Beardo: The Art Degree Guarantee

I read Beardo The Art Degree Guarantee by Dan Dougherty for the Manga/Graphic Novel Challenge.  It was both written and illustrated by Dougherty and is Volume 1 of the Beardo series.  It was published in 2014.  The Art Degree Guarantee pokes fun at the coffee shop industry as well as the travails of those of us with art degrees.  It is Dougherty's autobiography.

The comic strip begins with Beardo at his graduation telling his father that the sky is the limit and quickly moves to him applying for a job at a coffee shop.  While trying to pursue his art career on the side Beardo has to deal with rude customers, wacky co-workers and new relationships. He is hilarious at it.  I have to wonder if the baristas that I know comment behind my back on the type of customer that I am when I am at a coffee shop. Beardo has made me a little paranoid.

I appreciate that the art work is colored. In fact, I try to purchase only colorful graphic novels.  The colors just speak to me for some reason and when I am down I always reach for a colored book.   The deep greens, yellows and oranges within this book lift my spirits every time I look at it.

I highly recommend this book!