Slice of life comics - that aren't sweet/cute?

[Cheeroo]

Let's start here: I'm not hating on cute/sweet slice of life comics. I genuinely eat those up, gimme that fluff and comedy because that is absolutely what I need as a little cheerful pick me up or something I can read in public without playing NSFW roulette (haha!). We good? Good!

I'm a little curious as to whether or not anyone that's around these forums has any experience with either making, or reading a slice of life comic that's a little more "personal" or "emotional" (for lack of better words) than comedic anecdotes or relationship stories. Or even if within a larger slice of life framework, if they've personally covered any more 'negative' topics.
Like, have people seen/made comics specifically about break-ups, or mental illness, or more 'negative'/stigmatised/taboo type subjects?
How do these tend to be received, or how do you personally perceive them?

I'm asking because I'm currently finishing up the first chapter of a "slice of life" comic I'm looking to do with my personal experiences with grief. (Quotation marks because it doesn't feel like a direct genre fit!) I don't believe that I'm the only person in the world to have ever come up with such an idea, but other than an odd one-shot or such, I've not really seen this done elsewhere.
If anyone has seen this, or even better, done this themselves, I'm super super interested to see what other people out there have done or think. It's such a common experience, you know?

Also, the point of this thread isn't an agony aunt style thread - not to be cruel, just to remain on topic. I'm genuinely curious about this but my research online hasn't been too fruitful. Of course, there is plenty on this topic within a fiction framework, but non-fiction..?

Thoughts, comments, recommendations? (cat cause everyone needs a little extra love)

[joannekwan]

I strongly dislike conventional fluff so I'm always happy to stumble across things that are more grounded.

One of my favorites is No More Mermaids.

No More Mermaids | Tapas

Even with all the dates the main guy goes on, they're never really fluffy or cutesy. I really appreciate the less-than-stellar realities this comic covers. It's raw, it's real. I love it.

And as for books in print, I highly recommend My Brother's Husband. Deals with some grief, prejudice, acceptance, bunch of good stuff, and the format is pretty slice-of-life-y.

[Cheeroo]

I've just read one episode of the webcomic you've linked and that's genuinely the type of thing I was thinking of! A great recommendation, thank you!
I have heard of My Brother's Husband, heard about the film too! I genuinely keep on wanting to read it and I think a friend has it, but it's always a pain trying to get a hold of someone to borrow a book from them sometimes. Ironically I've always felt a bit hesitant about it because after a lifetime of dead gays stories it's still a bit tough to approach one, even if it's 100% obvious how genuine it is.

[Jenna_A]

What you are describing is the fine line between "slice of life" and "drama" wouldn't you say? It's difficult to categorize those comics that fall in between. I had the hardest time deciding what genre to label my own comic with because of this. lol For the most part, it's light and comedic but I do touch some more serious topics (and have more planned for the future) so....idk....good luck with your search! None of what you're describing comes to mind at the moment except for "Drama" comics.

[unknown_user]

I really like and recommend this one:

Quarterly Stories | Tapas

Quarterly Stories is an autobiographical comic about life, love, loss, and depression. Ultimately, it’s about the search for meaning in one’s life. Independent Comics had a long history of serialized confessional autobio floppies that would sometimes reveal things about the human condition that we are afraid to touch on, and that’s the goal and hope for this comic, to bring back that form of storytelling. I’m also lettering and inking everything in this work by hand, because I’ve gotten to a point where that’s an enjoyable process for me. I hope it is for you guys as well!

[sushy00]

I kinda want to make my own slice of life comic more real and also about mental health issues. However, I find it difficult, I am afraid I will come accross as very depressed and that I get all this "go to a therapist" advice.

[DokiDokiTsuna]

I think plenty of slice of life comics like this exist...but they're usually called 'dramas'.

I mean, that's essentially what a Drama is: a slice of life, but with heavier themes and issues that the overarching plot usually seeks to resolve, or at least address and explain.

Another option is a comic that seems sweet/cute on its face but subtly touches on more sensitive issues that maybe the characters aren't aware of.
I'm doing one like that now, actually: the main characters are children who are too young and sheltered to understand the evil that they live within and benefit from. As such, the atmosphere of the comic normally conforms to their worldview: lighthearted and cute~.

The final chapters get a bit more serious, mainly because they start asking questions...but I don't think it's a spoiler to say that they never truly understand the gravity of their situation. One little white lie is all it takes to convince them that everything is okay again. ^^

[spadesart]

patrik the vampire is very good! its not heavy but it does deal with patrik coming to terms with things he did in his past and has a heavy relationship building focus. the first strips start more gag-a-day style but it gains its narrative pretty fast.

[punkarsenic]

Mumxicity | Tapas

this is a really interesting one - its about a little girl and her abusive mum, its got some really touching moments. tho it hasnt updated for a while...

Handrava | Tapas

handrava isnt heavy, but i wouldnt call it sweet or cute. its also really great

[joannekwan]

For me the defining line between a slice-of-life with heavier themes and a full on drama is the presentation of the story. Slice-of-lifes are more episodic and have episode arcs with small contained plots, and may or may not be balanced with more humor and 'every day' mundane notes. A drama has one continuous story from start to finish with most of the extraneous stuff cut out to streamline the plot. At least that's how I categorize my own work.

[vfinnigan]

Nearly all of my stuff is classified as "slice of life," owing to the lack of any other nonfiction category as well as what I write being or including people's personal experiences. And it tackles a whole lot of very un-cute subject matter, like misogyny, 9-11, and, well... war. While there may be some witty lines and subtle jokes, these are not comedies.

I'll be starting something a bit more comedic in the not too distant future, but again, it's dealing with decidedly un-fluffy subject matter, life with chronic illness. There will be a lot more humor, but of the sardonic kind, expressing frustration with the main character's circumstances or mocking the ignorant and ableist folks the main character meets.

[Cheeroo]

I feel like that's how it's split in my own head as well! Drama feels like it's very much committed to a plot, plus I'd always imagine it being more fictional in its creation as well, personally.

[plitzbergmargio]

hi here there s mine!don't worry is not a cute slice of life

https://tapas.io/series/Me-Inside-Panels