Giant Days is a comedic comic book written by John Allison, with art by Max Sarin and Lissa Treiman. The series follows three young British women – Esther de Groot, Susan Ptolemy and Daisy Wooton – who share a hall of residence at university. Originally created as a webcomic spin-off from his previous series Scary Go Round, and then self-published as a series of small press comics, Giant Days was subsequently picked up by Boom! Studios first as a six-issue miniseries and then as a monthly ongoing series. In 2016 Giant Days was nominated for two Eisner Awards and four Harvey Awards. In 2019, it won two Eisner awards, for Best Continuing Series and Best Humor Publication.
Creation Webcomic Giant Days is part of the same universe as Allison's previous series Bobbins and Scary Go Round. When Scary Go Round came to an end in 2009, Allison followed it with the series Bad Machinery. However, Bad Machinery – a mystery series about school-aged sleuths – was a departure from Scary Go Round, which had focused on a group of twenty-somethings, and Allison worried that the new series might alienate his audience. In case Bad Machinery failed, Allison began planning a second series based on the character of Esther de Groot from Scary Go Round. Although Bad Machinery ultimately proved to be a success, he produced three short Giant Days stories between chapters of Bad Machinery. These were subsequently printed and sold by Allison.
Ongoing series In 2013, Boom! Studios launched "Boom! Box", an imprint for experimental comics from established artists outside the comics industry. Allison, who was friends with Boom! editor Shannon Watters after catching her when she fell at a convention, saw Boom! Box as a good fit for continuing the Giant Days story and pitched it. The series was initially picked up as a six-issue limited series with pencilling by Disney animator Lissa Treiman (who had previously written a guest comic for Scary Go Round). This was Allison's first time writing a comic but not drawing it. Giant Days was a success, and after the final issue of the miniseries was picked up as an ongoing series, with Max Sarin replacing Treiman (although Treiman remained the cover artist until issue 24). Allison announced the end of the series at issue 55. Later this was clarified as ending at issue #54, with a special over-sized issue As Time Goes By wrapping up the series.
Setting Giant Days is set at the University of Sheffield and has a more realistic, less paranormal atmosphere than Allison's other comics, which take place in the fictional town of Tackleford. The series begins with Scary Go Round character Esther de Groot, a melodramatic goth, moving into her hall of residence and befriending her new neighbours: the cheerful homeschooled Daisy Wooton and the prickly but grounded Susan Ptolemy. The three webcomic storylines focus on Esther, as she is targeted by a gang of private school head girls, breaks up with her school boyfriend, and joins a black metal society. In the comic book series, Susan initially was the viewpoint character although the series remains an ensemble.
The series takes place over three years of university, with roughly every six issues corresponding to a single semester—the hardcover "Library Edition" releases of the series are titled based on the semesters, but their contents do not correspond exactly, as they collect the nine semesters across just seven volumes. Special issues are written to slot in at various points in the timeline. Allison stated that the definitive timeline was to "lend structure to it. Because you never see them at university really. They only attend a few classes in the course of 54 issues. In 1,200 pages or whatever, you never really see them doing any serious book learning. The series is about domesticity. In order to move them through the different phases of their domesticity, the dorms in the first year, co-living in the second year, them being split apart in the third year. It was a way to explore three different ways of a college friendship existing."
Characters
Main Esther de Groot Esther is tall, slim, pale, and goth. She is an English Literature student who loves black metal. She is proficient in boxing and is often seen falling in and out of love with various young men. Her friends consider her to be a drama queen, but she is also a very loyal and protective friend.
Susan Ptolemy Susan is shorter and more of a tomboy than the other women. She grew up in Northampton, smokes a lot and adopts a tough attitude but is secretly very sensitive. Though she is a medical student, Susan also has a reputation for being very careless and her roommates are constantly trying to get her to clean her filthy room and laptop. At the beginning of the series, she is secretly in love with her childhood friend McGraw, whom she later dates. She is very caring for her friends.
