It begins! Sort of…


Click to embiggen!

Olivia is still a touch wrecked from last week (it’s a long story involving three days of a centrifugal funfair, two games of bowling destiny and what is either a strained set of intercostal muscles or cracked ribs), so in the interest of meeting what was set out to be done I present a black & white version of my contribution to the theme “Cute Girls with Bees”. Going against expectations (and I’m hoping that her natural cuteness will allay my lack of practice), there was only one cute girl for me. Anyone who doesn’t recognise Yotsuba is missing out, as she is the star of the single most adorable comic in the entirety of everything, Yotsuba&! (or Yotsuba to!, if we’re going to get phonic-fascist…)

No comic about a 4 year old discovering the world should be as entertaining as Yotsuba&! manages to be. She is hilarious and demented and selfish and completely loveable (her behaviour, I am told, is not dissimilar to that of a young Olivia Rohan; meanwhile I get compared to the kid from Where the Wild Things Are… Sigh.) The easiest way to define how pure and delightful Yotsuba is this: 4chan have stated that Yotsuba is the only exception to Rule 34, and they will crush anyone who goes against this ruling. That’s right, Yotsuba is the one thing so sweet and adorable that even freaking 4chan won’t try to sully it.

So please do try out Yotsuba&! It is the antidote to any bad mood and comes as one of the highest priority recommendations I can give. You will squee. Meanwhile, colourisation and Olivia’s contribution will follow.

(The theme “Cute Girls with Bees was suggested aaaaaaaages ago by Dave Monk. I had drawn something at the time, but never finished it because DRAMA! This is completely different to what was originally planned which was, looking back with jaded old-man eyes, a bit odd…)