Oh Joy Sex Toy, Vol. 2

Oh Joy Sex Toy #2

by Erika Moen, Matthew Nolan, Heather Corinna (Introduction)

Oh Joy Sex Toy

Erika and Matthew think the world of sex is pretty rad and they want to help you see it too. Using humor and research, their awesome comics are about everything that relates to sex. They review sex toys, share sex education, interview sex workers, and crack horrible, horrible puns, all in the name of promoting sex positivity.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Nonfiction, Sexuality, LGBT, Feminism, Queer

326 pages, Paperback

First published September 15, 2015

About the author

Erika Moen is a freelance cartoonist born June 25, 1983 and graduated with an Illustrated Storytelling self-designed degree from Pitzer College in 2006. She lives in Portland, Oregon where she has been a member of Periscope Studio since 2008. Having created comics for well over a decade, her work has been published by Dark Horse, Image, Villard and Scholastic, among many others. In addition to creating comics, she also regularly teaches classes and guest lectures on the subject in high schools and colleges around the country. She has been happily married to Matthew Nolan since October 2008.

Reviews

[Stewart Tame · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yay! More Oh Joy Sex Toy comics!

Pretty much everything I said about the first book applies to this one as well. If you liked that one, you’ll like this one. More reviews. More informational pieces. More sexy. More fun. More Star Trek references and awful puns. If you loved the first book, here's a second helping. If you hated the first book (weirdo!), well, here's a second helping anyway.

As with the first book, there are guest strips after the Erika and Matt material. In addition to the strips that keep to the OJST mold, there are a few that serve straight up erotica--no product reviews or introductions to sexual subcultures, just consensual sex in fantasy settings. Reminded me a bit of the classic XXXenophile comics (yes, I mentioned them in my review of the first book as well. XXXenophile is my gold standard when it comes to sex comics. So sue me.)

I also really enjoyed Isabella Rotman’s “Harnessing Savings,” a how-to guide for constructing your own dildo harness. It's not anything I would ever use, but it's just such a fun DIY concept …

Anyway, I’m really loving these books. Looking forward to volume 3! Highly recommended!

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another fun, sexy, and educational entry in the series. I doubt I'll ever buy any of the products reviewed, but I sure do enjoy reading about them in these humorous short strips.


FOR REFERENCE:

Contents: (All material by Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan except where noted)

Introduction / Heather Corinna

The Strips
• Introduction
• Club Vibe
• Orgasmatron
• Velvet
• How to Suck Cock
• AdultFriendFinder
• Ora
• Herpes
• Bendy Beads
• G-Spoon
• SheBop
• Strip Club Etiquette
• How to Rock a Threeway
• Terrible Art of Boner Hiding
• Doxy
• Wedge/Ramp Combo
• How to Selfie Like a Boss
• AutoBlow 2
• FetLife
• AfterGlow
• Consent
• Fenrir the Wolfdragon
• Mystic Wand
• Masturbating - Vulva Edition
• Erika Lust
• Condom Basics
• Pulse
• Yeast Infections & Candidiasis
• Adventure Triple Stim Vibrator
• 50 Shades of Grey
• Ecdysiast
• Fleshlight Ice
• Transformer
• Medical Abortion
• Aneros
• Come as You Are
• Our Favorite Thing

Guest Strips
• Snake Bite Kit / Lucy Bellwood
• Harness Savings / Isabella Rotman
• Erotic Comics / Jess Fink
• Sex List / Terry Blas
• Three Greatest SFW Fetishes / Ryan North and Trudy Cooper
• Touch Therapy / Tits McGee
• Love Hotels / Ryan Estrada
• ASMR / Grace Allison
• Mermaid / Ghostgreen
• Gender Play / Mady G
• Planetrise Delight / Blue Delliquanti
• Horrific Sex Toy Mistakes / Shing Yin Khor
• Spectrum Sliding / Allison "Mu" Jones
• Penis Fencing / Jeannette Langmead
• BDSM Safety / Abby Howard
• Open to Change / Purple Kecleon

Bonus Material
• Business Stuff
• Using Reference
• Where Do Babies Come From [Penny Arcade guest strip]

[Maggie Gordon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant sex education resource, and a beautiful book as well. Oh Joy Sex Toy, Volume 2 is another fantastic expose on naughty toys, and clear and non-judgmental information on sexual health. Recommended for everyone!

[Theo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid continued sex education comics with honest reviews of sex toys and always a great job at body diversity.

[Joshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't describe how much I love Erika Moen and her work. Every single of these books is a delight from the beginning to the end. If it isn't the endless bad jokes, gorgeous artwork, the inclusive body-types and sexuality expressions, to the extra comics in the back which lead me to even more erotic comics artists. Much like the first volume, this book was a wonderful collection of reviews of various sex toys, pornographic websites, and erotic artists all of which are expierienced firsthand by Moen herself.

Obviously, the sex advice is wonderful, but above everything that makes these books so wonderful is Moen herself. Her comics are gorgeous and funny and will surely bring a smile to anyone who picks up this book.

[Jaina Bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is just excellent every which way. Good, honest reviews, well-researched information, and fun, beautiful graphic style. I'm so glad there are (at least) two more in the series to assuage my appetite.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Way better than the first book, because Erika and Matthew (and their guest creators) go way beyond simple reviews of toys and content and way more into sex education topics. They’re super informative and friendly, and clearly getting more comfortable with creating comics for a book and website simultaneously.

Potential readers should note that while the main comic depicts sex acts for education and reviewing purposes, a few of the guest posts (at the back of this book) are purely erotica comics. This isn’t bad, but just something to note.

[Gizzard · Rating 4 out of 5]

The educational parts of this graphic book about sex were very good. The sex toy reviews and some of the extra comics weren't interesting to me. I really think they should make a sex ed book that focuses on things like diseases and the public service announcements for how people have sex. They highlight a variety of preferences, both gender and sexuality, and it is good info to know and could be really helpful for people struggling with identity. (not for the weak of heart if you are straight up vanilla.)

[Erin Cataldi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great follow up to the first volume filled with more toy reviews, tips, interviews, and humor. Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan do a great job banishing any stigmas, uneasiness, or doubts about sexual toys, acts, or lifestyles. It's down to earth, funny, and unapologetic. There's nothing to be ashamed of and they want you to have a great time in the process. I would recommend reading the volumes in order because there are a few times when they flashback to something that's already been covered. Another fun installment. I can't wait for volume three.

[Holden Attradies · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as good as the first! Always amazed at how clean the art is, how diverse the mastabateers are, and how much fun the strips are. Also nice to see them unleashing and giving some straight up negative reviews.

[Zuzka Jakúbková · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great follow-up to the first volume. Warm and welcoming comic strip reviews of sex toys and messanger of sex positivity. Plus points for making the content inclusive to diverse group of people.

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part 2 is equally good. It's informative and funny and just matter-of-fact. If you get embarrassed easily, then you won't want to read the series in a public place. It's very x-rated!

[Soobie is expired · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this is the second book in the series, I've read it last. It was a bit difficult to get my hands on this volume.

I like the way Erika and Matthew present all their different topics. I also like the fact that they never judge people or they tastes. I guess my favorite comics was the one explaining what's consent.

This time I read the book in two days so I didn't get overwhelmed... Let me explain: when I read Erika's comics one after the others, I sort of got bored with the content. My solution was to read a couple of Erica's comics and one of the guest comics to relax. This time I followed the order provided and everything was OK. But yeah, I started reading on Friday and I finished on Sunday.

I don't like reading comics on the internet so I'm eagerly waiting for the fifth volume in print.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quirky and fun book about way more than just sex toys, this is a fun read for anyone who wants a light-hearted look at sex, information about sex toys, and some quick intro guides to hard-to-discuss subjects. Also featured is pages of comics and art from different cartoonists ranging from smutty to sexy to funny to just plain interesting!

[Bre Skidmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was a little bit skeptical to begin with, but I absolutely loved this book. I loved how honest they were about everything and generally how inclusive the book was. This is what comprehensive sex education is and it’s delivered in a fun and approachable manner. Excited to read the other volumes!

[Katta · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is the sex education I wish I'd had (but probably would've embarrassed the hell out of teenage me).

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

one thing I liked about this volume was the strips by other cartoonist. of course who can help but love Erika's reviews?

[R C · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just love these books. I enjoyed the comics by guest artists, as always. I wish there were more story-based pieces... But otherwise just love it.

[Lira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most of the content were not that relevant to me as of the moment, but I really appreciated this nonetheless. Thank you for being a safe space.

[adiantum · Rating 5 out of 5]

These comics, as usual, are great. Especially enjoyed the guest strip about making a DIY harness.

