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The Past is a Grotesque Animal
Tommi Parrish is an Australian trans cartoonist and one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary comics and graphic novels. Balancing emotional honesty with a keen awareness of the human condition, Parrish navigates fear, loneliness, identity, body politics, queer desire, masculinity, fear, and the ever-fluid nature of all human relationships. The Past is a Grotesque Animal collects over two dozen short stories of varying lengths, interspersed with ephemera from Parrish's own life: diary entries, photographs, illustrations, paintings, and more.
Parrish's autobiographical elements inform their voice as a writer and the ways their characters constantly find one another adrift in their own seas of experience, current situations, trauma, and desire. How those characters coexist, how they are complicated by outside forces, and internal ones, affect our hardwired need for meaningful connection. The book also showcases Parrish's singular and assured visual style, blending clear lines, expressionistic character designs and gorgeously complex, hand-painted color.
Parrish's autobiographical elements inform their voice as a writer and the ways their characters constantly find one another adrift in their own seas of experience, current situations, trauma, and desire. How those characters coexist, how they are complicated by outside forces, and internal ones, affect our hardwired need for meaningful connection. The book also showcases Parrish's singular and assured visual style, blending clear lines, expressionistic character designs and gorgeously complex, hand-painted color.
Kindle Edition
Published November 4, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
November 21, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I finished reading this book a few weeks ago, but it took me a while to compose my thoughts enough to write a review. While this an easy, quick read, it left me with a lot to think about, in the way that great, complex art often does.
While this might be best described as a short story anthology, I feel like it’s much more akin to a sketchbook with layers of stories collaged together. Despite not having a traditional narrative structure, many of the stories connect to one another through their shared interest in human connection, sexuality, and loneliness. These themes are explore through poetic and thoughtful prose, and a rounded, abstract art style. While this might be an odd description, each frame felt liquid-y — each character has a softness and flow that made me think of water. And I thought that the minimalistic style allowed the words to really shine. I think sometimes in comics, the art and words can almost feel like they’re clashing against one another. In this case, the artist did a wonderful job finding harmony between the text and the imagery.
There are several stories that clearly stand out in my mind, that have stuck with me in the weeks since I finished this book. But there were also others that just didn’t feel as impactful. While I think this is kind of the nature of most anthologies (it’s hard to make each story equally compelling to every reader), with this book specifically, it seemed like the artist had pulled together works they had made over the course of their career, as opposed to crafting a cohesive, themed anthology. Because of this, there were times where I thought portions of this book just felt out of place. While I understand the benefit of showcasing the range of the artists work, I think it might have been better to present a smaller, more curated selection of stories/works.
Thank you Netgalley and Fantagraphics Books for providing me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
I finished reading this book a few weeks ago, but it took me a while to compose my thoughts enough to write a review. While this an easy, quick read, it left me with a lot to think about, in the way that great, complex art often does.
While this might be best described as a short story anthology, I feel like it’s much more akin to a sketchbook with layers of stories collaged together. Despite not having a traditional narrative structure, many of the stories connect to one another through their shared interest in human connection, sexuality, and loneliness. These themes are explore through poetic and thoughtful prose, and a rounded, abstract art style. While this might be an odd description, each frame felt liquid-y — each character has a softness and flow that made me think of water. And I thought that the minimalistic style allowed the words to really shine. I think sometimes in comics, the art and words can almost feel like they’re clashing against one another. In this case, the artist did a wonderful job finding harmony between the text and the imagery.
There are several stories that clearly stand out in my mind, that have stuck with me in the weeks since I finished this book. But there were also others that just didn’t feel as impactful. While I think this is kind of the nature of most anthologies (it’s hard to make each story equally compelling to every reader), with this book specifically, it seemed like the artist had pulled together works they had made over the course of their career, as opposed to crafting a cohesive, themed anthology. Because of this, there were times where I thought portions of this book just felt out of place. While I understand the benefit of showcasing the range of the artists work, I think it might have been better to present a smaller, more curated selection of stories/works.
Thank you Netgalley and Fantagraphics Books for providing me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
July 22, 2025
Absolutely beautiful! collection of words and images. Deeply personal and stunning.
