Name: Oh Joy Sex Toy, Vol. 3
Authors: Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan
Genre: Graphic Novel, Non-Fiction, Comedy, Educational
Source: I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review
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Please note: This review discusses content that is NSFW (18+)
This is my first experience of Erika and Matthew’s work – their website has been around for a couple of years now, offering free weekly comics reviewing sex toys and giving sex advice and education. Their books are a collection of these comics, which thankfully don’t run in any kind of linear order – I was happily able to pick up Vol. 3 and read it without any prior context.
The artwork is adorable and incredibly well done – although it feels there isn’t much variation in the colours used, I think the simplicity works, and is a trademark of their style. The drawings themselves are relatively cartoonish, but the products and educational content feel as though they are replicated with considerable care and accuracy. That’s something that I really like about the comic – the authors don’t shy away from showing things as they are, and this extends to having a variety of characters of different body types and identities.
The whole collection is incredibly light-hearted and full of laugh-out-loud moments. One that stands out to me is the review of the toy ‘Eva’, which contained a number of WALL-E jokes that had me giggling!
A definite criticism is that there are maybe too many sex toy reviews. One of my favourite comics in the series is ‘Erika’s Personal (Incomplete & Simplified) Requirements for being Sex Positive’, and tackles the definition of ‘sex positivity’. These informative pieces were an excellent way of splitting up the toy reviews, which could feel a tad monotonous at times. I also really enjoyed Erika’s book reviews, and I’ve added a few – The Sex Myth, for example – to my TBR!
All in all, this is a comic that I think everyone should read. It is a fresh look at a subject that still feels (sadly) quite taboo at times, and is full of great art, great laughs and most importantly some very good sex education.
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆ (5/5)
