Schappi

by Anna Haifisch

In Schappi, Anna Haifisch blurs the boundaries between humans and animals in subtle and absurd ways. In these five collected comics short stories, carnivores and herbivores meet at a disastrous congress of the animals; we get to know a merciless, art-collecting lizard; and are introduced to dancing ostriches and a melancholy, meditating octopus. With singular humor and charm, and a brilliant eye for color, Haifisch tells of the everyday struggle from the prairie to the drawing table, of self-imposed isolation and friendship. At the end of the day, there is hope, even for crying weasels. Haifisch's wry sense of humor reveals many truths lying underneath her absurdist wit. Printed in five gorgeous Pantone inks, Schappi will shine from a bookshelf like a mad husky's iris.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Graphic Novels Comics, Bande Dessinée

96 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2019

Reviews

[Mateen Mahboubi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Farewell, sweet Mohammed Jr.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just love Anna Haifisch's work.
But nothing can compare to The Artist.

These are a couple of short stories. some of the pages are incredibly beautiful. Some of the stories I didn't care as much for.

[Gabriel Infierno · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me gusto mucho pero mucho la primera tercera y cuarta historia, vale la pena el libro, los trabajos de esta autora son de lo más originales

[Kasia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the drawings and the colour - a collection of weird little short stories

[Minjeong · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m an Anna Haifisch fan. Her characters are both degraded and adorable. She portrays unfortunate circumstances that make me feel sympathetic toward the creatures. The meek and scrawny characters and their environments draw out a chuckle from me. The pages are bold and fun.
The short stories in this book don’t quite conclude with a satisfying ending. Compared to the Artist or Von Spats, I was happy to experience the range in her subject matter.

[Jerome Laviolette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful. Funny!

[topcitrouille · Rating 5 out of 5]

la vivacité des couleurs est trop belle, les compositions trop chouettes et les dégaines des animaux me font hurler de rire, trop bravo

[Al · Rating 4 out of 5]

huh

[Rick Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting collection of short stories with nice artwork by Anna Haifisch. Her style does evoke a similar sensibility to great cartoonists like Michael DeForge or Jason, who employ simplistic styles with bold color palettes and a bit of an idiosyncratic humor. While I was generally amused by the collection of stories here, most of them didn't really come off as memorable. "Fuji-San" was probably the standout for me, but the other stories were just more interesting to look at then to read. I still will be interested to check out more of her work, since her sensibilities line up closely with what I like from comics.

[April Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quiet, odd little stories that don't really go anywhere, you just kinda exist in them for a bit. Interesting nonetheless. The art is bright and quirky, with a bit of a Tove Jansson vibe (I could definitely see Fillyjonk and Sniff fitting in here). Very dream-like, where odd things happen, but it's somehow normal. I quite enjoyed this, but I can see it's a not-for-everyone, acquired taste sort of thing.

[Catherine veut lire trop de livres · Rating 3 out of 5]

« C’est au tour de Hyène d’implorer des financements durables dans sa région. Elle s’attire des regards apitoyés et des toux retenues. Avec ses plaques de fourrure pelée, ses yeux fiévreux et ses gencives en sang, elle passe clairement pour le mammifère le plus misérable de tout le sommet. Les hyènes sont tellement déprimantes! Mais c’est pas étonnant, murmure la Souris au Crocodile. Quand on bouffe des cadavres infestes d’asticots et de maladie toute la journée, c’est normal d’être dans un tel état. » (Haifisch, Anna. Schappi)

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pathetic, deformed and demented animals act out the cruelties and ironies of human society, with a particularly zoomed-in look on the humiliation and hope of creating art. These short stories run the gamut from the grotesque to the tranquil. Bojack-esque but darker and more bizarre.

Also the art has an expansive, potrait-like, neurotic quality which I liked.

[Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0⭐

In this short collection of stories that touch on class, companionship, loneliness, and acceptance in an anthropomorphized world, we sit quietly with the characters of Schappi and experience snippets of their lives. There are highs and lows, but nothing drastic. It is a calm, strange, melancholic piece.

I really enjoy the simple art style and bold colors. Especially when the pages are awash with deep purple and bright orange. But my favorite is the story Fuji-San which is composed of simple purple lines and text over a white background. The typeface is jagged and often a little claustrophobic on the page, acting as a character of its own, which I appreciate.

Admittedly, I have had this book on my shelf since 2022, when I happened to go to a book signing for another author and Anna Haifisch was accompanying him. I got the copy signed to my boyfriend and then it went onto the shelf where I thought about it from time to time but never read it. I am so glad that I picked it up today. What a delight.

No new words learned

[Sammi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not every book has to be for me, and this comic just wasn't for me. Some of the references felt dated and insensitive. I understood where some of the stories were going, but they didn't quite land for me. I liked the first story the most.

[William · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun collection of short comics. I was a fan of Haifisch's The Artist and this did not disappoint. Nothing revolutionary, but a fun time none the less. My favorite was probably Fuji-San, though A Proud Race made me laugh the most

[Maëch · Rating 4 out of 5]

C’est n’importe quoi, j’ai adoré !

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Close in tone to Michael DeForge's comics, and therefore exactly the sort of humor I'm always in the mood for. The more I think about these vignettes, the more I enjoy them.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read. A few strange vignettes about art, racism, and aging featuring anthropomorphic animals. The style is fascinating, but I found the stories to be a little lackluster.

[Blane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the art, but the stories left me expecting more.

[Aries Aster · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a good example of societal satire, but some of the stories felt a bit lacking.

[Siann · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very amazing use of lines and I love the restricted colour pallet. Love the crocodile and mouse moment

[Marc Kavanagh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each story is beautifully crafted and every panel contains a rich universe!

[Guilherme Duarte · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Fourth history takes tears from me ...

[Drew · Rating 3 out of 5]

How peculiar!

[Isaac Bouyack · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3.5) A Proud Race and Fuji-San were my favorites.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

On two occasions a squid is depicted as an octopus (or perhaps an octopus is misidentified as a squid?) - but don't let that deter you!

[Lev · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an interesting collection of short stories combined with a beautifully distinctive art style. I would highly recommend this!

[Noëlle Kröger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ich wünschte ich hätte dieses Buch gemacht.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cool art.
The stories aren't impressive in terms of a beginning to ens plot but they're interesting nonetheless.

[Sian Lile-Pastore · Rating 4 out of 5]

i love weird animal stories and the art work is gorgeous!
'when did mice become so racist, thought the crocodile'

(could have done without the rooster with aids and the word f*ggot tbh)