Cats. In trench coats, smuggling booze in the roaring twenties. It doesn’t matter if you’re a dog person or cat person, you’ll love this. Let’s review the fascinating world of Lackadaisy by Tracy Butler.
The Story of Lackadaisy, in brief
The story of Lackadaisy is not going to hold your hand. There is murder, tragic loss and heartbreaking history, but told from characters who can steal your heart. Nevermind they’re all cats.
Take Rocky. He appears to be your carefree trickster, a violin playing amateur-smuggler, a wanna-be gangster trying to show off for his crush Mitzi, who happens to be the proprietress of a down-on-its-luck speakeasy named Lackadaisy.
All the good old days are gone, when parties and patrons filled the underground club, and before Mitzi became a widow. While trying to survive the harsh underworld of the cat mafia, Rocky drags his cousin Freckle into the business. And so you learn a little more about Rocky. There are various vignettes about this reckless kitten. He was raised by his Aunt and at one point was sent away, to prevent his being a bad influence on Freckle. Rocky hides a quiet darkness and a lonely struggling soul behind that carefree personality.
Even trying to sum up one character’s motivations and personality leads from one to another and another. That’s the beautiful thing about Lackadaisy, how much loving attention has been paid to all the details: the visuals of the cat’s clothing, the connections and the backstories. Not to mention the humor.
Even the main website has so much love and care and old-timey photos of the cast packed into it. There is so much Lackadaisy for you to discover.
What is Lackadaisy?
Lackadaisy is a long-running webcomic written and illustrated by the wonderfully talented Tracy Butler, and recently revived as an animated cartoon available on youtube from Ironmouse Cirus. The comic is available on-line for free. The first chapter sets up the tone and history before it jumps right into the action of 1920s bootleg booze and the smugglers and ruffians.
Butler’s a talented artist and if you’re curious for some drawing tips about or behind the scenes about how she makes such a beautiful comic, then check out her how to draw basics.
Now, back to the review.
Watch this Glorious Cartoon about Cats
If you’re not tempted yet, I suggest you start with the pilot episode linked below. It introduces you to all the best parts of the story, the characters of Rocky, his cousin Freckle and Ivy are on a mission. The beautiful hand-drawn animation will captivate you, as Rocky plays his violin on a bridge overlooking the mighty Mississippi and serenades you about it.
Yes, while Lackadaisy has stolen my heart, it is also a heart-breaker as the comic remains unfinished. We have the pilot and the promise of a season of episodes, as well as delightful mini-episodes to enjoy. Hopefully, the animated version will get closer to solving the various mysteries of the show and provide that oh-so-satisfying ending we all crave, because I know that Tracy Butler can stick the landing.
Find more about the story of Lackadaisy, the cartoons and webcomic from these wonderful places:
https://www.littledaisycafe.com
What do you think of Lackadaisy?