oh no

by Alex Norris

A humorous and poignant comic collection about disappointments big and small based on the popular webcomic, Webcomic Name.
 

Alex Norris’ viral webcomic Webcomic Name, has captured the internet’s heart. The disappointed blob and its resigned "oh no" has become a recognizable slogan, tapping into the current internet zeitgeist of self-conscious pessimism to hilarious and heartbreaking effect. 
 
Now in this alternately funny and gloomy collection, oh no brings together all the series’ greatest hits as well as dozens of never-before-seen comics. With exciting material for established fans and newcomers alike, oh no will have something for everyone. Because, after all, we are all the disappointed blob; the disappointed blob is us.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Humor, Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics, Comedy, Adult

120 pages, Paperback

First published April 2, 2019

Reviews

[karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

BEFORE THE REVIEW, A STORY:

i wanted this book, so i ordered a copy into the store where i’ve been working. when it came in, i said “YAY!” and brought it over to the register-area to show chloë. we had barely gotten to giggle over ANY of it before a customer glided over and while i was ringing her up, she reached for the book, flipped through it, and added it to her haul.

chloë drawed this to stop my weeping.



***************************

i have read it now, but no time to review it yet - OH NO!

***************************
AND NOW REVIEW
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i love this book. i really love this book.

you would THINK that a three-panel strip using the same punch line every time would get old after a while. and many DID think it - critics of this book are all I AM DISAPPOINT! IS SAME JOKE FOREVER! the author of this book anticipated their displeasure:



and yet, if comedy has taught us anything, it’s that tenacity is rewarded and the more times you do something, the funnier it is.



and this book is funny. i’m sorry, but it just IS. and it is so many different kinds of funny

it is ‘oh no, that is absurd’ funny



the rueful laughter of ‘oh no, i have ruined my own life’ in sizes small



and medium



and large



with a side order of ‘oh no, i must laff thru my tears’



and some very relatable content regarding the oh noes of productivity fails, whether they are circumstantial and blameless:



or… otherwise:



this book also covers the oh noes of all relationships - friends:



family



romance



and furbabies



it's a litany of human follies, and the simplicity of the drawings/running gag belies how much work these strips are actually doing. for example, this one:



is a punch-punch-punch of deflating assumptions and misplaced envy: skill ≠ financial stability, success ≠ happiness, beret or no beret, all blobs are sad blobs, so manage your expectations



and, like the story of everest, the OH NO just keeps getting funnier and funnier the more it occurs. but also sad. very deeply sad.

this book is 1/2 all-new strips and 1/2 strips dragged outta here:

https://webcomicname.com/

there is also a store for the buying of oh no merch:

https://www.theohnoshop.com/

but of course right now it's all sold out OH NO



someday i will have me that pin.

i love this book. i am a blob.
oh no.

come to my blog!

[MischaS_ · Rating 4 out of 5]

***Advance Review Copy generously provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.


Oh no might be simple in the visual field (still better than any my attempts to draw something resembling a human being). But it somehow connects well with the content. The fatality and pathos. It fits way better than some elaborated and detailed drawing. And I always call myself pink blob on a bad day, easy to relate.

Sometimes you as the reader dread to turn the page because you fear what you will see there. It is a window into our own lives. We all are guilty of more than one thing included in this comic.

It started with me thinking "yes, I know this so well" and going to the fact that I started to think that something is wrong with my life?
It was a nice short, funny comic.

And I have to say that my favourite was Mirror mirror on the wall, I did not see this coming at all.

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 3 out of 5]

A paperback collection of the greatest hits from Alex Norris’s webcomic, Webcomic Name, featuring a pink constantly disappointed blob, lots of color, simple quick drawings, three panels, with the same running punchline: “oh no”. A less violent Mr Bill (from Saturday Night Live).

See Karen’s (the most popular) review to see some of it. It’s pretty amusing (the work and the review). Seems to resonant with a lot of people online, (since it is described as “viral”).

