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Over Easy
A fast-paced semi-memoir about diners, drugs, and California in the 1970s.
Over Easy is a brilliant portrayal of a familiar coming-of-age story. After being denied financial aid to cover her last year of art school, Margaret finds salvation from the straightlaced world of college and the earnestness of both hippies and punks in the wisecracking, fast-talking, drug-taking group she encounters at the Imperial Café, where she makes the transformation from Margaret to Madge. At first she mimics these new and exotic grown-up friends, trying on the guise of adulthood with some awkward but funny stumbles. Gradually she realizes that the adults she looks up to are a mess of contradictions, misplaced artistic ambitions, sexual confusion, dependencies, and addictions.
Over Easy is equal parts time capsule of late 1970s life in California—with its deadheads, punks, disco rollers, casual sex, and drug use—and bildungsroman of a young woman who grows from a naïve, sexually inexperienced art-school dropout into a self-aware, self-confident artist. Mimi Pond’s chatty, slyly observant anecdotes create a compelling portrait of a distinct moment in time. Over Easy is an immediate, limber, and precise semi-memoir narrated with an eye for the humor in every situation.
Over Easy is a brilliant portrayal of a familiar coming-of-age story. After being denied financial aid to cover her last year of art school, Margaret finds salvation from the straightlaced world of college and the earnestness of both hippies and punks in the wisecracking, fast-talking, drug-taking group she encounters at the Imperial Café, where she makes the transformation from Margaret to Madge. At first she mimics these new and exotic grown-up friends, trying on the guise of adulthood with some awkward but funny stumbles. Gradually she realizes that the adults she looks up to are a mess of contradictions, misplaced artistic ambitions, sexual confusion, dependencies, and addictions.
Over Easy is equal parts time capsule of late 1970s life in California—with its deadheads, punks, disco rollers, casual sex, and drug use—and bildungsroman of a young woman who grows from a naïve, sexually inexperienced art-school dropout into a self-aware, self-confident artist. Mimi Pond’s chatty, slyly observant anecdotes create a compelling portrait of a distinct moment in time. Over Easy is an immediate, limber, and precise semi-memoir narrated with an eye for the humor in every situation.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published April 15, 2014
33 people are currently reading
4373 people want to read
About the author
Mimi Pond
14 books145 followersMimi Pond is a cartoonist, illustrator, and writer. She has created comics for the Los Angeles Times, Seventeen magazine, National Lampoon, and many other publications. Television credits include writing the first full-length episode of The Simpsons, “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire”, and episodes for the shows Designing Women and Pee Wee’s Playhouse. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, the painter Wayne White.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 414 reviews
September 22, 2025
SO good! I am a little older than Mimi and lived through the seventies that turned from hippie to punk, but this is a great story, mostly autobiographical, I understand, the tale of an art school dropout become waitress in a west coast restaurant. If you have worked in an interesting restaurant, if you have lived with/worked with wild and fun and witty friends, if you lived in those times, any of that, I think this will work for you. Sex, drugs, funny anecdotes, with warmth.
Nothing much happens in this tale; that's not the point. The point is the re-creation of a world and a time with great heartwarming love and hilarity, and she does it. It's really simple but compelling visually. The visual style and color and lines match the story very well. One of my faves of the year, no question. A must read; maybe especially for people of a certain age, but you know, I can't think of any friend who wouldn't enjoy this! Great stuff!
Nothing much happens in this tale; that's not the point. The point is the re-creation of a world and a time with great heartwarming love and hilarity, and she does it. It's really simple but compelling visually. The visual style and color and lines match the story very well. One of my faves of the year, no question. A must read; maybe especially for people of a certain age, but you know, I can't think of any friend who wouldn't enjoy this! Great stuff!
December 5, 2015
Not sure where this one came from or where it went, it just kind of splashed on the shore for a while, and then all of a sudden it was over. It was pleasant enough while it lasted, don’t get me wrong... breezy, I guess. The late 1970s, California, a small restaurant, young adults, lifestyle, wit, heart, some sex and drugs and rock ‘n’ roll, some quietly poetic moments. Nothing earth-shattering, mind you, but charming in a pointless kind of way... and isn’t that the only kind of charm there is?
