Miseryland

by Keiler Roberts

Includes volumes 9-15 of the series Powdered Milk Publisher's Weekly - "Roberts shares her life as a mother living with a young child just learning to push boundaries in this collection of her Ignatz Award-nominated Powdered Milk minicomics. With this strong entry in the autobiographical comic genre, Roberts is unafraid to show herself looking bad, such as when she's frustrated when her daughter, Xia, calls her-only to find out it's to say "I love you." In the comic's best pages, Roberts and Xia struggle with toilet training ("That already happened," Xia beams when she is warned to keep her butt out of the bowl), and Xia abuses her swearing privileges. The linework on the characters is detailed while retaining a sketchiness for backgrounds that makes the figures feel raw, rather than polished. The simple, direct art makes for an intimate, personal journey through Roberts's life as a mother and creator." Alex Hoffman, Sequential State, 5 June, 2015 - "Roberts' comics primarily explore her relationship with her daughter Xia and husband Scott, as well as her interactions with friends and extended family. These are classic slice-of-life comics, and Roberts uses sometimes panels, sometimes full pages to capture the essence of certain moments. Xia is growing up and learning about the world around her, and the strange internal logic of toddlers gives Miseryland much of its charm. Slice-of-life comics can often be cute or endearing, but Miseryland is funny, laugh out loud funny, mostly due to the inanities and bad behaviors of its youngest cast member and Roberts' deadpan reactions. Importantly, Roberts isn't writing a "kids say the darndest things" comic; as panels and pages fall into place throughout Miseryland, these small stories paint a picture of Roberts as a melancholy, anxious mother living with bipolar disorder and trying to find the best way to raise her daughter. Xia is oftentimes the access point to these feelings, pointing out the hidden in ways that make it seem obvious. Miseryland isn't a tell all, either - even when things like Roberts miscarriage come up, the stories told are more a remembering than an exposure. We find Roberts at high and low points throughout the book, and while these moments coalesce into a larger vision, Miseryland has time to explore the way creative processes and personal time are changed after you have children. Some of these comics are certainly a part of the book because Xia wasn't napping when Roberts was drawing, just as some are there to illustrate Roberts fears and frustrations." printed with the assistance of Koyama Press

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Memoir, Humor, Nonfiction, Graphic Novels Comics, Comix

141 pages, Paperback

First published January 22, 2015

Reviews

[Jan Philipzig · Rating 4 out of 5]

That's right, that's exactly what 4-year-olds do, I had completely forgotten about that... And that, too... oh, and that. Wow. I mean, how... weird and... fascinating! Well, at least when depicted by autobiographical cartoonist, comics teacher and young mother Keiler Roberts.

What I like most about Keiler Roberts' approach to cartooning is that it feels completely unique: it has its own rhythm, its own sense of style, layout, structure, and humor. It is unconventional yet more in tune with how I really feel and experience the world than almost anything popular culture has to offer these days - and I'm no young mother...

Miseryland (collects Powdered Milk #9-15) is lively and delightful yet angsty and melancholic, domestic and quirky yet bleak and existential, awkward and slightly clumsy yet crystal-clear. Do yourself a favor and check out this self-published (with the help of Koyoma Press) masterpiece of truly homemade observational comedy!

Highly recommended to fans of the more alternative kind of alternative comics! You know, the ones that get it right... :)

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anhedonia and Parenting

This is a collection of comics culled from Roberts' Powdered Milk, which you can view here

http://keilerroberts.tumblr.com/post/...

to see if the style and topic interests you; it is followed by a review by sequentialstate:

Roberts was nominated for 2014 Ignatz Best Story and Best Series for some of her work in Powdered Milk, and in Miseryland she includes a few panels on why it is she couldn't go. And a few extras to make it appear more like a sequential graphic memoir, I'd say.

I decided to read this book based on this review/article at the Chicago Reader by Dominic Umile:

http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/...

That review also focuses on Roberts's fellow Chicago area author Edie Fake's Memory Palaces, which I hope to read soon, but as I often do with a review, if it looks like it says anything of substance, I will stop reading it, just so it won't spoil the book for me. You might do the same here with my (pretty much rave) review, which is fine, but then come back to my review and tell me if you agree with me! I will read Umile's article (and a few more reviews) after writing this review!

