First off, there’s no character in Johnny Wander named Johnny Wander. There is a character named John who seems to have anger management issues, but he’s part of the supporting cast. It’s apparently meant to symbolize how the subject matter is constantly up in the air, and the creators take advantage of that. It’s an extremely apt title to say the least.
The name of the game is slice of life, and I don’t mean the kind of outrageousness My Little Pony fans saw in the recent episode of the same name. It’s from the perspective of writer Ananth Hirsh and his friend and artist Yuko Ota after graduating from college and moving in together.
Their friends occasionally appear in the odd one off strip including the aforementioned John, as well as the creator of Rice Boy and Vaatu, Evan Dahm, who makes a couple of cameos. And then we have Mike, who doesn’t feel like he’s truly seen a sight until he runs up to the building and physically touches it. I don’t get it man, but do you.
Outside of the primary canon are some very good surrealistic short stories, all with a wide variety of subject matter. If you’re interested in a surprisingly gentle and mild mannered interpretation of death or a young girl befriending a basilisk creature, you’re certainly in luck. The former are a couple of very cute stories with him and his girlfriend whose hand is decomposed, though she doesn’t allow it to hold her back.
My personal favorite of the side stories easily has to be Lucky Penny, which puts us in the shoes of a slacker girl working at a laundromat after her friend helps her find a new apartment. After falling for a shy nerdy guy, she’s launched into a surreal misadventure involving a bizarre conspiracy and the possibility that she might be something of a jinx. It’s a fun Scott Pilgrim-ish rom-com that has some slapstick when needed, and Ota gives Penny some pretty funny expressions.
Hirsh and Ota are great at making the mundane seem funny and epic. Their sense of humor is extremely self deprecating and their timing is notably sharp, not to mention they also have a knack for adding in little poignant moments without anything feeling forced or manipulative. Reading this comic is like chatting on the phone with friends from work or from college, a good example being Yuko’s various travelogues from Japan.
Overall I’d say Johnny Wander is a surprisingly versatile comic that maintains a high quality standard regardless if it’s being (vaguely) realistic or just plain bizarre. It’s got some very clean artwork and cute designs, jokes with a wide net of appeal, and two likable leads. Not to mention it has numerous options for anyone who wants a break from its usual easygoing canon, all with intelligent writing. Wander over here to see for yourself.