July 20, 2016
This graphic novel had a really wonderful visual style, and it did an excellent job of creating the world of a California diner in the 70s. Unfortunately the story was fairly lackluster and I ended up feeling like there wasn't a particular reason for me reading the graphic novel in the first place.
May 12, 2014
I made an illustrated review of this book at the LA Review of Books. https://lareviewofbooks.org/review/mi...
October 15, 2022
Enjoyed the art and the drawings. The story itself was ok, nothing particularly captivating.
November 19, 2016
Loved this. I did not want it to end. I wanted to hang out with these characters at the Imperial Café.
January 14, 2015
I love books about industries. Books which explain what it's like to spend huge chunks of your life making something happen. What do people do at work all day?
This book chronicles the day-in-day-out dramas of a diner in the Bay area, during a time when hippies were becoming more rare and punks were on their way in. It's based on the author's life, though fictionalized enough to not be wrongly filed in Graphic Novel-Fiction. Our protagonist begins working at the diner as a dish washer (yes, some diners DO clean the floor mats every day), and eventually works her way up to waitress.
As in many industries, the emotional and sexual relationships between coworkers and customers play a big role here. These shenanigans are particularly vibrant because of the colorful characters rampant in our urban setting. There's a little of the Coming of Age tale here, as our hero discovers who she is and how she wants to relate to the world. Many of the moments I identified with the most were when she realizing the disparities between her ideal self and the actual reality of living even the most picturesque moments.
Pond's illustrations are all done in a muted minty green, and there's a pretty heavy amount of text on most pages. She's a strong storyteller, and I ripped through this in just a couple of sittings. We want to know which cook is going to date which waitress next, how far our hero will go, if the poetry reading will come off ok. The characters aren't particularly likeable, so if you care about that, you may not enjoy this. But if you have interest in the time period and the setting and like almost-sitcom-like drama (with a touch more weight), this may be for you. It certainly was for me.
This book chronicles the day-in-day-out dramas of a diner in the Bay area, during a time when hippies were becoming more rare and punks were on their way in. It's based on the author's life, though fictionalized enough to not be wrongly filed in Graphic Novel-Fiction. Our protagonist begins working at the diner as a dish washer (yes, some diners DO clean the floor mats every day), and eventually works her way up to waitress.
As in many industries, the emotional and sexual relationships between coworkers and customers play a big role here. These shenanigans are particularly vibrant because of the colorful characters rampant in our urban setting. There's a little of the Coming of Age tale here, as our hero discovers who she is and how she wants to relate to the world. Many of the moments I identified with the most were when she realizing the disparities between her ideal self and the actual reality of living even the most picturesque moments.
Pond's illustrations are all done in a muted minty green, and there's a pretty heavy amount of text on most pages. She's a strong storyteller, and I ripped through this in just a couple of sittings. We want to know which cook is going to date which waitress next, how far our hero will go, if the poetry reading will come off ok. The characters aren't particularly likeable, so if you care about that, you may not enjoy this. But if you have interest in the time period and the setting and like almost-sitcom-like drama (with a touch more weight), this may be for you. It certainly was for me.
December 18, 2015
Update 12/18: Today at Grab the Lapels my guest is Mimi Pond. She's the author of the graphic novel Over Easy. Mimi Pond wrote the first episode of The Simpson's and has work published in places such as the New York Times and National Lampoon. In this interview, she adds great insight into Over Easy.
Because it's hard to get all the graphic novel images right where I want them on Goodreads, I'm going to give you the last paragraph and hope that you'll head over to Grab the Lapels to see the whole review!
Over Easy was a fascinating read. I always wanted to know what bitchy waitresses Martha and Helen would do next, and I wanted to see in what way the cooks were trying to be smooth poets and cool guys. Lazlo held the whole thing together with his whimsical personality and strange rules. I didn’t want to befriend these people, but I liked being the outsider peeking in. The characters are like dysfunctional roommates or relatives, giving both a sense of love and hatred to each other. Riding along with Margaret while she navigates her life made this graphic novel a page turner.
Because it's hard to get all the graphic novel images right where I want them on Goodreads, I'm going to give you the last paragraph and hope that you'll head over to Grab the Lapels to see the whole review!
Over Easy was a fascinating read. I always wanted to know what bitchy waitresses Martha and Helen would do next, and I wanted to see in what way the cooks were trying to be smooth poets and cool guys. Lazlo held the whole thing together with his whimsical personality and strange rules. I didn’t want to befriend these people, but I liked being the outsider peeking in. The characters are like dysfunctional roommates or relatives, giving both a sense of love and hatred to each other. Riding along with Margaret while she navigates her life made this graphic novel a page turner.
