Gudetama: Adulting for the Lazy
Gudetama comes to the American comic scene in this new series Gudetama, Adulting for the Lazy, written by artist/ illustrator Wook-Jin Clark, released in conjunction with Oni Press and Sanrio (parent company of Hello Kitty’s and Gudetama).
The story starts with a young graduate, in the midst of a very sweaty student debt-fueled panic attack. She’s sweaty, she’s shaking, and she is filled to the brim with sweet gurgling gas that only an enormous loan with no immediate job prospects can bring (truly, a story as American as apple pie).
But not to worry, Gudetama is here to help calm us down.
This book is filled with cute little vignettes of Gudetama offering all kinds of advice to all kinds of folks. Help! I over-spend and can’t afford to go to a friend’s wedding, Gudetama, what should I do? From budgeting and career planning, to friends farting and blaming it on waitresses. This egg has got your back!
So take a break from all those juice cleanses, Instagramers, and productivity podcasts, and instead take some advice from a sleepy, naked egg and their friend in full body spandex.
Among all the jokes and cute roly-poly egg adventures, there is some real solid advice in here, and I think what’s most appealing about it is the delivery. No pressure, no judgement and certainly none of that eye twitching sun-bright positivity we get from well meaning but ultimately unrelatable celebrities on the Twitters. No sir, just tips from a half-asleep egg.
It goes like this: A girl lays on her bedroom floor, surrounded by trash and dirty laundry. I’m at rock bottom, she says, it feels like I ruin everything I touch.
Gudetama flops over, slow and lazy, the nice part is there’s only one place to go but up, the yolk tells her, bright yellow butt shining under the light– just take small steps. Like brushing your teeth. We all need little wins.
For anyone who has ever been there, or is there now, it’s nice to hear. The gentle encouragement we get from Gudetama and their human friend Nishetama is enough to make you tear up if you find yourself feeling low.
Gudetama is a breath of fresh air for all the folks living in the high anxiety 21st century.
Debt, endless social media, wage gaps, long hours all compacted by a hustle culture that puts a looming cloud of guilt over any free time that doesn’t go towards ‘being productive’ Yeesh.
The appeal of a genderless egg yolk dedicated to a low-effort, relaxing existence is clear, (although, in light of the quarantine, turns out a life filled with 90% naps is less appealing than we once thought).
Adulting for the Lazy reminds us that it’s hard to grow up, we have to do a lot on our own. Working or studying full-time, commuting, paying off loans, cooking, cleaning, laundry, exercise, socializing , being a good friend, partner, or parent–it’s okay to struggle with it all.
From tasks big to small, from not wanting to eat veggies to feeling like you don’t measure up to your peers, sometimes the answer can be simpler than we think–take it from an egg yolk! Don’t discount down time, its great, and if you’re feeling overwhelmed, pick up this book. I know I did.
This issue has everything I like in comics: cute art, good advice, good jokes, bright yellow spandex body suits, existential crises, and of course, butts, and if you are a human living in the 21st century, I recommend you pick it up.
Stay safe out there. Take a deep breath, things are simpler than you think. Oh, and happy loafing!
If you love Gudetama, check out their dedicated Youtube Channel, filled with over 600 videos of minute long vignettes of the adventures (or not so adventury-adventures) of the genderless sleepy yolk.
Wook-Jin Clark hails both from Soul South Korea and North Carolina, his work has appeared in the Regular Show, Bravest Warriors, and Adventure Time comics.