Das Leben ist kein Ponyhof

For almost ten years, Sarah Burrini has been using her extremely entertaining comic strip Das Leben ist kein Ponyhof to combine the absurd with the everyday – often weighing in on current debates as she goes. Three collections have now been published as books, and new strips appear every Monday. Burrini combines happenings from her own life and observations on current political and social events with fantastical elements. Her illustrated alter ego shares a flat with various talking animals, and she makes regular ironic forays into the male-dominated world of superheroes as Nerd Girl. In the past few years, the comics have increasingly featured critical comments on right-wing populism, fake-news controversies, and recent cases of sexism and discrimination. The charm of this cartoonish, classic comic-strip lies in the interplay between youthful imagination and a mature ability to reflect on the world, and in Burrini’s playful exploration of the possibilities presented by comic art.