The Weird and Wonderful Surviveries of Squid Horse

by The Mollusc Dimension, Kim Chin (Foreword), Dominique Duong (Foreword)

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 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 told from the point of view of the child of Chinese immigrants. Themes explored include mental health and grief mazes, a missing person mystery and the power of the imagination.

For ages 14+

Genres: Transgender, Queer, Memoir, Grief, LGBT

76 pages, Paperback

First published October 17, 2024

About the author

The Mollusc Dimension (he/him) is British-born Chinese, trans-masculine, non binary, queer, bisexual, neurodivergent and disabled. His debut comic memoir “The Weird & Wonderful Surviveries of Squid Horse” (2024) was supported by Arts Council England and shortlisted for the non-fiction category by The Selfies Book Awards.

His music video "Asians Have Feelings Too" music video won the “Favourite Award” from the Trans Pride Brighton Film Event and has received 12 screenings.

The Mollusc Dimension has been interviewed by Resonate, PJ Samuels for Shaded Writers, Alex Fitch (Panel Borders) at Cartoon County and others.

Drawn to the feminist DIY art scene in the early 2000s, The Mollusc Dimension has created 20+ zines. Find out more on his website!

Reviews

[Spider McKnight · Rating 5 out of 5]

Weird and Wonderful it is. Plus real, raw, funny, tragic —all the things. It's not often someone lets you fully into their mind to root around and feel all the feels, but The Mollusc Dimension invites us in and offers us tea. The drawings are charming, friendly, and beautiful and the text is a mixture of heavy and real, way out there, and completely relatable. To take a page from the book...
Name: Spider
About: Queer Comics, real talk, great illustration, relatable work, pushing boundaries
Feels: grateful for this work, happy that "others" are making great art, inspired to work on my own.
Likes: The Mollusc Dimension's work, comics, Queer, BIPOC, bad-assert, different ideas, page 48
Dislikes: writing reviews - so you know it's good.
Have fun y'all!

[Alittlebitsktchy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Immersed thoroughly in the world of The Mollusc Dimension, I felt transported by his skilful use of colour, format and typography. As an artwork it is a thoughtful piece, at once mesmerising and absorbing. Within its dream-like fantasy diorama, TMD’s writing digs directly into what it means to exist as a marginalised person treading the muddy waters of capitalism. While the stories shed light on the prejudices and difficulties he has faced, an ironic humorous commentary often pierces through. The is fortified by TMD’s sharply observant voice which makes it a joy to read. If I had a copy of WWSSH growing up, navigating the world as a creative and East Asian would have felt less lonely. Reading this comic had a cathartic effect on me, as if I were sat with a friend holding space, and sometimes laughing, about all the confusing tribulations that can beset us while growing up. WWSSH is the tonic we need in a world that sometimes feels hostile and lonely. TMD portrays his experience of vulnerability, the pitfalls, successes and relationships in life in an honest light that I have rarely encountered and I consider it an essential read!

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful exposition on life. I have never seen a book or memoir like this one, and it is oh-so-satisfying for this. There is so much that is exquisitely drawn, deeply stated, and the illustrations combined with the writing have a warm, comforting familiarity like someone who has seen all parts of you. It's a great book and a wonderful memoir. Highly recommend reading it, buying it, and revisiting it often. Thank you Squid Mollusc Dimension for sharing your beautiful story. Deep bows.

[Elynor Kamil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strange and understated. This is a comic to read slowly and leave yourself time to sit with. It's not difficult to parse, but it's the kind of comic that I found it good to dwell on for a while. Would recommend.

[Gabriele Martini · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant, deep, poignant, oneiric, wonderfully creative.
A book of short comic stories that will capture you and let you immerse in a dreamlike dimension.
It covers important and serious topics (racism, mental health, transphobia, to name a few), but it's masterfully done in a way that doesn't come across as heavy. Yet, both during the reading and after putting down the book, I found myself reflecting on said topics, asking myself questions about my own behaviour and the society we live in.

I read it all in one sitting, but I can imagine going back to read it a few pages at a time, slowly savouring each comic story and its meaning.

[Lady Hawkerr · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored the creativity, honesty and humour throughout this very special book. I follow The Mollusc Dimension on instagram and they are one of the most interesting and surprising artists making graphic autobiographical work I've come across. Unmissable.