It works kinda like this: 1) Oh, I can’t wait to fall in love! 2) Oh, love has arrived! 3) blob stabbed in the heart by a heart: “oh no.”

[Chad · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh, no is what I said when I started reading this. There aren't really any jokes here. It's just a pink blob that makes observations and says "Oh no". It was really quite dumb.

Received a review copy from Andrew McMeel Publishing and NetGalley. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.

[destiny ♡ howling libraries · Rating 2 out of 5]

oh no, indeed.

I wasn't familiar with this webcomic aside from seeing one or two bits here and there, but I had liked the ones I'd seen, so I thought this would be cute. It turns out, in fact, that the sense of humor the creator utilizes gets old for me... very fast. :(

Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Scarlet Cameo · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well, this isn't my cup of tea. Actually, I thnk that the author is just a troll with this book:



(not so) proof of my believe

There's s few strips that I enjoy, but mostly is relatable jokes that are way to simple to enjoy it.

Fun fact: everytime that said 'oh no' my mind remember a Spongebob Squarepants episode so, that's the tune I hear

A digital copy of this book was provided by NetGalley

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of the Instagram account where these comics gained popularity (it has 379k followers), and if you like the Instagram account then you will definitely enjoy this book as it is equally as funny as the relatable comics Norris has become known for.

While I enjoyed reading this - my rating is more of a 3.5 - I'm not convinced this comic format is suited to book form due to its repetitive structure. This makes a fun coffee table book to dip in and out of but I wouldn't recommend reading it all in one sitting like I did.

Thank you Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the advance copy, which was provided in exchange for an honest review.

[Shaimaa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been following Alex Norris on Instagram for a while, so I requested an e-ARC of this book.

Humorous collection of daily struggles. It captures the gloomy disappointments we encounter from funny angles. I could relate to some of these.

[melhara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve seen many of these disappointing blob comics floating around the internet and they’re so… depressing - it’s hilarious!

Every single comic ends with the punch line “oh no” which somehow just gets funnier with each new comic. They’re also incredibly clever and relatable which just makes it so much better! Also, the childish artwork and sort-of-ugly blobs kind of grows on you with each new comic.

This bored panda post has a great collection of some of my favourite 'Oh No' comic strips. Here are also a few that I’m sure my fellow bookworms can relate to:







If you enjoyed these comic strips, then you will definitely like this book. This book doesn't contain all of Alex Norris' comics, but it definitely contains a collection of his top 100 disappointed blob comic strips.

*** #21 of my 2019 Book Riot Read Harder Challenge - A comic by an LGBTQIA creator ***

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Nikki "The Crazie Betty" V.]

I read about 20% of this and found it really wasn't for me. The drawing style wasn't really to my liking and I found the content to be lackluster. I am DNFing rather than finishing and providing a bad review.

[Loredana (Bookinista08) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple, but impactful. And I giggled quite a lot.

[Bruno · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is so fun that I can read it forever.
*Books end*
Oh No

[Rod Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite the repetition of the running gag, I never tired of these toons, laughing out loud multiple times at the universality of the surface gag, the metafiction aspect, or its deconstruction of the comic strip format.

Mostly I think it appeals to the broken and pessimistic part of my soul.

oh no

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars -- I enjoyed this one more than I was expecting to. I appreciated the utterly weird nature of this comic--intentionally drawn poorly, with things such as a cat whose face is in the middle of its body, random squares with what they represent written on them, and of course, our hero, the nameless pink blob. The various problems the main character faces range from minor annoyances to life's existential questions.

You may be inspired to make Oh No comics about your own life, as I did...

[Shazia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh No is a great collection of Alex Norris's infamous 3 panel comic strips, all including the same pink blob muttering its catchphrase, "oh no." Quick disclaimer: I've been a huge fan of these comics by Norris so I had a very strong suspicion that I was going to love this book, and I did! It's a super quick read with some sort of scenario or "conflict" being introduced and then the same conclusion in the last panel.

If you don't like silly or relatable things, this might not be for you, especially with the repetitive "oh no" punchline at the end.

[Bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alex Norris's collection from the widely loved Webcomic Name is full of some of the best comics to date and several that have never been seen before. oh no (named for the comic's running gag) is a unique take on "relatable" webcomics, framing daily disappointments in a truly hilarious way. Norris's occasionally absurd art compliments this off-kilter collection perfectly.

I received my copy of oh no from Andrews McMeel Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Etienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5/5. Simply draws cartoon that mixed absurdity and social criticism. Funny but very repetitive. They are all three cases cartoons and the last one always end with the characters saying «Oh no» so... repetitive! It's nonetheless funny and entertaining. Not the greatest book of all time but I think it achieve its purpose to entertain!

[AleJandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Oh Si STARS

Humor simplista y fácil de digerir, no tan divertido, pero genial para empezar la semana con toda la actitud.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars! Not because I didn't like it, but because it was too short. Needs more comics! Some people may find the format and punchline repetitive, but I adore these jokes so much that I found it charming instead. I love the adventures of pink blob!

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Check out my review of Oh No up on my blog now!

https://bookreviewsfromanovelnerd.wor...

[Prin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve seen this around social media, so I am familiar with it and I remember liking most of the comic strips I have read before. The style on the surface is plain and charming, but the simple artwork reveals maturity underneath. Skilled techniques are hidden by the simplistic approach. The use of the paneling, coloring and speech balloons is superb and adds to the meaning and experience. No space is wasted or unplanned here.

This collection is all about adulting. It tackled themes of parenting, career, gender roles, socialization (or lack of social skills), self image, mortality, morality and many more. We are treated to satirical, self deprecating and meta humor. It is extremely relatable—from birth to growing up and falling in love, and eventually dying—we can all agree that life is sometimes just a big “oh no.” We might as well get a laugh out of it.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing a copy of this wonderful book in exchange for an honest review.

[Amy Layton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh man. These comics will never stop being hilarious. Many I’d seen before, but many I hadn’t. With his cartoon-esque art style, his comic strips get right down the the point, and boy, is the point a little too real sometimes. He makes fun of his own strips, uses his comics to bring up relevant point in today’s society, and even goes so far so as to critique common phenomena around us and how we interact with it. Overall, it’s a funny, light-hearted collection that brings to light many important personal revelations.

Review cross-listed here!

[Kamal · Rating 3 out of 5]

[Noura · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

This little book of comic strips about a pink blob was much more poignant than I expected which was a pleasant surprise. I vaguely remember seeing some of Norris' webcomics floating around but if I was asked to talk about one then I would be hard pressed to recall any.

The deadpan comedy prevails however, it quickly seems to lose its charm as the content get real repetitive real fast. Which is why the ratings was on the lower level but that won't stop me from following Norris' comic and waiting for new ones to drop.

[- ̗̀ jess ̖́- · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've seen these comics around a lot and I've always quite enjoyed them because a lot of them have the same kind of humour that I have: that is, depressing millennial humour. That being said, in book format this doesn't work quite as well as just seeing them posted in memes on the Internet because it's so repetitive. It's really relatable and cute, though. Oh no.

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[stefiereads · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I decided to read this book, I was not expect that this book will be like it is. It's funny and I enjoy it a lot.
It's so relatable and I feel like I am seeing myself in one of those comics. I just like how simple is the illustration yet it delivered all the message right through.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is too clever by half. The running gag and repeated punchline shouldn't work for a full book, but they do. Pretty neat.

[Alfredo · Rating 5 out of 5]

AUSHDUAHSDUAHUSDHASUDHA

eu amo o oh no, meu deus!! acho incrível como em três quadrinhos simples o alex norris consegue descrever as mais diversas situações. esse aqui vale a leitura.

[Cassandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have nothing bad to say about this book because there's really nothing bad you CAN say. It's a very cute, relatable book about a disappointed little blob and honestly, aren't we all a disappointed little blob at least once a week?

A very quick read, I literally read it all during a conference call at work.

[Cassandra Veber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compilation of « oh no » moments we all have been through