February 13, 2016
Life is full of drama...no matter what age you live in. I loved reading this graphic novel. It is such a small glimpse of Mimi's life when she was a college student...well ex-college student. Goodreads says this graphic novel is a semi-memoir of Mimi's life in the late 70's and I thought it was hilarious.
I love this kind of thing. Maybe because I like gossip, maybe because I'm interested in how people lived back in the day. And maybe because I'm a people watcher and am fascinated by the way people work.
This graphic novel is about a 20 something girl named Madge who was an art student in Oakland for 3 years before she ran out of financial aid and quit college. She decided after eating at a diner called the Imperial Cafe one day that she was going to work there. If anything to be apart of that story for just a moment. The place had character and she fell in love with the employees immediately. Madge starts off as a dishwasher and works her way up to waitress. But that isn't really what the book is about. It's about free love man or the end of it anyway. It's about California in the late 70's and about poetry and drugs and who is sleeping with who.
Now here is a little bit of my own autobiography. This actually happens EVERYWHERE. I worked at Target right after high school and employees got caught in the back room doing the deed. Seriously. A married man (manager) and a random (level 1) girl who came in to fold clothes, work the cash register and zone. Skip a few years and now I'm working at Honda the car dealership. Yep this place too. Everyone was sleeping with everyone. Orgies in Jamaica. Stories of band members and of course all the tit pics you could ever want to see.
So this story was super fun to read. People are interesting and what they do with their time is beyond fascinating.
I loved the illustrations too the color palette is in one color the whole way through a sage green just like the cover.
If you are interested in a look at someone's real past with crazy stories and every dirty thing that goes with it then pick this up. This is real life remember so things that are said in the book may be offensive, but that was the way it was back then and pretty much still is... Read it!
I love this kind of thing. Maybe because I like gossip, maybe because I'm interested in how people lived back in the day. And maybe because I'm a people watcher and am fascinated by the way people work.
This graphic novel is about a 20 something girl named Madge who was an art student in Oakland for 3 years before she ran out of financial aid and quit college. She decided after eating at a diner called the Imperial Cafe one day that she was going to work there. If anything to be apart of that story for just a moment. The place had character and she fell in love with the employees immediately. Madge starts off as a dishwasher and works her way up to waitress. But that isn't really what the book is about. It's about free love man or the end of it anyway. It's about California in the late 70's and about poetry and drugs and who is sleeping with who.
Now here is a little bit of my own autobiography. This actually happens EVERYWHERE. I worked at Target right after high school and employees got caught in the back room doing the deed. Seriously. A married man (manager) and a random (level 1) girl who came in to fold clothes, work the cash register and zone. Skip a few years and now I'm working at Honda the car dealership. Yep this place too. Everyone was sleeping with everyone. Orgies in Jamaica. Stories of band members and of course all the tit pics you could ever want to see.
So this story was super fun to read. People are interesting and what they do with their time is beyond fascinating.
I loved the illustrations too the color palette is in one color the whole way through a sage green just like the cover.
If you are interested in a look at someone's real past with crazy stories and every dirty thing that goes with it then pick this up. This is real life remember so things that are said in the book may be offensive, but that was the way it was back then and pretty much still is... Read it!
December 31, 2022
Reread 12/30/22: Even better than I remembered it, with a wonderful undercurrent of melancholy and vividly drawn characters. I'm totally rereading the sequel, The Customer is Always Wrong, right away.
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My review of this fine book is live! on tcj.com:
http://bit.ly/PuJ7vK
~~~~~~~~~~~~
My review of this fine book is live! on tcj.com:
http://bit.ly/PuJ7vK
July 6, 2017
How does one kindly say, "This was a complete waste of time"?
July 3, 2014
(originally published at http://nomadreader.blogspot.com)
The basics: Over Easy is a partially fictionalized graphic memoir of Mimi Pond's experience as an art student and diner waitress in Berkeley, California in the 1970's.
