Steve Larder is a hell of an illustrator; one of the most natural talents I’ve seen in quite some time, and that makes me consider Rum Lad more a graphic novelette than an illustrated zine. The drawings are just too good. In his hand-written writing, Steve comes across as an extremely likable guy, lighthearted enough to share long conversations on busses with strangers (and self-confident enough to let it be what it was: a conversation), who mistrusts fairground rides (“there has to be a couple nuts and bolts that get misplaced in the process”), and considers squirrels friends on a trip to a graveyard. This is all very approachable and kind. But Rum Lad’s not merely a skip through daffodils. Steve also takes time to consider the big picture of life: its transience, his place in it, and how to avoid becoming “comfortably miserable.” If you’re looking for a fresh voice that is at the age where an author could easily roll out a barrel of “back in the day” and get drunk on their own long-fermented memories, but doesn’t, this is worth tracking down. Fantastic and hopeful. –Todd (Steve Larder, Somerset House, Cherry Holt Lane, Sutterton, Boston, Lincolnshire, PE20 2HU, England)