So when I began reading Miseryland I had no idea what it was really about. Okay, that title: I suspected it was some sort of story of depression, of her miserable life, or her okay life depicted comically as misery. But when you begin to read and view it, it seems like a book about parenting, like kids say the darnedest things (cf. Art Linkletter's books and tv show by the same name, younguns!). And it IS a book about parenting, but as it proceeds we see the lens shift from the cute kid to the stressed and passive parent, though her girl Xia does say the darnedest things. But if the book were only a cute kid book, well, I have a bunch of kids and have read enough of these stories and well, I have Facebook for this, unrelentingly. I don't need to read yet another book about parenting. Been there. Done and doing that. I needed parenting books about babies so much when I was first a parent, less into them now. But then there's this.

Miseryland is really mostly about Roberts and how she deals with her idiosyncratic family, and her struggle with communication, and her struggle with parenting mainly. Gradually you get to see (spoilers in here now, sorry) that this book is not just a cute book about kids but it is Roberts's struggle to live normally, to just relate. And it is funny. We don't know what it is Roberts has driving her, maybe she isn't THAT crazy, but she certainly has trouble relating to people. She's needs privacy. She gets overwhelmed. But we do like her, we are sympathetic, and the art helps, the art, initially seemingly too sketchy, seems as I read on perfect for the effect/affect she wants to capture. And again, it is often very funny. But with that layer of pain also there. That's the memoir part of it, the honesty.

So it's interesting she decides to use memoir as a way of documenting her life. And as a private person doesn't tell you all that much about herself. She in her deft and sketchy fashion instead mostly SHOWS you her life, without direct commentary. As a person she doesn't talk all that much, she's reactive more than active, but as we observe her reactions we see how difficult it can be for her to just live with others, let alone a precocious little kid.

Woody Allen was going to call his movie Annie Hall "Anhedonia" which is a condition he claims he has suffered from all his life, the inability to experience pleasure. Roberts just may have this, too! And like Allen, she uses humor to share her experience with this condition. Maybe. But she loves her kid and her dear sweet supportive husband and her also weird friend. And I do, too, all of it. She has this deadpan way of reacting to the world I just love. I think she does love her family, and is so subtle and careful with the design of her images and pages, I think she does love her art. At least she's devoted to it. And finally, maybe she's not anhedonic, she likes her life. I look up images of Roberts and she smiles quite a bit! It's a bit of tight smile, for the camera, but she seems to be enjoying her life. . . right?

Yes, you can follow her on Tumblr. I now do.

Recommend it? Hell yeah! One of my fave books of the year.

Another (great) review of this book, from Robert Kirby:

http://bit.ly/1BkPILb

[Derek Royal · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the things that stands out in Keiler Robert's Powdered Milk series is its fragmented, episodic representation of her life...much like the lived experience.

First read September 16, 2016

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review of this book is up on tcj.com: http://bit.ly/1BkPILb

[Emilia P · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you want to be a parent? Do you want to be a person? Do you want to ...continue going on living in the world? Well, so do I. So does Keiler Roberts. But a lot of times it is very boring or tedious or momentarily beautiful and so...never-ending. There is a lot of poop and a lot of bathtimes, some walks, and a few holidays. It is not very cute. She is like...lady John Porcellino, with a kid, and probably some different life philosophies. But her straightforward, subtle, and somehow surreptitiously deeply emotional cartooning style is phenomenal, and I need more people to know about her. Please go find out about her. And then please ask her to make a thousand more comics and I will love them all. Thx.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Roberts is one of the best autobio comics artists ever. her non-liner narration works incredibly well.

[Adhoc]

Great to have on hand while waiting through your car's oil change

[Mateen Mahboubi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Topping the excellent Powdered Milk volume of collected comics, Miseryland has Roberts really hitting her stride. Funny and honest, this volume focuses more on raising a toddler and was far too relatable for me. Looking forward to reading more works by Roberts.

