Steven Wu's Book Reviews: Owly (Andy Runton)

If you think that's cute, you'll love Andy Runton's Owly to pieces. I certainly did.

Owly is a series of comic books about an adorable (and apparently vegetarian) young owl who just wants to be your friend. With his huge eyes, round frame, and stubby ears, he basically sweeps the rules of cuteness, and his appeal is irresistible if you're into that sort of thing.

Runton draws Owly in simple black-and-white panes without words. Although Owly and his forest friends can communicate, they do so in pictograms, not text. This gimmick works surprisingly well, since Runton is so good at conveying emotion in cartoon faces.

However, perhaps because of the absence of text, every Owly story has the same basic arc, which I illustrate here:

1. It's a good morning for Owly! Time to explore.

2. Somebody doesn't want to be Owly's friend. Owly is sad! (Sad Owly absolutely kills me.)

3. Somebody reconsiders. Now Owly has a new friend!

THE END

I'd criticize this repetition more if it weren't so effective. Owly speaks to the lonely and misunderstood child in me, and it delivers -- again and again -- a beguiling fantasy of a fundamentally decent world.

Try some of Runton's free samples, many of which he produced for Free Comic Book Day. ("Splashin' Around" is particularly cute.) If you like any of them, I guarantee you'll love them all.