Stardrop: A Place to Hang My Space Suit

StarDrop #2

by Mark Oakley

Collected from the original Nova Scotian comic strip series, carttoonist, Mark Oakley tells an inspiring tale about facing oneself and the world

Genres: Science Fiction, Graphic Novels

Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Mark Oakley, born in Montreal in 1970, has lived in cities all over eastern Canada and currently calls Halifax, Nova Scotia, home.

Oakley’s early background was in commercial animation, and he is today best known for his work on the independently published all-ages comic book fantasy adventure series Thieves & Kings, which he spent more than 10 years creating and publishing from his home studio.

Reviews

[Kris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny, fun, thoughtful, and well drawn, Stardrop is kind of like a quirky Sci-Fi "Friends"-type sitcom where most of it is about the personal interactions between the characters not their jobs or the grand intergalactic/temporal things happening around them. Of course some of their "work life" bleeds into the narrative and gives context to their lives, but ultimately Stardrop is a comic about how Ashelle, Regular Jenn, Mysterious Jenn, Tom, Kytanna and all the rest interact with each other and the little Canadian Town they live in. Where the "Friends" analogy falls short is that the conversations of these friends are quite often about topics more complex than who is dating who (though there's some of that in there as well). There are many entertaining Soap-Boxy moments reminiscent of Calvin's rants from "Calvin and Hobbes". I'm not sure I always agree with the characters' outlooks on life, but they are entertaining and usually satisfyingly nuanced. I think I like Stardrop v.2 better than the first volume because I know the characters even better, and perhaps Mr. Oakley does as well. Todd's a great addition to the cast too!

[Arminzerella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Princess Ashelle is back on Earth after her involvement in a vast "intergalactic civil war." She's returned to her friend Jen's apartment from which they are evicted after Ashelle's attempts at gardening create a plant monster that destroys the kitchen. We learn a little bit about what Ashelle's life was like before she came to Earth - when she was touring space with the Queen of the Galaxy. And Jen becomes involved in a plot to try and change certain events in Earth's timeline by going back in time, joining a band, and becoming famous. Ashelle's still learning how to understand and fit in with humans, so she can be a bit frustrating and hard to get along with sometimes. Looking forward to more tales from Star Drop.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of intergalactic princess/military genius Ashelle and her suburban Canadian friends continues. As in the first volume, the humor is sweet, silly, and frequently based on Ashelle's naivete to her new home's culture and her obliviousness to her friends' feelings. This part of the story sees her best friend and voice of reason Jen reluctantly become more adventurous, which is satisfying as well.

[Daniel Cooksey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful comic where the sum is greater than its parts.

[Zoe and the Edge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ashelle continues to be incorrigibly happy and everything always works out for her.
Jen has her own adventure!