If you could imagine yourself as an animal what would you pick? Comics artist Grace Gogarty, perhaps better known to the internet by their handle Little Tunny, draws themself as an adorably bug-eyed yellow snail. This gastropodsona is the titular protagonist of Gogarty’s semi-autobiographical debut comics collection Little Tunny’s Snail Diaries.
Little Tunny’s Snail Diaries
Grace Gogarty (Writer and Artist)
Silver Sprocket, June 2022
Every once in a while there’s a comics artist that speaks to you. Whether it’s because you admire their style, storytelling, or humor, this person has a special place in your heart. Grace Gogarty is one of these artists to me. I adore all of the above about them. I was delighted to have the honor of reviewing their first collection, Little Tunny’s Snail Diaries. These slice of life comics, populated by a cast of anthropomorphized animals, are a great introduction to Gogarty’s work and a treat for their established fans.
Snail Diaries collects Gogarty’s (mostly) four paneled gag-a-day comics into one accessible volume. I have followed Gogarty on twitter for years. I was glad to be able to reread old favorites and discover comics I missed. Gogarty’s art is a seamless joining of opposites. Simple and complex. The adorable with the grotesque. Hilarity with heartbreak. All wrapped up in Gogarty’s vibrant color palette. They are able to balance the above contrasts with their skills in drawing expressions and character design. They can do a great deal of characterization with sparse lines over their snail-self’s eyes and then in the next panel draw an incredibly detailed reaction including eye crusties and wrinkles. Some might find all the details gross, but I find it’s part of the fun.
Much of the charm of Snail Diaries comes from seeing Gogarty go throughout their day as a snail. A snail with arms and legs, sure, but still a gastropod with a shell. This depiction is so ingrained I have to remind myself that there is a human being on the other end of the pen. Snail Diaries is populated by animal people. You will find it is more zoologically diverse than most funny animal comics.
There are pearls in clams, anglerfish, more snails, seals, and rhinos — all drawn in the middle ground between anatomical accuracy and cartoonish exaggeration. My personal favorite being is the Trump-hating whale shark grandpa and his adorable dog. He looks like an accurate depiction of the animal (with some slight anthropomorphizing), but he is also an old man out and about with his flip flops on.
Gogarty often draws about their job at a children’s museum. I’m sure everyone who has worked with the public can relate to the absurd things people will tell or ask you as an employee. I found myself laughing and nodding along as I read these. Snail Diaries does discuss darker topics, such as the death of a pet, depression, and Gogarty’s experiences with being misgendered. Later comics feature life during the pandemic, including one terrifying nightmare about dealing with anti-maskers. But overall, the collection is positive in tone. While there are sad moments, readers are supposed to laugh at Gogarty’s art.
While there is not exactly an overarching plot in the collection, the real stars are Gogarty’s pets. Floofy dog Huey. Nervous but sweet pooch Soup. Cat hoarding survivor Salad and her kitten, Breakfast Sandwich. And of course, Goop, the three legged, wall-eyed black cat whom the book is dedicated to. Gogarty’s love for their pets radiates off the page, and I’m sure readers will want to give their own pets extra love after finishing Snail Diaries.
I do think that readers familiar with Gogarty’s comics on twitter, instagram, and elsewhere will get the most out of Snail Diaries. Long time fans will know what is happening behind the panels from Gogarty’s active social media accounts. For example, the appearance of Breakfast Sandwich the kitten is more meaningful when you know about the struggles behind his birth and early life. However, if Snail Diaries is your first time reading Gogarty’s comics, it’s a great place to start.