October 27, 2025
Having read this graphic novel in just less than an hour, I’m feeling so many different things. Firstly, this speedy short novella which deals with almost all of the emotion cards every human is dealt, but most of all the desperate need to feel a sense of belonging. I have seen this need shown in so many stories but something about it in this story feels so incredibly different, raw and so soul crushingly real. Fragmented like human life, this novel is an amalgamation of abrupt collages, random epiphanies and advice which reads in painful depth and symbolism that feels like no matter how many times you read them, you’ll discover a new thing you missed!
Unabashed about feelings, sex, hopelessness and the need to question everything, The Past is a Grotesque Animal all but makes sure that the lingering sadness humans always feel is given a better insight not what the intention of making the reader forget about the sadness, instead to comfort the reader into facing the reality as a reluctant hug.
(To be honest, I’m very sure I don’t even completely understand a lot about how this book is constructed, but I didn’t even think that it really kept me from enjoying all that I did actually understand.)
Unabashed about feelings, sex, hopelessness and the need to question everything, The Past is a Grotesque Animal all but makes sure that the lingering sadness humans always feel is given a better insight not what the intention of making the reader forget about the sadness, instead to comfort the reader into facing the reality as a reluctant hug.
(To be honest, I’m very sure I don’t even completely understand a lot about how this book is constructed, but I didn’t even think that it really kept me from enjoying all that I did actually understand.)
November 19, 2025
Stories done in this style make me feel so lonely (slightly positive)
January 6, 2026
Strange, beautiful, a little too-on-the-nose but surely a different book indeed. Parrish captures the characters in the moments which make up days that you tell people you "did nothing" and evokes a kind of discovery or magic in them. Or, if you look at it as speculative fiction, its an alternative universe where everyone has longish arms and is wandering around with their pants off.
August 21, 2025
fantastic, moving art...but the order was a little confusing. this is definitely more of a scrapbook than a collection (which i love the concept of), but i felt that the different artworks lacked cohesion at times.
[thank you netgalley and fantagraphics books for an advance copy. all opinions are my own.]
[thank you netgalley and fantagraphics books for an advance copy. all opinions are my own.]
September 19, 2025
My thanks to NetGalley and Fantagraphics Books for an advance copy of this graphic novel, which uses the full power of the medium to show and tell stories about life, people, the way we treat each other, and how we treat ourselves.
I grew up reading comic books. I either got them from my grandmother or by buying them in flea markets and tag sales. Superheroes were the prevalent drug of choice, one found them easily, and they were fun. Occasionally I would find underground comics or comix, and would grab them in 5 for a dollar handfuls. These stories confused me, as I was probably nine or ten, and drugs and girls and bad relationships were something I didn't know or understand. However It always amazed me that people were telling stories that didn't involve people in capes punching each other, or having great adventures in distant places. Many just people people walking, talking, smoking and other -ing words. I always wondered if comics would ever become more adult. Many others felt this way also, and there have been many books looking at life, love, addiction and other foibles of the modern day. Few offer such a journey like this book, and few have suck interesting stories to tell. The Past is a Grotesque Animal written and illustrated by Tommi Parrish is a collection of stories about being human, having fears, having problems, and how we deal.
The book is offers short stories, essays, biographical pieces and more each story told in a different writing style and different artistic style. Some offer advice to people, with art to bolster the answers. One story deals with having deep fears and who only we can excise them, with help from others, as there is no magic cure. One features a relationship destroyed by addiction, with a little bit of healing by a burning Christmas tree. A few deal with understanding others, as well as ourselves. Interspaced amidst the stories are collages from the creator's life, showing the path forward, the path taken and a bit about the artistic process.
Some of the stories are a little removed, as if looked at from far away. Some feel raw and familiar, no matter who the characters are. There are few happy endings, one story left me a little sniffly, which I didn't expect. The art is what will draw people, and it is really good. Different, abstract in some ways, removed in other ways the art tell the story. While some of the text might sound clinical, the art fills in the blanks, showing the situation as people see is, shadows surrounding people, hugging them close in ways that seem constrictive, and smothering. The stories feed on the art, and vice versa. A realy strong collection.
This was my first introduction to Tommi Parrish, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. Some stories weren't for me, which makes sense. However the art kept me flipping, and made me want to know more.
