Each week the iFanStaff passes along a tasty drink recipe and an even tastier comic book recommendation. The cocktail (or beer, or wine, or booze) and the comic can both be enjoyed independently, but they have a common theme and when served together they can make for the perfect reading experience.

In the basement of the iFanBrownstone is the unsanctioned Official iFanboy Mixology Lab, where real and fake scientists work together to match awesome comics with equally awesome cocktails. It’s all very scientific and kind of blurry.

Occasionally (usually after we polish off a keg of Josh Christie’s latest home brew and Ryan Haupt tries to convince us that no, really, he’s a sloth not a human) a comic will stump us. It’s a good comic, a great one that we want to tell you all about, but we’re just not sure what it’s perfect match is. Such was the case for me and the collected edition of Emi Lenox’s online sketch diary EmiTown. I picked up this comic back in March and have been waiting for some magical drink to come along that I could pair the comic with. After a few more drinks experiments,  I realized that the perfect mate for EmiTown wasn’t a cocktail at all.

Theatre is Evil

By Amanda Palmer & The Grand Theft Orchestra

Amanda Palmer was always one of those musicians I had heard of but hadn’t heard. She seemed cool enough; I just never really thought she was someone I’d dig. But back in July, my roommate showed me the video for “Want it Back“– the first single off Palmer’s then yet-to-be-released Kickstarter-funded album. It was love at first listen. For me “Want it Back” was just one of those songs that comes to you at the most perfect time. There’s this raw, manic energy to the song (and the video) that’s just unstoppable.

The same energy runs through the rest of the album. But what makes it work for me is the raw emotion in every one of the songs. It’s like someone got into the dusty corners of my brain and made awesome music out of what they found in there. Sometimes it’s sexy, sometimes it’s angry, but it’s always honest and unapologetic. Listening to Theatre is Evil is comforting and cathartic.

EmiTown, Vol. 2

Written and drawn by Emi Lenox
Published by Image Comics

Like I said, I picked up the second volume of EmiTown back in March when it was released as a birthday present to myself. Josh recommended the comic in one of last year’s holiday guides for people addicted to Twitter and Tumblr and it sounded kind of Bridget Jones-y so I thought I’d treat myself.

(And yes, I started with Volume 2. Forget continuity, it’s a diary. People don’t come with a box of back issues for you to read. In life, everything is a jumping on point.)

Basically, EmiTown, Vol. 2 chronicles Emi Lenox’s life from May 2010 to April 2011, all in glorious comics form. Whatever Emi did or felt on a particular day is in there: from having a crummy day at work, to eating a tasty burrito, to finding her book on the shelf at Powell’s.

I was pretty much in love with EmiTown within the first dozen pages. It’s like someone got into the dusty corners of my brain and made awesome comics out of what they found in there. Lenox is frank, truthful, and the slightest bit self-deprecating. Her honesty and earnestness make the book absolutely charming. It also takes a good amount of bravery to literally turn your life into an open book. Lenox doesn’t sugar coat anything either. If she’s having an off-day, she says so. When her boyfriend breaks up with her, you get to see it up close and empathize with her the whole way. The book carries the same unapologetic honesty that I loved in Palmer’s Theatre is Evil.

That said, EmiTown is not at all naval-gazingly emo. Emi juggles her day job with her comics work. She gets tipsy with friends and gets ready for comic conventions. She steals newspapers from people who aren’t reading them and stares at a dead pigeon outside her window. None of it feels mundane; it’s all relatable. We’ve all had days like Emi and have felt what she’s felt. It’s a wonderfully human book.

Also, there are army cats! Army cats in adorable helmets!

You guys still want a cocktail, don’t you. Alright. My recommendation is to drink whatever your personal situation calls for right now. Single malt scotch, cheap wine, or a damn beer: doesn’t really matter. You know what you like best. But because the internet is a vast and plentiful place, here’s the link to a recipe for a drink called the Amanda Fucking Palmer. It’s a twist on an Arnold Palmer (iced tea and lemonade) with your preferred amount of your preferred vodka.

Ali Colluccio enjoys comics, cocktails, and curling. Sometimes she sings Amanda Palmer songs at the top of her lungs. She also likes burritos and army cats.

Please obey the law and only drink if you are of age. Drink responsibly and never, ever, ever drink and drive. Buy the comics that make you happy and share them with your friends.