Sunny Side Down: A Collection of Tales of Mere Existence

YouTube-hit Yilmaz made a name for himself through charming animations of his daily life. Shorts such as “A Conversation with My Mother” and “How I Learned About Girls” remain hits. Now, Yilmaz turns his sensibility to the printed page, adapting some of his video tales to print and writing original comics on various phases of life: childhood, high school, college and that miserable period after college when nothing seems quite right and we have to find our own direction. In this volume, Yilmaz shows off his excellent drawing skills and a quirky worldview, but the print version of his autobiography isn't as successful without his wry narration and the fascination of watching a drawing come to life in an animation. Still, sections like “Psychoanalysis of Playtime” and “Some Childhood Fears” combine a great memory for one's past with clear, crisp art. In the last section, Yilmaz struggles for the detachment that makes his online videos both sympathetic and insightful. It's a brave thing for a young artist to do and bodes well for Yilmaz's future work, even if something is lost to the reader of this book. (Mar.)