I grew up reading comic books. I either got them from my grandmother or by buying them in flea markets and tag sales. Superheroes were the prevalent drug of choice, one found them easily, and they were fun. Occasionally I would find underground comics or comix, and would grab them in 5 for a dollar handfuls. These stories confused me, as I was probably nine or ten, and drugs and girls and bad relationships were something I didn't know or understand. However It always amazed me that people were telling stories that didn't involve people in capes punching each other, or having great adventures in distant places. Many just people people walking, talking, smoking and other -ing words. I always wondered if comics would ever become more adult. Many others felt this way also, and there have been many books looking at life, love, addiction and other foibles of the modern day. Few offer such a journey like this book, and few have suck interesting stories to tell. The Past is a Grotesque Animal written and illustrated by Tommi Parrish is a collection of stories about being human, having fears, having problems, and how we deal.
The book is offers short stories, essays, biographical pieces and more each story told in a different writing style and different artistic style. Some offer advice to people, with art to bolster the answers. One story deals with having deep fears and who only we can excise them, with help from others, as there is no magic cure. One features a relationship destroyed by addiction, with a little bit of healing by a burning Christmas tree. A few deal with understanding others, as well as ourselves. Interspaced amidst the stories are collages from the creator's life, showing the path forward, the path taken and a bit about the artistic process.
Some of the stories are a little removed, as if looked at from far away. Some feel raw and familiar, no matter who the characters are. There are few happy endings, one story left me a little sniffly, which I didn't expect. The art is what will draw people, and it is really good. Different, abstract in some ways, removed in other ways the art tell the story. While some of the text might sound clinical, the art fills in the blanks, showing the situation as people see is, shadows surrounding people, hugging them close in ways that seem constrictive, and smothering. The stories feed on the art, and vice versa. A realy strong collection.
This was my first introduction to Tommi Parrish, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. Some stories weren't for me, which makes sense. However the art kept me flipping, and made me want to know more.
June 6, 2025
Thanks to Fantagraphics and NetGalley for the ARC.
“The Past Is A Grotesque Animal” by Tommi Parish is a truly fascinating and engaging read.
In the summaries that I saw for this book, one specific word sparked an interest in me- “scrapbook.” While possibly innocuous to some, the connotation of the word and the unique cover art evoked such a powerful and exciting idea in my head that I was anxious to read it.
Upon completion, “scrapbook” serves as a perfect encapsulation of this collection of photos, art, ramblings, and revelations.
Often, when authors create a work such as this, the themes are either so blatant that it would be impossible to misinterpret, or so obscured that even the most astute reader will be unable to walk away with anything. But this collection walks the fine line straight down the middle. Themes of belonging, acceptance, identity, and isolation weave in and out of the blended mediums, but often, a comic might end with frames of abstraction. Often, meaning is found through a mix of the explicit and implicit, allowing the author’s emotions to be the driving force behind understanding the work.
While I could imagine some being put off by the interplay between mediums, emotions, and themes, I believe they only further enhance the over-arching narrative centered around the impermanence in ordinary lives. Highs and lows, uncertainty and clarity- such is life.
A beautiful read. Highly recommend.
“The Past Is A Grotesque Animal” by Tommi Parish is a truly fascinating and engaging read.
In the summaries that I saw for this book, one specific word sparked an interest in me- “scrapbook.” While possibly innocuous to some, the connotation of the word and the unique cover art evoked such a powerful and exciting idea in my head that I was anxious to read it.
Upon completion, “scrapbook” serves as a perfect encapsulation of this collection of photos, art, ramblings, and revelations.
Often, when authors create a work such as this, the themes are either so blatant that it would be impossible to misinterpret, or so obscured that even the most astute reader will be unable to walk away with anything. But this collection walks the fine line straight down the middle. Themes of belonging, acceptance, identity, and isolation weave in and out of the blended mediums, but often, a comic might end with frames of abstraction. Often, meaning is found through a mix of the explicit and implicit, allowing the author’s emotions to be the driving force behind understanding the work.
While I could imagine some being put off by the interplay between mediums, emotions, and themes, I believe they only further enhance the over-arching narrative centered around the impermanence in ordinary lives. Highs and lows, uncertainty and clarity- such is life.
A beautiful read. Highly recommend.
June 24, 2025
Tommi Parrish’s The Past Is a Grotesque Animal is not your typical graphic novel. It is at once abstract, intimate, disjointed, and brutally sincere. Calling it a “book” feels insufficient—it’s more like a deeply personal collage of visual diary entries, anonymous confessions, doodles of dread, and silent screams given shape through form-bending comics. The often-cited descriptor—“scrapbook”—isn’t merely aesthetic; it is structural and emotional.