My thoughts: I spent years working in restaurants. I never worked in a diner, but the wine bar in Atlanta where Mr. Nomadreader and I met, had an eight-hour brunch every Saturday and Sunday. Given my history (and Mr. Nomadreader's continued work) in the service industry, I'm drawn to books about the restaurant business. When I read Mimi Pond wrote a comic for Seventeen in the 1990's, I immediately remembered her, and I also knew she wrote for The Simpsons. Over Easy may be a debut graphic memoir, but she's an accomplished and experienced artist and author.
Pond captures the essence of 1970's Berkeley well. I was eager to explore that world, and the level of detail helped me immerse myself in it quickly. She also captures the naivete of her former self well. As is still the case, restaurants are filled with sex, drinking and drugs, and Mimi was often surprised to see how her co-workers lived and partied.
What was less successful for me in terms of storytelling was the lack of insight. It's as though Pond shared her journals from the moment without the perspective of life lived since then. In that sense, it's too ordinary of a coming of age story. Much will be familiar to anyone who spent time working in a restaurant today. While this type of coming of age story can be quite successful, I was struck by how ordinary her experience was. Clearly it was powerful enough for her to tell this story (and tell it well), but as I read, I kept waiting for the 'so what?' moment. What makes this graphic memoir/novel special? Given Pond's professional success, there's an argument there, but she doesn't address her life now at all, even in passing. Pond is what's most interesting here, but too much of the story hinges on the cast of characters that fascinated, delighted and confounded her younger self. Unfortunately, they didn't have the same impact on this reader.
The verdict: I had high expectations for Over Easy, and overall I was underwhelmed. Pond immersed me in the time and place, but I wanted more insight and reflection into her experience. I wanted more insight into what makes this story special. I most enjoyed her life outside of the restaurant, but the story focused mostly on the cast of characters within the restaurant. Ultimately, Over Easy is a competent coming of age graphic memoir, but I wanted more.
The basics: Over Easy is a partially fictionalized graphic memoir of Mimi Pond's experience as an art student and diner waitress in Berkeley, California in the 1970's.
My thoughts: I spent years working in restaurants. I never worked in a diner, but the wine bar in Atlanta where Mr. Nomadreader and I met, had an eight-hour brunch every Saturday and Sunday. Given my history (and Mr. Nomadreader's continued work) in the service industry, I'm drawn to books about the restaurant business. When I read Mimi Pond wrote a comic for Seventeen in the 1990's, I immediately remembered her, and I also knew she wrote for The Simpsons. Over Easy may be a debut graphic memoir, but she's an accomplished and experienced artist and author.
Pond captures the essence of 1970's Berkeley well. I was eager to explore that world, and the level of detail helped me immerse myself in it quickly. She also captures the naivete of her former self well. As is still the case, restaurants are filled with sex, drinking and drugs, and Mimi was often surprised to see how her co-workers lived and partied.
What was less successful for me in terms of storytelling was the lack of insight. It's as though Pond shared her journals from the moment without the perspective of life lived since then. In that sense, it's too ordinary of a coming of age story. Much will be familiar to anyone who spent time working in a restaurant today. While this type of coming of age story can be quite successful, I was struck by how ordinary her experience was. Clearly it was powerful enough for her to tell this story (and tell it well), but as I read, I kept waiting for the 'so what?' moment. What makes this graphic memoir/novel special? Given Pond's professional success, there's an argument there, but she doesn't address her life now at all, even in passing. Pond is what's most interesting here, but too much of the story hinges on the cast of characters that fascinated, delighted and confounded her younger self. Unfortunately, they didn't have the same impact on this reader.
The verdict: I had high expectations for Over Easy, and overall I was underwhelmed. Pond immersed me in the time and place, but I wanted more insight and reflection into her experience. I wanted more insight into what makes this story special. I most enjoyed her life outside of the restaurant, but the story focused mostly on the cast of characters within the restaurant. Ultimately, Over Easy is a competent coming of age graphic memoir, but I wanted more.
July 8, 2014
So I didn’t like this novel in the beginning. At all. Mostly because I didn’t like the main character – I thought she was a wimpy and needed to be firmer in her convictions. However, as the novel progressed and the character grew, I began to appreciate the delicate hand with which Pond tackled protagonist’s growth. Margaret, or Madge as her boss likes to call her, finds herself work when she is refused a loan because she has already reached the maximum amount she can receive from the government. She patronizes this diner once and finds herself in love with the ambiance and the people working there? Does she romanticize them? Hell yeah.
