Webcomic Weekly — A Return To Rachael Smith’s ‘Nap Comix’ With A Universal & Powerful Truth To Life Changes
by Richard Bruton
Webcomic Weekly, always with the webcomics, infrequently with the whole weekly thing. But nevermind, it’s the quality that counts and Webcomic Weekly always finds you some magnificent comics online for you to enjoy. This time, a return to Rachael Smith’s Nap Comix.
Now, we only recently featured Nap Comix, Rachael’s new series that she’s doing on her maternity leave following the birth of her and Rob’s son, Henry. But it’s my Webcomics Weekly and I’ll repeat myself as I see fit!
I’ve also, of course, been going on and on about Rachael Smith‘s excellent comics for a long time, as I think she’s one of Britain’s best.
So, why the additional look at Nap Comix? Well, so far the series has been light and lovely, albeit focusing on Rachael’s problems with motherhood. It’s been everyday life with a baby, the troubles all new parents find, the joys and the tears, all that, and all that done so well. Like this…
And of course, Rachael has never been on to hide from telling painful truths in her work. So we have various strips for Nap Comix featuring her anxieties and depression and struggles, made real by the personification of Barky. Just like this…
But to get a second Webcomic Weekly so soon after the first, Nap Comix and Rachael had to do something very special. And she did.
She came out recently with a Nap Comix that was both heartbreaking and absolutely true, something that so many readers should be able to empathise with, a perfect moment.
It’s about that moment when a life change alienates someone who was so special, so important, so integral to your life. One moment they’re there and then, months after something massive happens in your life (in Rachael’s it’s the birth of Henry), they’re gone.
And Rachael’s wondering why it is.
It’s this sudden, perfect transition from the universal observations on parenting to something equally universal, the loss of a good friend due to circumstances, whatever they are, and it’s incredibly powerful and honest and true.
Damn, she’s so good at picking up the reality of life in her comics. Nap Comix is something every new parent should be reading for the honesty of the troubles and anxiety every new parent, faces, but it’s also something that speaks to a more general state of being that we’ll all face at some stage, of losing touch with a good friend we never thought would leave our lives.
Rachael does it again and again, whether it’s in her perfect autobiographical works or whether it’s here, in the simple comics she’s making in what’s meant to be her maternity leave from making comics. She just nails moments of the human condition, perfectly, powerfully, empathetically – these are things that ring true to so many of us.
The door to my friendship will be forever open to you, no questions asked.
Beautiful work. Anyway, go follow her on Twitter and the other socials to see the new ones as they come out. Alternatively, to see them all in one place, go subscribe at webtoons.
