From the mind of iconic webcomic creator J.L. Westover, comes Mr. Lovenstein Presents Feelings, a compendium of over a hundred of his Mr. Lovenstein comics. Though not following any overarching plot, each comic is guided by the central theme of emotions and features a variety of zany characters as they each experience their feelings in their own wacky ways.
Writing/Story
For those unfamiliar with Westover’s work, each Mr. Lovenstein comic typically features two overexpressive (and by his own admission, sweaty) characters, engaged in conversation. The comics are usually 3 to 4 panels long, though included in this book are also Mr. Lovenstein’s signature bonus panels, which typically add a secondary punchline to the previous comic. The jokes here are all relatable, ranging from intrusive thoughts, nihilistic tendencies, to just simply absurd scenarios. At first glance, Westover’s book seems like just a collection of his comics, bundled together wholesale, yet after diving in, you can see a clear vision and flow to properly present the promised feelings. The author himself states they tend to write from a layer of separation from the work, to not allow themselves to bleed too far into it, yet the comics clearly show otherwise. As a whole, the book is an invitation to the reader to smile more, to cry more, and to generally feel more.
Art Direction
While the book is by no means meant to be sad, it can tackle some difficult feelings, and this is when Westover’s over-the-top, near-caricaturistic style shines. The characters are generally just funny to look at, and in many examples, juxtapose the emotion being portrayed, and some panels are full visual gags with no written punchline. Westover also has perfected the art of making his characters cute and endearing, making it difficult to not build an instant connection to them. While the art is objectively simple, there is a clear eye for detail (or lack thereof) which Westover expertly chooses to accentuate whenever funniest.
Coloring and Lettering
Westover’s choices in coloring are fairly subtle, as his characters come in all colors the backgrounds typically contrast them to make them pop. However, they are also used to guide the reader through the emotion the character may be feeling through the comic, especially when the punchline is delivered, a color change may happen to accentuate it. The lettering is used to a similar effect, remaining mostly in his traditional font, with the occasional break for the sake of joke delivery and character emphasis. These two elements are extremely well-polished in Westover’s work, so much so that it can be easy to overlook them on initial reads. Yet that showcases why they work so well. They guide the readers to the joke and boost both the comedy and the flow in a non-distracting manner.
Verdict
This compilation book is more than just an amalgamation of his years of work, it’s blood, sweat, and tears (with copious amounts of the latter two). Westover is at his most vulnerable, yet he illustrates it all with relatability and optimism. Above all else, Mr. Lovenstein Presents Feelings, is a pure enjoyable read that readers will devour, only to return to their favorite comics right after.
