Merriment

by Joe Steinhardt, Marissa Paternoster

As many of us do, Mack is having a hard time coping with life in New Jersey. Watching her friends figure their lives out while she is stuck living at home, Mack is looking for any kind of lifeline out of her Mom’s house and into the City where she is convinced she will be happy. Then again, it's hard for anyone to be happy these days, a fact her mother will not let her forget. And what's worse: she thinks she might have committed a murder. And that maybe, just maybe, the FBI is spying on her?

Merriment follows Mack on her quest for happiness and/or sanity, through the horrors of life, as she navigates existential dread, real life dread, and all the dread in between.

248 pages, Hardcover

Published March 19, 2024

Reviews

[Oriana]

From Read Max:

Another old friend, Joe Steinhardt of Don Giovanni Records, has written an excellent, funny, affecting graphic novel with the great Marisa Paternoster of Screaming Females. It’s called Merriment, and it’s about a woman forced to move back into her mom’s house in New Jersey who’s afraid, for no rational reason, that she may have murdered someone. Joe and I went to high school together in N.J. and in my estimation as an expert he and Marisa perfectly capture a particular Jerseyan aimlessness and alienation, as well as the fact that an improbable amount of social interaction takes place at diners.

[Addison · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you feel truly lost in life, I definitely recommend picking up this book to help make sense of things.
I have a lot of feelings about this book, but I'm having a hard time getting them all out into words. People can be so complex and difficult, and they'll be damned if they don't overcomplicate every single aspect of their life.
"Striving for shit that we may or may not actually achieve. That's life."
"That's strife."
yeah.
Amazing graphic novel with a cool and unique art style. Cool message. Very cool cool cool. Very Marissa.
Loved it, 5 stars.

[Izzy Parraga · Rating 4 out of 5]

This feels like something that if I read again in 10 years would only ring louder. A quick read that made me giggle and also feel existential. Minus one star because they made fun of PBR twice?!? The fucking audacity.

[Jack Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read in 2 days couldnt put this fcker down

Maybe being 30 is when we actually die and everything after is a big conspiracy, only 5 more years then!

10/10 Marissa paternoster Art RIP screaming females “What if Someone is Watching Their TV?” top 3 fav album ever ✊🏻

[Nolan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Static and repetitive drawings a big contrast to the emotional rollercoaster I experienced. I was initially put off by the typical Gen-X grievances like hating people for inconsequential things, but if you've ever been close to anyone who was slowly losing grip on reality, you might find something here. There's also the slow alienation that happens to generally everyone when they get older. Merriment still somehow ends on a positive note in spite of all that. Bonus points for being published by a record label

[Rhomer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book does such a good job of describing the everyday dread. It is easy to feel identified with the characters, and they provide an accurate insight of how it feels to live in today's world.
The illustrations are also beautiful, with a satisfying style of shading.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very promising debut. Even though this isn't the regular gig for either of them, I hope Steinhardt and Paternoster both continue to work in comics.

[Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Marissa Paternoster and will simply consume anything she puts out into the world. This is no exception.

[Nate Benson · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a 30 something adult makes you really think about what’s important and what matters in life

[Josée · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just like all things Marissa Paternoster does, I loved it.

[Sal · Rating 4 out of 5]

5 pages in I wasn't sure I wanted to wade deeper into its steady stream of misanthropy. But the more I dug in the more nuanced and richer the storytelling became (funnier too - laughed out loud a couple three times). Very happy I stuck it out.