But very slowly, she begins to understand them and through them, herself. The people working at the diner are fascinating – actually, all of them are fascinating because the novel is set in the 70s and the mindset of people is portrayed to be completely different compared to today.
Anyway, I, reluctantly enough, enjoyed this novel at the end. The art is fun and wispy and I loved the poetry night they have at the diner near the end – I loved the poems and the crazy poet cook was perhaps my favourite character. I’m not sure this will appeal to everyone but if you like graphic novels and period pieces, you may like this one. Give it a try.
But very slowly, she begins to understand them and through them, herself. The people working at the diner are fascinating – actually, all of them are fascinating because the novel is set in the 70s and the mindset of people is portrayed to be completely different compared to today.
Anyway, I, reluctantly enough, enjoyed this novel at the end. The art is fun and wispy and I loved the poetry night they have at the diner near the end – I loved the poems and the crazy poet cook was perhaps my favourite character. I’m not sure this will appeal to everyone but if you like graphic novels and period pieces, you may like this one. Give it a try.
September 29, 2015
while I probably never would have picked this up based on the description alone, it was on a list of graphic novels by women that you missed. and boy, I did miss this one. the way the story unfolds was a little surprising, like one minute I'm just reading another college drop out memoir, the next minute I realize something very special is happening at the imperial cafe. I loved the way Pond developed each character, almost getting out of the way so they can unfold/arrive as perfectly as they should. the earnestness of being in your 20s charms me sometimes, but it's not twee or trite here. the comedic rhythm is spot on and surprised me over and over. I really enjoyed this read. note to self: this author also wrote for the Simpsons, designing women and peewees playhouse. and it shows.
August 12, 2017
A clever, well-written and drawn memoir about working in a restaurant in the 70s. Pond says that its a fictionalized memoir, whatever that means. I have no idea how much of it is fictional. I know that the restaurant and the characters are all real.
It was a pleasurable read for sure, but not essential by any means. A good portion of the story was a coming of age story for the author, a young 20s artist. The other bulk of the book was the interaction and stories of her co-workers, and this brought to mind many of my experiences working in kitchens and other shitty jobs.
You can tell Mimi Pond really loves the people she interacts with - even if she doesn't always like them. It was a very honest book. That combined with the attractive artwork and excellent pacing made this an enjoyable read.
It was a pleasurable read for sure, but not essential by any means. A good portion of the story was a coming of age story for the author, a young 20s artist. The other bulk of the book was the interaction and stories of her co-workers, and this brought to mind many of my experiences working in kitchens and other shitty jobs.
You can tell Mimi Pond really loves the people she interacts with - even if she doesn't always like them. It was a very honest book. That combined with the attractive artwork and excellent pacing made this an enjoyable read.
November 27, 2015
I have read a lot of Mimi Pond's stuff over the years, but had yet to read one of her graphic novels. What I didn't realize is that she is about the same age I am, and went to school about the same time I did, and this might help in reading Over Easy. On the other hand, even if you were not a late teenager, early adult in the late 70's you can still enjoy this novel.
The story of how, as an art student, she starts working at a diner, is quite cool. She captures all the different sorts of people that are there.
There is just good interaction, human life, what you would expect in a slice of life type graphic novel, with that little bit of humor and wit that is so like Mimi Pond's cartoons.
The story of how, as an art student, she starts working at a diner, is quite cool. She captures all the different sorts of people that are there.
There is just good interaction, human life, what you would expect in a slice of life type graphic novel, with that little bit of humor and wit that is so like Mimi Pond's cartoons.
October 3, 2017
I am interested in reading Pond's new book, THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS WRONG, the sequel to OVER EASY, and, as usual, it's best to read a series in order.
This was a low-key memoir about Pond's time as a waitress at a small restaurant in Oakland, CA, and since I was once a waitress in the 1970s and identified with Pond's experiences--well, except for the drugs and sex.
If you've never tried a graphic novel, this is a good title to start with, and readers of Stephanie Danler's fictionalized experiences in a restaurant, SWEETBITTER may also like this.
This was a low-key memoir about Pond's time as a waitress at a small restaurant in Oakland, CA, and since I was once a waitress in the 1970s and identified with Pond's experiences--well, except for the drugs and sex.