[Ellis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Keiler Roberts draws tales of her small family, most particularly the funny things that her daughter Xia says. This was a nice-ish read, but I would have enjoyed less meandering & more context.

[Megan Kirby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Keiler's dryly funny examination of the mundane always hits for me. This was no exception.

[Chris Burkhalter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Keiler Roberts is just the best. I'd read most of this online already (on her own website and via Mutha Magazine), but the material stands up to return visits. Highly recommended to anyone who spends time around small children.

[Mel Gillman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book a lot! The art's a little sparing, but the writing and comedic timing are excellent.

[Sasha Boersma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyday life as a Mom. We think it’s boring, but sometimes you have to giggle at the moments.

I enjoy the addition of brutally true conversations with friends and her husband.

Good read.

[Hans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Keiler Roberts invites you into brief moments of her daily life. You should accept the invitation.

(The bathroom-swearing bits are really funny!)

[Tara Schaafsma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was pretty funny.

[Melanie Faith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderful collection of nonfiction comics from Keiler Roberts! I love how candid the author is about her own struggles as well as her humorous takes on everyday life as it unspools. Her sketches are also awesome and expressive, with a wonderful balance between the art and the snappy dialogue in speech bubbles/balloons.

If you like comics, graphic novels, stories of being in the sandwich generation, stories about mothering young children, stories about balancing life the best we can with setbacks, slice-of-life stories, mental health stories, or memoir about Gen Xers, then this book might be your jam, too.

[Scout Collins · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I don't usually read graphic novels but I saw someone reading this and got a peak inside and wanted to pick it up!

Miseryland is a collection of some of Keiler Roberts' comics about her and her daughter, her and her husband, her and her friends and other experiences. It was original and sometimes funny (mainly the comics about her daughter).

There was one comic about a bee (no spoilers) that was gross and left me with a bad taste in my mouth though.

Overall it was a good read, would recommend to parents or people who enjoy the humour of kids.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

A few months back, I was contemplating the new placard for a streaming series. With just a few select colors and well-placed lines, the artist had perfectly reflected the essence of the major characters. I was reminded of this while reading Keiler Roberts’ Miseryland. In a single frame, Roberts can capture a moment or a feeling with complete authenticity. Roberts’ willingness and ability to portray life with brutal vulnerability and push beyond cliche into unvarnished detail transforms this work from the quotidian to the sublime.

[Lukie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this kind of graphic novel: simple, legible, uncluttered. Miseryland is snippets of days, mostly focused on parenting a pre-schooler whose self-expression provides rich material, but also touching on the author's bi-polar illness. As with so much humor, the humor in Miseryland rises from recognizing our limitations, and the absurdities and annoyances of the world.

[Rachael Hobson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A series of comics that feature the author and her child. I appreciated how she didn’t shy away from making herself look “bad”. Parenting is hard! And this shows how simultaneously hilarious and horrifying kids can be.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was terrific …I’m going to re-read it ..I loved the piece about the woman with the cowl neck sweater, a nice change from the many pieces with Xia. That being said, all of the family pieces are great, ring true and are very funny.

[Rosemary · Rating 4 out of 5]

She makes me laugh, and shake my head just smiling. And this book was on my list to read, so do I make a new list or cross it off? 🤪💕

[M · Rating 1 out of 5]

Extremely boring. One of the only books I haven't finished, ever.

[Aurora · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s fine.

[Shoshanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wasn't quite as funny as later comics but still glad that I read it!

[Vicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Keiler's daughter, Xia, 😂, "assplesauce"

[Brent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love love love

[Alana · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved it! Great if you are really down or suffering from a mental disorder and need something to laugh to.

[J.T. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm fairly new to the Keiler Roberts fan club, but I'm all in now. I found myself laughing in that way that you laugh when you fully understand the tedium, repetition, exhaustion and annoyance of raising young kids that isn't often acknowledged. Then I'd show the comic to my wife, and she'd laugh the same way.

[nolen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of vignettes is so beautiful, funny, and real. I was reading this in my kitchen and was laughing out loud so much that my roommate came over to investigate and was so captivated that he stood there with me and read it over my shoulder. I couldn't put in down. So good!!