Vibrant yet darkly humorous comics for commiserating over life’s deepest concerns, from Instagram artist Alison Zai.

WEIRD TO EXIST:
Simple Comics About Complex Feelings
by Alison Zai
Ten Speed, April 2022

We all know the gut-wrenching pang that comes after accepting a beautiful moment will soon become a distant memory. We all get into cycles where it feels like the failures and disappointments just keep coming. Instagram comics artist Alison Zai presents WEIRD TO EXIST, a collection of 100 comics that depict these universal emotions and existential musings with great accuracy and empathy.
This bright, colorful book is divided into three intrinsic human acts—loving, creating, and existing–and, ultimately, comments on how weird it is to do all of that. Zai’s cheery anthropomorphic characters go through the motions of relationships, loneliness, creativity blocks, mental health concerns, social anxiety, and more. These comics voice the overwhelming dread and unpredictable chaos found in all aspects of being alive. With sharp levity and emotional complexity, WEIRD TO EXIST captures the feelings that are not easily communicated but widely felt. This collection features 30 never-before-published comics alongside a selection of beloved fan favorites from Zai’s Instagram account.

Alison Zai is a comics artist who has garnered success by sharing her art on Instagram and Tumblr. She lives in Los Angeles where she is expanding her career as an artist.