Complete Collected Comics by English Teacher X

One of the funniest aspects of English Teacher X’s blog and books—beyond his sick, graphic prose—are the crudely drawn comics that often accompany his musings. Resembling an acid-fueled rendition of 4chan rage comics, ETX scrawls cartoons revolving around the disgusting conversations he’s had with his fellow vagrants, the women he’s bedded, the students he’s been stuck teaching and more. This recent title, as the name suggests, brings together every cartoon he’s ever published, from the beginning of his blogging career up to the present day.

If you enjoy English Teacher X’s writing, Complete Collected Comics is a fast and hilarious book, also interesting because he delves somewhat into the history of the comics:

I doodled the first snowman picture on a bar napkin and scribbled “English Teacher X” under it, and liked it so much I went home and drew a bunch of cartoons on that.

Why English Teacher X? Well, X = the unknown, and there was an element of X rated, Generation X, and of course, Racer X from the old Speed Racer cartoon.

I submitted them to The Exile magazine, and was told they were too “soft and Generation X.” and suggested I make them a little more mean-spirited.

I made the rude reply that I was trying to avoid the burned-out bitter Expat thing. (Don’t think I succeeded, did I?)

And then I started my own website.

Complete Collected Comics runs the gamut from the early, hand-drawn comics that ETX started out with to his lengthier MS Paint epics such as “Disgusting Bar Conversations” and “Doofus & Valiant: The Graphic Novel” (which I was surprised to find out was intended to be a parody of those “Goofus & Gallant” comics from the old Highlights magazine for kids). My favorites were “Gonorrhea of the Eyes,” the chapter on the various types of English teachers, “A Conversation About Needs Analysis,” and “A Conversation About Privates.”

One issue for Kindle owners is that since most of the comics are in color, unless you own a Kindle Fire, you’re better off reading the book on your computer so you can get the full experience. But if you’re looking for a bleakly funny, dark, quick read, Complete Collected Comics is well worth the money.

Click here to buy Complete Collected Comics.

Read Next: Guide to Teaching English Abroad by English Teacher X