If you've never tried a graphic novel, this is a good title to start with, and readers of Stephanie Danler's fictionalized experiences in a restaurant, SWEETBITTER may also like this.
June 21, 2015
Fantastic. A superb workplace graphic novel about an Oakland diner in the last 1970s. Picture John Cheever as a 20s something art student, female and illustrated. Worth every page and every slice of buttered toast. Best to read with breakfast.
November 25, 2014
Delightful.
1970s, waitressing and a touch of poetry.
1970s, waitressing and a touch of poetry.
March 12, 2017
I love the artistic style that went into this book- sketches with watercolor in shades of turquoise. Unfortunately, the story itself was a bit dull, but that's life sometimes, I suppose- a bit dull.
September 8, 2021
I enjoyed this so much.
November 2, 2019
Exceptional graphic novel about the experiences and evolution of the artist while working at a rather zany diner in Oakland in the 1970s - really, engrossing/interesting the way a soap opera might be but with caustic wit, irony and sarcasm. Ms. Pond's sketchy drawing style and limited (monochrome, really) color palette is perfect - the reader can fill in the details as they read, it's not overly detailed which puts the spotlight on the fast-moving text. I must say I was happy to read the present volume - I read the sequel previously - but in the intervening two years, it's me who's changed. I don't have much joy left after about 4 years of the Trump era (counting from June 2015 when he announced his candidacy). I regard the Trump era as a blight a millstone around the neck of history - and wonder how the US could have slipped down the rabbit hole of darkness. I read the sequel two years ago - it was about 11 months into the Trump presidency and there was seemingly daily hope that he would be impeached. There were many developments on the Russia collusion front. I don't see any hope with the current effort since it's unlikely the Senate will vote to convict Trump. In fact, Trump might be re-elected, impeached or not. Trump has gotten worse - the debacle with abandoning the Kurds another example, more lethal than the Ukraine debacle. Every era has its share of scandals - I hope things will change for the better.
Ms. Pond is extremely talented - "Over Easy" and "The Customer is Always Wrong" are both excellent and fun!
Ms. Pond is extremely talented - "Over Easy" and "The Customer is Always Wrong" are both excellent and fun!
May 11, 2014
It took me a couple of pages before I fell into the narrative stream of OVER EASY, the first graphic novel by Mimi Pond, but once in I was swept up by the keen observations and character sketches, and especially the loose wash style of the artwork that is the story’s perfect companion.
The books is based on her post-collegiate life in San Francisco during the 1970s, where she lands employment first as a dishwasher and then waitress at an eccentric diner. There’s no plot, but lots of stories, a fine sense of time and place, plus humor and the pleasure of hanging out with unique people and a master storyteller.
Her artwork is evocative. It fills in the blanks of the actions that otherwise would define character. The book was originally pitched as a memoir, but it’s hard for me to visualize it as anything other than what is it, the right balance of word and image. Some of those images, especially the expressions of the characters, are going to stay with me for a long time, like old friends.
I really enjoyed ending my day with a few pages in bed, and was sorry when that came to an end. But the book doesn’t really end with any grand finale, though it does have closure in the slack way of the story. And Pond is working on a second part, which should publish in a year or two. So, I have that going for me, which is nice.
The books is based on her post-collegiate life in San Francisco during the 1970s, where she lands employment first as a dishwasher and then waitress at an eccentric diner. There’s no plot, but lots of stories, a fine sense of time and place, plus humor and the pleasure of hanging out with unique people and a master storyteller.
Her artwork is evocative. It fills in the blanks of the actions that otherwise would define character. The book was originally pitched as a memoir, but it’s hard for me to visualize it as anything other than what is it, the right balance of word and image. Some of those images, especially the expressions of the characters, are going to stay with me for a long time, like old friends.
I really enjoyed ending my day with a few pages in bed, and was sorry when that came to an end. But the book doesn’t really end with any grand finale, though it does have closure in the slack way of the story. And Pond is working on a second part, which should publish in a year or two. So, I have that going for me, which is nice.
October 29, 2016
I've fallen for this group of diner misfits. Madge is the odd one out, an educated more reserved and less beautiful artist, and she is of course our protagonist. At the end of the day, though, she's not too different from her coworkers and friends. She grows up throughout the book from her innocent naive adolescent attitude to a more realistic and seasoned outlook from drugs and sex in bars and concerts and heartbreak, and we dig deeper into the characters she finds herself surrounded by. There are lessons to be learned including "The beautiful idiots of the world have been screwing their brains out since time immemorial."
