Big Mushy Happy Lump

By Christian Bellmore

Big Mushy Happy Lump—A “Sarah’s Scribbles” Collection is a comic compilation by Sarah Andersen. I’ve been a fan of Andersen’s webcomics for some time now—Sarah’s Scribbles is a comedy and slice of life comic mostly aimed for young women who have gone through similar experiences as Andersen.

The topics in Big Mushy Happy Lump range from cats, stealing sweaters, menstruation cramps, young adult life, anxiety, and navigating social situations. Outside text surrounds some of the comics to link together a larger story. If you’re familiar with the webcomic, then you won’t be disappointed with the book. It’s just as witty and relatable as the online version.

The only issue I had with the book is the larger story arcs. Don’t get me wrong, I liked how the text connected the comics together and thought it added to the stories. That was done well. I didn’t like that this wasn’t incorporated throughout the book—the first story arc happens about halfway into the book, and I found the sudden change a bit jarring. It didn’t completely take me out of the book, and I adjusted fine, but I wish it was spread out to not disrupt the flow.

Many of the comics had to deal with anxiety and low self-esteem. In fact, the first arc revolves around over analyzing social interactions. As someone who has anxiety, I often find myself over thinking interactions near to the point of obsession, so reading this makes me feel at ease—I’m not the only person who has these experiences, and maybe others I know experience these things, too. Stories like this not only help people feel less alone, but help others be more compassionate with each other. Even folks who don’t have these experiences can learn how to better care for their loved ones.

In that same arc, Andersen talks about how if she finds herself in an overthinking loop, she tries to limit what she worries about—”a sort of enforced apathy to combat the OverThinking [sic]” (pg. 85); and comparing it to “a superhero whose superpower is the ability to say, ‘I don’t care’”. This can be a great tool to help overcome anxious spirals, and one that I wish I knew of earlier.

Overall, Big Mushy Happy Lump—A “Sarah’s Scribbles” Collection is a great, fun book, especially for anyone who struggles with anxiety or knows someone who does. Or anyone who just really likes slice of life comics. You can’t go wrong with a Sarah’s Scribbles book.

The cover has soft velvet on it, in case that sways your opinion.
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Christian Bellmore (they/them) recently graduated from Cornell College with a degree in
English and art. They’ve been reading comics their entire life, and are interested in
writing their own someday. Chris is allegedly a human living on Earth.