The book is animated by a raw emotional throughline: the desire to make sense of life’s contradictions—love and fear, intimacy and alienation, vulnerability and numbness. Many pages feel like found memories that are only just beginning to understand themselves.
Parrish has a gift for capturing the feeling of thoughts that don’t have words yet. And for readers who are willing to surrender to the mess, the book can be quietly stirring.
If you’re willing to sit with abstract-ness and let meaning emerge slowly, this book will stay with you long after the last page.
The book is animated by a raw emotional throughline: the desire to make sense of life’s contradictions—love and fear, intimacy and alienation, vulnerability and numbness. Many pages feel like found memories that are only just beginning to understand themselves.
Parrish has a gift for capturing the feeling of thoughts that don’t have words yet. And for readers who are willing to surrender to the mess, the book can be quietly stirring.
If you’re willing to sit with abstract-ness and let meaning emerge slowly, this book will stay with you long after the last page.
June 29, 2025
The Past is a Grotesque Animal is a deeply human, multifaceted collection that blends short story comics, journal entries, artworks, and advice comics into something raw, vulnerable, and utterly compelling. Tommi Parrish’s ability to shift visual styles—ranging from realistic to cartoony to abstract—adds emotional depth and texture to each piece. Despite the variety, there’s a clear throughline of style and voice. Each piece feels considered, with every artistic and narrative element working in harmony to convey a specific emotional truth. It’s intimate, experimental, and full of heart.
I loved how human the whole experience was, and ultimately it made me feel alive.
Thanks to NetGalley and Fantagraphics for the e-ARC.
I loved how human the whole experience was, and ultimately it made me feel alive.
Thanks to NetGalley and Fantagraphics for the e-ARC.
November 30, 2025
Publishing date: 04.11.2025 (DD/MM/YYYY)
Thank you to Netgalley and Fantagraphics for the ARC. My opinions are my own.
This was an odd but beautiful read. Lots of styles, lots of different themes, and lots of emotions.
I appreciated the work for the art and the vague vibes it all gave off, but the story could have been better. I assume this is just a collection of different things that may not fit in their own little book, so naturally the story is disjointed.
I recommend anyone wanting to read this to experience it for the art and the emotions awkened by it.
Not really much more to say, this was a fever dream of a read for me. Giving this a confused but eye-blessed 3 stars.
Thank you to Netgalley and Fantagraphics for the ARC. My opinions are my own.
This was an odd but beautiful read. Lots of styles, lots of different themes, and lots of emotions.
I appreciated the work for the art and the vague vibes it all gave off, but the story could have been better. I assume this is just a collection of different things that may not fit in their own little book, so naturally the story is disjointed.
I recommend anyone wanting to read this to experience it for the art and the emotions awkened by it.
Not really much more to say, this was a fever dream of a read for me. Giving this a confused but eye-blessed 3 stars.
December 3, 2025
I picked this 2025 book up by trans Australian comics creator Tommi Parrish because of the arresting title, which doesn't seem warranted from the thrust of this trans comics creator's story here. Not really all that grotesque, or animalistic, to me, as a whole. More searching. And it feels more like a sketchbook, pieced together with many short short stories/vignettes, some photographs and ephemera related to his (colorful) queer life and loves. Not a coherent story, different styles, but never boring to look at! I prefer his more coherent stuff such as The Lie and How We Told It and Men I Trust, but he's such a creative and inventive artist.
July 6, 2025
I am so thankful to Fantagraphics, Netgalley, and Tommi Parrish for granting me advanced access to this truly unique collection of storytelling assets in the form of comic strips, photographs, transcripts, and personal memorabilia.
Our author navigates and personifies fear, queer love and passion, all interspersed through one lens into a multitude of relationships.
Though I read this one digitally, I am PINING for pub day to roll around so I can get my grimy paws on a finished physical copy!
Our author navigates and personifies fear, queer love and passion, all interspersed through one lens into a multitude of relationships.
Though I read this one digitally, I am PINING for pub day to roll around so I can get my grimy paws on a finished physical copy!
October 30, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley for the E-ARC! This E-ARC was sent to me in exchange for an honest review.