The writing was quite good, but I felt the format was a little stilted and more difficult to follow than necessary. The panels were sometimes laid out a bit strangely, and I found myself more exhausted than usual reading a graphic novel. The art did grow on me, but it was also difficult to get started. Nonetheless, overall a great look at a pretty niche 70s diner experience.
The writing was quite good, but I felt the format was a little stilted and more difficult to follow than necessary. The panels were sometimes laid out a bit strangely, and I found myself more exhausted than usual reading a graphic novel. The art did grow on me, but it was also difficult to get started. Nonetheless, overall a great look at a pretty niche 70s diner experience.
October 23, 2014
I liked this more than I thought I would. Mimi Pond captures life working at a diner and all the colorful characters that come with it well, and she does one of my favorite things throughout the book: stops to notice and appreciate tiny details. She captures the minutiae of daily life and makes it all seem lovely. It was also nice to see an account of the 70s where someone was fed up with hippie culture and noticing the emergence of angry subcultures like punk -- though it's only a tiny piece of the book, it's a nice way to contextualize the story.
My only complaint is that the art sometimes makes it difficult to tell the waitresses apart - lots of lean women with ponytails. The men are easy to differentiate, but I found myself going back a few pages from time to time to make sure different women were who I thought they were.
My only complaint is that the art sometimes makes it difficult to tell the waitresses apart - lots of lean women with ponytails. The men are easy to differentiate, but I found myself going back a few pages from time to time to make sure different women were who I thought they were.
June 12, 2014
The memoirish story of working as a dishwasher/waitress at a coffeehouse diner in Oakland in the late 1970s, very episodic and kind of lacking a plot. There's not really any urgency, and the characters never came to life for me. The artwork is really great, though, and I liked the feeling of the setting. The part dealing with washing a dirty mat in the kitchen area of the diner was viscerally disgusting. BUT, I really hated that ALL the waitresses and cooks were identified by name except for one whose name is given as 'Lesbian.' At first I thought maybe she was just glimpsed as a background character who would only be seen in one panel, but no. She has a storyline and relationships with the other workers. It really rubbed me the wrong, dehumanizing way.
May 22, 2014
It's difficult to believe that this is Mimi Pond's first long-form work. She's done cartooning for the Village Voice and Seventeen Magazine, as well as having written for both The Simpson's and Pee-wee's Playhouse. But Over Easy is a fully formed work that reads as if the author's been telling stories like this before. It's somewhat of a memoir, according to the publicity material, but Pond managers to fictionalize it enough to where it doesn't come across as a straightforward instance of autobiography. That's a welcome twist, given the sheer prevalence of comics memoirs out there.
October 11, 2014
The timeframe of this graphic novel is starting to feel like a historical piece, sadly. The early 70's is a weird, alien planet to me now. I couldn't relate to it at all, but found it fascinating. I got into the artwork after awhile, although it is a little vague and wouldn't be my usual taste. It seemed appropriate for this post-Aquarius set piece. The flow of the book is episodic and not a conventional narrative, which was perfect for the partly-stoned, jaded and where's the next party points of view. When the form of a work mirrors its content, you can count that as a real success.
December 27, 2016
I recommend this fine graphic memoir to everybody who has a favorite diner or breakfast/lunch spot! This one is set in late 1970s Oakland, California. There are lots of great charming moments in this beautifully cartooned story of Madge (names changed, again artfully) in the Imperial Cafe. There are some adult moments, which my family duly found looking over my shoulder. There is some performance poetry, too. Artfully told: this coming-of-age with food service story reminds me of people I love.
And I look forward to the upcoming sequel, The Customer is Always Wrong [!]
Highly recommended.
And I look forward to the upcoming sequel, The Customer is Always Wrong [!]
Highly recommended.
August 4, 2017
Wwwoooowoowowwoow!!!! Oh man this book is incredible! Vanessa Davis posted something about "Mimi Pond's new book" and I was like "oh Mimi pond who's that" but then of course she is the wonderful cool artist from Beauty is Embarrassing, duh, and man how much stuff can a brain forget. Anyway so happy to be reminded so that I could get this from the library and flip out and die over it, what a perfect beautiful book.
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