Penny Nichols

By Reed, Means & Wiegle
Publisher: Top Shelf Productions
ISBN: 97981603094481

I bought this book four years ago and it instantly got buried. I only rediscovered it this month while tidying up the tower of future reading material. What an idiot.

Because this is a really great book, and one that deserves more attention. It is, at its heart, a story we can all relate to, about creatives following a dream to escape the dull and dreary, but it does so with wit, great writing, and some fabulous cartoons as well. What more do you need?

Although we’re following a band of filmmakers on their quest to make an ultra-low budget horror flick, this is the titular character’s story. She is lazy, she’s snarky, she’s overweight and she’s going nowhere. Until, that is, she bumps into two guys while doing another mind-numbing job who need a hand with their film. Suddenly, Penny’s life is changed, and she’s never worked harder. Not because she has to, but because she’s invested in what they’re all attempting to do.

But what, perhaps, makes the book really great is that all of the other characters work too. You get to spend just enough time with them to care, and they carry the weight of the story to the very last page. I’m just sorry I didn’t read it sooner. 

And if you liked that: There are shades of John Allison’s work here, so if this floats your boat then do take a look at Giant Days. It’s superb.