An ode to the queer and BDSM/Kink community! A safe space for those who are always called "weird" and "too much". A true look into the artist/author's mind and personal inner turmoil. It was wonderful to escape into someone else's mind and feel someone else's emotions for a bit, no matter how overwhelming or disjointed they may have been.
This book had beautiful art, stunning quotes, and a fantastic message. A highly enjoyable, deliciously provocative read.
An ode to the queer and BDSM/Kink community! A safe space for those who are always called "weird" and "too much". A true look into the artist/author's mind and personal inner turmoil. It was wonderful to escape into someone else's mind and feel someone else's emotions for a bit, no matter how overwhelming or disjointed they may have been.
This book had beautiful art, stunning quotes, and a fantastic message. A highly enjoyable, deliciously provocative read.
November 29, 2025
This is an anthology, and therefore suffers from the same problem as most anthologies of differing quality between pieces. In the digital version that I read the biggest problem between pieces was that some of them were easier to read than others. The digital photographs were so vivid that when I got to a piece where I really needed to zoom in to read text, it felt mildly jarring. Gender, sexuality, and relationships are the threads holding this whole collection together and the insights Parrish has as a trans artist are refreshing and interesting.
Thank you to NetGalley for this lovely eARC.
Thank you to NetGalley for this lovely eARC.
December 31, 2025
This collection of short stories, ephemera, and graphics/artwork is beautiful and hard-hitting. The author touches on past experiences, trauma, queer identity, and really gives us a vulnerable look into their life as a queer person and artist. I really enjoyed the artwork and style of this book. It's an interesting mixture of stories and artwork that I think would make for a good coffee table book. Some pieces / sections were more effective than others, but overall this was a unique and beautiful collection.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy for review!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy for review!
June 11, 2025
The best word for this collection is definitely a scrapbook. It’s a collection of art and stories and photos all surrounding the themes of identity, belonging, and relationships. They have a very distinct style and I really resonated with some of the pieces in the book.
I received a copy of the book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
I received a copy of the book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
October 30, 2025
This was a quick and interesting read, unlike any graphic novel I’ve read before. It did feel disjointed in some ways because of that, it’s not one narrative. But I still enjoyed it, enjoyed the depictions of queerness. The cow piece and art style were particularly calling for me. 3.5 stars rounded up! Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy.
November 15, 2025
Definitely some relatable topics for me in here , and some were beyond my understanding without more context. It was a sort of anthology of artworks based on one person’s thoughts and opinions.
Its a interesting showcase, like a digital art exhibition.
3.5🌟👍🏽
Its a interesting showcase, like a digital art exhibition.
3.5🌟👍🏽
December 29, 2025
A collage of thoughts, stylized drawings, cartoons, and photos dance around intimate topics of gender, sexuality, love, identity, and the life of an artist. The artistic merit outweighs the incohesiveness of the story. Interesting.
January 15, 2026
Enjoyed the art, but its incredibly trans-y that I just can't relate to it and its sadly annoying. They want to make it lbtgq+ coded but it feels soooo trans coded which just takes me out as a gay man.
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June 25, 2025Actually love love loved this collection!! Made me feel so many things and I love Parrish’s style(s).
July 18, 2025
Thank you for the ARC! This is one of the most uniquely written graphic novels I’ve come across—I absolutely loved it. It was raw, real, and passionate in every way. The author notes added such a personal touch, and the illustrations were the cherry on top. The art style felt so refreshing and different. I’d highly recommend this to anyone looking for something bold and honest in graphic novel form.
December 29, 2025
"your hand in mine, we sit in the car trading apocalypse theories"
I feel like I just stumbled across an artsy literary magazine found on a college campus, which is good in the sense that I liked seeing the different formats and art styles (I definitely preferred the photo collages though) but also bad because it was just a discombobulated assortment of something one after the other (and a lot of the art styles weren't that appealing to me)
I feel like I just stumbled across an artsy literary magazine found on a college campus, which is good in the sense that I liked seeing the different formats and art styles (I definitely preferred the photo collages though) but also bad because it was just a discombobulated assortment of something one after the other (and a lot of the art styles weren't that appealing to me)
September 14, 2025
thank you Fantagraphics for providing me with an arc via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!
The art was beautiful but unfortunately each story was too short for me to feel strongly about any of them!
The art was beautiful but unfortunately each story was too short for me to feel strongly about any of them!
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews