Still Just Kidding: A Collection of Art, Comics, and Musings

by Cassandra Calin

Cassandra Calin’s ability to document the hilarity of relatable everyday events has made her a worldwide success and generated a huge following on social media. In this book, new fans and her huge online audience have a unique chance to see comics they know and love, as well as previously unseen comics.

Have you ever wondered how a comedy writer comes up with funny ideas and turns them into comics? In this insightful book Cassie will be telling us all about herself and showing where her ideas come from. Cassandra will even go a step further and show how she designs and illustrates her comics and makes the mundane, side-splitting in a way that is sure to put a smile on even the grumpiest of faces.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Humor, Art, Nonfiction, Graphic Novels Comics, Bande Dessinée

168 pages, Hardcover

First published July 3, 2018

About the author

Cassandra Calin is a Romanian-born Canadian artist. Based in Montreal, she's a comic artist, illustrator, and a graphic designer. “I draw comics inspired by my life and experiences,” Calin writes on her website. “I enjoy laughing at my awkward self and ranting about silly misfortunes such as being born with curly hair.

Reviews

[Mehsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haha, this was just as amazing as I had hoped. So happy she finally has a book filled with her work, I always love reading them on Tapastic. Thank you to my fiance for giving me this one as a present for my birthday.
This one contains tons of comics by Cassandra Calin, but also sketches, drawings, art (she can draw really amazing things). She also tells about her life, how she started drawing, showing us some really old comics she drew when she was a teen. I really had tons of fun reading this one, and laughed my butt off reading the comics (even if I already knew most of them, I still found them hilarious), I loved that they were separated in chapters and that each chapter had an appropriate (and hilarious) illustration. Highly recommended.

[Popita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super divertido 😊. Un libro muy cuco que te hace sacar más de una sonrisa.
Y donde también podemos conocer un poquito más a la autora, con unas ilustraciones muy chulas.

[astrid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me encontré este libro de ilustraciones hoy en la calle y me ha encantado <3 voy directa a seguir a la ilustradora en sus redes sociales

[Dina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not a social media fan so haven't come across Cassandra's comics before. I backed the book out of a whim on Kickstarter and let me tell you - no regrets! The comics are very relatable and in many of them I see myself. And don't worry Cassandra - you are not the only woman with phone phobia or big toe hair :'D

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh this book is just brilliant, loved every page!

[Eva Decker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love it! Thank you Cassandra, for your "hilariousness" and sharing it with us. Please go on like forever

[Ruben · Rating 5 out of 5]

M'encanta. El guió, els dibuixos, les expressions, la traducció…

[Natasha Kareeva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Норм

[Lea Dokter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the attention to detail in Calin's comics - it's not often that short web comics are this beautifully done! The comics were funny and extremely relatable.

[Fefellina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Praticamente sono io,in tutto e per tutto😹😹❤️❤️

[Sakina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Encore une fois, j'ai ri et pleuré de rire à plusieurs reprises. J'ai passé un beau moment de lecture. 😊

[Pinja · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mukavan nopeasti luettavaa ja tykkäsin paljon tyylistä! Olisi voinut olla pidempikin ja sisältää enemmän sarjiksia.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was super cute, I loved the art and the comics are so relatable. Definitely would recommend.

[Randi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very enjoyable with great artwork.

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book via Kickstarter and I was super excited! Her drawings are really beautiful and spot-on at times, so the reading experience was pleasant as well. I didn't expect as much context and explanation of her live in this book, but it was a lovely surprise.

That being, I hoped for more newer comics. Most of them I had already seen on her facebook/instagram page. Which isn't a bad thing necessarily! Because they are great, but it would have been nice to have more original content included in the book.

[Bekah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed on Books Cats Tea | Instagram

Still Just Kidding is a fabulous collection of Cassandra Calin's comics that you've probably seen here and there on the internet. I love her style and the very relatable topics the comics depict. What is really nice about the book is how Calin talks about the behind the scenes of her process: how she draws, the ways her work has changed over time, and what tools she uses to make her comics. It definitely makes me want to drag out my old sketchbooks and pencils again!

[See blog for additional links and comic panel]

[D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ugh. I love Calin’s comics. Her drawings are fantastic, her humor is spot on, what’s there not to like? I found her on tumblr after having seen some of her comics randomly all over the place. When she did the Kickstarter for her book I just had to buy into it. And it was well-worth it. If you’re real human being, especially a real woman, just trying to exist in this world that wants everything from us and you feel like you fall short, try to get your hands on STILL JUST KIDDING. At the very least follow Calin on tumblr. Everything she puts out is amazing and hits right in the home button.

5

[Jasna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy to read (you can read it in one day), very funny in an intelligent and perceptive way. I could relate to so many situations. If you are following Cassandra on social media, then you’ve probably already read most of the comics in this book. Nevertheless, I wanted to have them in paper and I don’t regret buying the book and supporting Cassandra’s work.

[Milie_Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cet album qui regroupe les dessins et la vie de Cassandra Calin est une pure merveille.
Les dessins sont magnifiques, nous en apprenons plus sur sa vie, ses motivations et sa passion pour le dessin.
J'ai été touché et j'ai rigolé, mais surtout j'ai passé un moment fantastique en parcourant chaque page de cet album. Un bonheur !

[Karol (Libroteca El Gato de Cheshire) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tiene viñetas súper divertidas. Me encantan las de 《expectativas vs realidad》.

Creo que si te gusta dibujar te encantará este libro y todo lo que cuenta la autora sobre su proceso creativo y su carrera.

[Fanta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve always loved Cassandra drawings and humour. I loved it although I thought there was new material but nevertheless it is still good and hilarious.

[Kristine Cukure · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely love the style and great sense of humour :)

[Anitamiarmita · Rating 4 out of 5]

💁‍♀️Bueno días! La lectura que traigo hoy, es uno de los libros que me han traído los #ReyesMagos2023 Se trata de la novela gráfica #EnSerioEsBroma de @cassandracalin
💁‍♀️¿Qué váis a encontrar en ella? Pues escenas de la vida cotidiana con la que echar unas risas y sentirte identificada al 100%
💁‍♀️Y muchos diréis: Pero Ana, es que la mayoría de este tipo gráficas hablan de la vida cotidiana. Y yo os contestaré: pues sí, pero hay miles de formas de expresar una misma cosa y ahí está la magia.
💁‍♀️En sus páginas #CassandraCalin también nos habla de ella, de cómo se ha formado, cómo ha llegado a dibujar el libro que tenéis en vuestras manos y se desnuda viñeta a viñeta para hacernos pasar un gran rato.
💁‍♀️A mi me encantan este tipo de gráficas. Tengo muchas de este estilo y para mí son imprescindibles en mi pequeña biblioteca.
💁‍♀️Además, tiene un trazo muy personal. Los personajes son muy expresivos pese a ser en blanco y negro. Sus ilustraciones están muy bien definidas y no les falta detalle.
💁‍♀️Destaco también los diálogos por sencillos y a la vez espontáneos y naturales, incluso con un su toque pícaro, que le da aún más gracia a las escenas que representan.
💁‍♀️La edición es en tapa dura con portada a color, en contraste del blanco y negro de su interior. Tiene 170 páginas y está editada por la editorial @bridge.books
💁‍♀️Queda más que recomendada. Estoy segura de que os sacará más de uns carcajada y os veréis indentificadas en más de una ocasión.

[Ari A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me gusta mucho el estilo de ilustración de esta autora. En el libro no sólo se recoge una recopilación de sus viñetas más famosas publicadas en redes, sino que la autora describe su evolución como artista, sus fuentes de inspiración e incluso los materiales que utiliza para sus ilustraciones. El cómic es con tintes autobiográficos y es fácil verse reflejada en muchas situaciones cotidianas que parodia. Son especialmente divertidas las viñetas expectativas vs realidad.

[Micheila Hideki · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐4.50
Un primo volume molto introduttivo per Cassandra Calin, che si presenta al pubblico con una spolverata di sé. Credo che sia un racconto molto carino, e certamente non toglie assolutamente nulla alle vignette che vengono successivamente. Mi ha fatto davvero un sacco ridere e non vedo assolutamente l'ora che ne arrivi un terzo! Carino, fresco e con anche qualche piccolo tips di disegno, davvero consigliato!

[Alazne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me ha parecido interesante la parte en la que cuenta su historia, cómo empezó y su proceso creativo.

También, relacionado con ello, que haya puesto partes de obras antiguas y bocetos o dibujos de distintas épocas pudiendo así ver la evolución de sus ilustraciones.

En cuanto a las historias en sí, no me han dicho nada especial. Algunas partes son graciosas y las ilustraciones me han gustado, pero poco más.

[Asha McKay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not what I was expecting: this was more of a how-to guide for her style of comics and how the author writes and draws, with some of her comics in at the end as examples. That being said, it was very interesting. The artwork was beautiful, it’s funny and well written. It was a brief and interesting insight into the art of Cassandra Calin, and how to create original comics.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Backed this on Kickstarter in 2018 and apparently never logged it on Goodreads when it got delivered.

Loved it again on the re-read, I have loved Cassandra’s comics for a long time and her character is always relatable and funny. The Sims references were especially relatable thanks to more Covid staying at home.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was enjoyable. I liked the little memoir/behind the scenes discussion, but I do wish that they had reprinted the comic she was referring to with the commentary. If you're not super familiar with her work, you don't quite get it. I think they were all reprinted later in the book, but having them together would have been better.

[Adriana · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was okay. I still love Cassandra, but I was expecting more new content. The majority of the comics (I think all but two?) I recognized from her social media. That was a let down. But, it’ll be nice to share the book with other who maybe haven’t seen her stuff before.