[Dylan Zucati · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am going to write one review for all four Oh Joy Sex Toy collections. If I tried to write four separate reviews, I’d be saying largely the same thing four different times and it wouldn’t do any of them justice. If you feel at all inclined to read these collections but don’t have access to them, yes you do they’re all online! www.ohjoysextoy.com has every comic from all four volumes of these books; this comic was the first one I found on tumblr way back in 2013. Personally I’m a big fan of reading them in the bound version, but if you want accessibility and searchability you should just head over to their website.

I don’t know enough about the complexities of sex positive culture to explain the scope of the educational reach this comic has had. I can tell you when I first read it in college, I started to see myself, or rather the community I wanted to see myself a part of, in these comics. A community that put personal pleasure above stigma, but never gave up consent for the sake of anyone else’s enjoyment. When I began to read OJST I thought less about what other people would perceive of my pleasure, and more about what I could do to achieve it. Now my personal journey is a lot more fraught and complicated than “read a comic, now you’re gay”, but the comic allowed me to see being bisexual as natural. When I became more okay with my bisexuality, it helped me separate that identity from my personal sexual perversions and come to accept those as well. I say perversions as a self-described pervert because there’s no shame allowed here, unless you’re into it and have laid out safe boundaries with your shame scene partners.

As a white man, I see myself in most things; my bisexuality would isolate me a little but even that has become more mainstream. The best part about OJST is that everyone else has the opportunity to be seen as I am. It doesn’t matter what parts you do or don’t have, what your hair, skin, or body looks like. Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan draw bodies trying out all of these sex toys, positions, and sexual dilemmas with the most diverse cast of characters I have ever seen. The “Masturbateers” were created because as Moen says, “While we love our sex toys, we’re both modest exhibitionists, so we like to depict “the business” through these free-loving characters! Their pronouns as individuals are “They, Them and Their” and they refer to their genitalia by their medical, anatomical names. The Masturbateers’ sexuality is: Horny.” Either Moen and Nolan appear in every comic, talking the reader through the topic and giving the sense of recurring characters to the series while allowing the diverse maturbateers to show you how it’s done. Sometimes it can be very clinical, but sometimes it’s straight up sexy! I won’t lie, I’ve been turned on plenty of times reading these by bodies I’ve never seen in porn.

Oh Joy Sex Toy isn’t just an ad space for toys looking to get good reviews by sending free products. No matter their relationship with the company in question, and a few do sponsor the website itself, Moen and Nolan always give a completely honest review of their experience. I’ve seen them compliment toys they practically threw away, critique toys that they swear by every time they’re mentioned. They always give you a fair assessment of the toy, and will let you know if they think the problem is the toy not gelling with their bodies or sexual inclinations. I never felt their bias get in the way of me understanding the pros and cons of an item.

At its heart, Oh Joy Sex Toy is educational. I have added more sex ed books to my bookshelf through OJST than any other resource. When I wanted to understand more about contraceptives or what it was like for a pornstar in this world, OJST is where I found the most information told in the clearest way. I know it’s not saying much, but I learned more reading this comic than the american education system ever attempted to teach me. There are plenty of non-sexual, sex-related topics covered and if I had to teach my theoretical child about something I have no experience with, say a UTI, Oh Joy Sex Toy is where I would go first. This website (and book[s]) may not be something you are even remotely interested in hearing about, but if someone had passed along the url when I was in middle school, it would have saved me a lot of lost time and made me much more comfortable with the body I have today.

[4Michal · Rating 5 out of 5]

very intresting book ive used it before and the woman thinks its weird.

[elstaffe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pull quotes/notes
"FUN FACT:
Erika only has two audio files on her phone.
1) An Anxiety Relief audiobook she uses to calm down when she's about to have a panic attack and
(2) Wannabe by the Spice Girls" (16)

"It turns out that the Kubler-Ross model can absolutely be applied to situations such as 'Help, I have a vibrating bullet vibe up my ass and I don't know how to get it out.'" (295)

"Stay tuned for next time, where I let you know that treating a yeast infection with yogurt may actually sound like a perfectly reasonable home remedy.

Except not with Fruit on the Bottom.

Even if you're really desperate.

Yeah, I'm just going to go now." (296)

[Sarah Schanze · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still great!

[Sinclair · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic. Even better than volume 1.

[Thomas]

Finished in exactly a year. Scary.