoy these. I feel like Liniers has the same witty book-loving humour as Gauld with more of the emotion found in Bill Watterson's strip.

There's a few recurring characters - but I think the star of the show is Henriette with her cat Fellini.

The other characters (and they don't really cross-over at all) are a pair of penguins, a pair of elves, a pair of witches, and a young boy and his imaginary friend. There's also a bunch of random events and characters thrown in - so there's no way you can get bored reading this. It feels like a daily "feel good" strip.

Overall I think combined the book does make good on it's subtitle. It's all about being brave enough to be optimistic!

[LaDonna Qualtieri · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very fun page-turner of panel comics featuring several character themes, modern to medieval situations, references that will catch you off guard, and the incredible imagination of the author on full display! I needed a break from the world and this collection of simple yet thought provoking comics provided it.

[Juan Fuentes · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5

Algunas tiras son extraordinarias. Talentazo.

[Alejandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

¿Sé le puede pedir algo más a un libro? Liniers es sublime. El autor combina ternura y un humor inteligente que cultiva y divierte a partes iguales. Con sus personajes entrañables y su mirada luminosa, logra conectar profundamente con la experiencia enriquecedora de viajar entre sus mundos y viñetas, recordándonos que el optimismo también puede ser una forma delicada y hermosa de pensar el mundo. Ideal para lectors que buscan una lectura amena pero significativa, capaz de sacar sonrisas y también alguna reflexión con esa mirada crítica que te deja atrapada en los pensamientos visuales que te presenta. Una auténtica gozada volver a leerte.

[Jonathan Schildbach · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was not familiar with Macanudo or Liniers prior to seeing this book available on the Fantagraphics website, the images there and the description got me to take a chance on it, and I ended up loving it. There are a number of recurring characters, mostly only in their own separate strips. So on a single page, there may be multiple different comic strips about totally different characters who don't really ever intersect. These range from elves in striped hats; to a pair of witches; a boy and his imaginary friend; a girl, her books, and her cat; penguins with the occasional whale; and random visual gags often involving pop culture references to a variety of different things from modern art to horror movies. It's somewhat like if you threw 'Calvin and Hobbes' and 'The Far Side' in a blender, and came up with something that's colorful and fun to look at, occasionally laugh-out-loud funny, frequently groan/smile-inducing, with occasional forays into the profound.

[Rick Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

A series of quaint little comic strips from Argentine cartoonist, Liniers. The artistic style is fairly reminiscent of Raymond Briggs with all the whimsy and heart of Bill Watterson's Calvin and Hobbes. Each page presents two separate strips of unrelated subjects with a wide cast of characters like witches, elves, talking animals and more. The subject matter covers material like office politics, pop culture, and nature, but with a dose of idiosyncratic but light-hearted humor. The comics are quaint in style and capture a lot of simple joys, making this the ultimate "feel good" reading experience.

[Norman Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Liniers uses whimsical elves, children, cats, and other characters to deftly and humorously comment on the problems and opportunities of today's world, such as pop culture, society, and the environment. His championing of art, nature, and reading is thoughtful. Every strip is joyful and beautiful. If you enjoy the likes of The Far Side, Mutts, or Calvin & Hobbes, you will surely enjoy this collection.

[May-Ling · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. i saw this on a library shelf and was drawn in by the cover immediately. i've never encountered the comic before. some aspects really drew me in and caught me by surprise. definitely there were some laugh out loud moments or wonder. the ones centered around the joy of getting lost in a book or immersing oneself in the presence really hit, but the range of characters is all over the place and randomly appear. so the zombies, gnomes and monsters didn't resonate with me as much.

[Greg L Goldstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

More delightful strips in this second American volume. The gags don't always land (which applies to all humor comics, actually) but Liniers art and watercolors are always a joy to behold and his imagination is extraordinary.

[টক দইয়ের চা · Rating 5 out of 5]

কি সুন্দর! মনটা আনন্দে ভরে উঠল।

[Halina Hetman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Все ще тепло та дотепно. Мінус одна зірочка за дивні розшаркування перед російською літературою в передмові.

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

What is this? Beyond perfection?!

[Thrillmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful collection of strips!

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the characters and themes and art!

[Michael Rhode · Rating 5 out of 5]

Liniers is one of the genuinely great comic strip creators of the 21st century.

[Javier Campos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lo único malo es que se acaba

[Penny lurkykitty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Monsters, witches, penguins, ghosts, little people with tall hats. And, my favorite, a book loving girl with her cat. Adventures abound. Fun and thought provoking. I love these cartoons.

[Dylan Zucati · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like if Calvin & Hobbes read books.

[Dee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Love the art but not so much the writing. It feels like a lot of the book is not original, but is heavily “influenced” by other works. I enjoy a nod but I think this crosses into imitation.

[Greg Nussbaum · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s going to be a sad day when I’m all out of Macanudo to read.

[Olivia Maruri]

Super cute! It's not like an acual read but I still loved + a quick read.