FANGS by Sarah Andersen. Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2020. 112 pages. ISBN 978-1524860677 (hardcover), $11.49.
Amelia Foster, MLIS Graduate Student Assistant, St. Catherine University Visual Resource Library, St. Paul.
Reviewed July 2, 2021
On a moonlit night, in a monster-filled bar, a werewolf meets a vampire and an unusual romance ensues. FANGS, a graphic novel by Sarah Andersen, is composed of a sweet series of vignettes that depict the relationship between Elsie the vampire and Jimmy the werewolf. Nominated for an Eisner award in the humor category, FANGS has plenty of heart as Jimmy and Elsie tenderly navigate their compatibility, quirks, and bloodlust.
The spare, black and white drawings in FANGS are brimming with visual puns playing on vampire and werewolf lore. They linger on the often affectionate and bemused expressions of its smitten protagonists. Jimmy and Elsie negotiate their boundaries – sunlight, and silver jewelry – with a sensitivity that’s sure to resonate with mere mortal readers. Illustrated in one or two-page vignettes, Anderson’s clever use of shadow offers nuance, such as how a vampire can go on a date at the beach. Whether Jimmy and Elsie are snuggling in a coffin or walking in the park, most drawings are cropped close, leaving much to the imagination.
Andersen is best known for the webcomics series Sarah’s Scribbles, about the misadventures of adulting millennials. The quippy, four or five-panel comics showcase bug-eyed, frenetic stick figures battling anxiety with decidedly deadpan humor. They’ve been collected in three published volumes after finding viral readership through Tumblr. FANGS also began as a web series on the website Tapas, and the bound edition includes 25 new drawings. It’s a finely produced volume with a debossed cover design and black-edged pages. Marketed to readers aged 14+, FANGS it’s likely to appeal to any adult with a penchant for horror or a soft spot for off-beat love stories. The author’s widespread online following makes this book a sure bet for any library catering to aspiring illustrators.