Things Not To Do Part 3

From the 2025 Flywheel Zine Fest.

Title: Things Not To Do
Issue: 3
Publisher: My Monster Hat
Date: June, 2020
Writer: Anne Thalheimer
Artist: Anne Thalheimer

From the pack of cat-related minicomics I bought from the artist at the Flywheel Zine Fair. 

Collection of things not to do with your cat. Most are whimsical, one is a bit practical, and a few are clearly there just because they make for fun drawings. This is the third issue of the series, and apparently the only all-cat edition. Charming and fun.

Rating:6/10

Cats As Food (Not Really)

From the 2025 Flywheel Zine Fest.

Title: Cats As Food (Not Really)
Publisher: My Monster Hat
Date: April, 2018
Writer: Anne Thalheimer
Artist: Anne Thalheimer

I picked up a whole pack of cat-themed zines from Anne Thalheimer at the Flywheel Zine Fest this year. This one was inspired by a crew of second-graders in a class on comics that the artist was teaching. The sketches feature the avo-cat-o, the purrito, and everyone's favorite palindrome, the tacocat!

I also like how the cat on the front cover is looking a bit nervous at the title.

Good, silly fun.

Rating: 6.5/10

Valentines From the Cat

From the 2025 Flywheel Zine Fest.

Title: Valentines From the Cat
Publisher: My Monster Hat
Date: May, 2017
Writer: Anne Thalheimer
Artist: Anne Thalheimer
 

Another Anne Thalheimer that delivers exactly what it promises. A few of the sketches with accompanying greetings could have been feline conversation heats. As you might imagine, this is less about romantic love and more about the love for petting and catfood. Anne's cats are always super-cute!

Rating: 6.5/10

Little Cat's Big Adventure

From the 2025 Flywheel Zine Fest.

Title: Little Cat's Big Adventure
Publisher: My Monster Hat
Date: May, 2020
Writer:Anne Thalheimer
Artist: Anne Thalheimer

A cat goes on a quest to find the sword Excalibur! Along the way, there are birds, turtles, and a final test of worthiness. This was a fun and cute minicomic. The quest turns out to be not exactly epic, but it is definitely adorable. Will there be more adventures of this once-and-future cat?

Rating 6.5/10

Monsters in Sweaters

From the 2025 Flywheel Zine Fest.

Title: Monsters in Sweaters
Publisher: My Monster Hat
Writer:Anne Thalheimer
Artist: Anne Thalheimer

With there being so little truth in advertising these days, I am always thrilled to find something, like the Combined Gas Law, or the film Snakes of a Plane, that delivers exactly what it promises.

Monsters in Sweaters promises you monsters! In sweaters! And that is exactly what you get!

The monsters include a vampire, a werewolf, a skeleton, and some sort of wormlike thing with eyestalks. Sweaters include turtlenecks, and even a sweatervest!

Amusing micro-mini zine with seven very cute pieces of artwork, wordless except for the title because, really, what more needs to be said.

Rating 8/10

Booty #21

From the Random Stack of Unread Comics.

Title: Booty
Issue: #21
Publisher: My Monster Hat
Distributor: Trees & Hills, Microcosm Publishing
Writer:Anne Thalheimer
Artist: Anne Thalheimer

Anne Thalheimer's autobiographical minicomic. This issue covers April 2007 to June 2008, including three different jobs, some interesting side hustles and a "bizarre boy year". Plus a move to a now house, some discussion of motherhood, plenty of Radiohead lyrics, and an excellent overview of the basics of roller derby. The book ends with a "100 random facts" page that was impressive, although I definitely needed the reading glasses for it.

Anne's work is always heartfelt and introspective, and quirky enough to keep it fun.

Rating: 7/10

Booty #26

Picked this up from Trees & Hills at MICE this past fall. Read it on the Red Line train into Arisia tonight.

Title: Booty
Issue: #26
Publisher: My Monster Hat
Distributor: Trees & Hills, Microcosm Publishing
Writer:Anne Thalheimer
Artist: Anne Thalheimer

Anne Thalheimer can always be counted on for some really fun geeky autobiographical comics, a subgenre which is a personal favorite of mine.

The latest issue of her Booty series focuses on the loss of her 9-5 job, and her subsequent decision to devote her time to her monster hat making business, and to substitute teaching, tutoring, and a summer teaching opportunity at Yale to help with the bills.

There is a lot of emotion poured into these pages, and a lot of humor and fun as well. The scene featuring the Internal Monster Council of Doubt was particularly good.

This was a welcome addition to an excellent series.

Rating: 8/10