Daisy Wooton Daisy is biracial and tall with curly/frizzy orangish hair and glasses, studying Archaeology. She is an orphan whose parents disappeared in a plane crash in the Bermuda Triangle while returning from a Doctors Without Borders mission in Haiti, after which she was raised and homeschooled by her British West Indian grandmother, to whom she struggles to come out as a lesbian, but eventually does. Daisy struggles with her sexuality and eventually finds a steady female partner. Her friends see her as an innocent, wide-eyed optimist. She is very sweet and always tries to see the best in people, but has a violent side (especially when drunk).
Secondary Graham McGraw A fellow student and childhood friend/enemy of Susan's from Northampton who eventually dates her. He is very serious, mature, and an excellent handyman who often helps the girls do odd jobs around their apartment when they move off-campus.
Ed Gemmell A fellow student who harbours an unrequited crush on Esther. He is also a friend and roommate of McGraw's.
Reception Giant Days was well received, with reviewers especially positive about its depiction of women. Oliver Sava of The A.V. Club noted that "College-aged women are a demographic woefully underserved in the world of monthly comics, so when a new title caters to this group, it immediately stands out" and that "Women make up a large portion of Disney fandom, and hiring a Disney animator for Giant Days gives the book a visual sensibility that will appeal to those fans while presenting a story they don’t get to see in the Disney house style." Janelle Asselin writing for ComicsAlliance praised its depiction of online shaming while Comic Bastards singled out the depth of the characters, in particular the sympathetic treatment of Daisy's homeschooling and the nuance of her coming-out arc. David Nieves, reviewing the first issue for Comics Beat, described Treiman's art as having the "emotional grandiose of Scott Pilgrim" and the writing as having "the feminine voice of HBO’s GIRLS", both with a newspaper comic strip influence, but noted that "a slice of life story needs a little more emotional stakes".
Awards 2016 Eisner Awards: Nominated for Best Limited Series 2016 Eisner Awards: Nominated for Best Writer/Artist (John Allison) 2016 Harvey Awards: Nominated for Best New Series 2016 Harvey Awards: Nominated for Most Promising New Talent (Lissa Treiman) 2016 Harvey Awards: Nominated for Best Original Graphic Publication for Younger Readers 2016 Harvey Awards: Nominated for Best Continuing or Limited Series 2018 Eisner Awards: Nominated for Best Continuing Series 2019 Eisner Awards: Best Continuing Series 2019 Eisner Awards: Best Humor Publication 2019 Eisner Awards: Nominated for Best Lettering
Issues Issue Publication date Pencils Inks Cover Year SemesterWebcomicsSelf-published #12011John Allison(including colors)FirstAutumnSelf-published #22013Self-published #32013Boom! Box#118 March 2015Lissa TreimanFirstAutumn#25 April 2015#313 May 2015#417 June 2015#515 July 20152016 Holiday Special26 October 2016"What Would Have Happened If Esther, Daisy, and Susan Hadn't Become Friends (And It Was Christmas)?"Lissa TreimanSet in October to match month of publication.Lissa Treiman"How the Fishman Despoiled Christmas"Caanan GrallColors: Jeremy LawsonChristmas#619 August 2015Lissa Treiman#721 October 2015Max SarinLissa TreimanWinter#818 November 2015#99 December 2015BOOM! Box Mix Tape 201516 December 2015"Fridge Raider"John AllisonN/AUnconfirmed#106 January 2016Max SarinLissa TreimanWinter#113 February 2016#122 March 2016#136 April 2016Max SarinLiz FlemingEaster#144 May 2016Spring#151 June 2016#166 July 2016#173 August 2016#187 September 2016#195 October 2016Summer#202 November 2016SecondAutumnSelf-published #47 February 2022"Snooker Could Be Better"John AllisonOriginally pitched as a Giant Days/Batman crossover in 2016.Later given a special limited run in October 2023.BOOM! Box Mix Tape 20167 December 2016"Music Is Important"John AllisonN/A#217 December 2016Max SarinLiz FlemingLissa Treiman#224 January 2017#231 February 2017#241 March 20172017 Holiday Special22 November 2017"Love? Ack, Shelly!"Jenn St-OngeColors: Sarah Stern#255 April 2017Max SarinLiz FlemingMax SarinChristmas#263 May 2017Winter#277 June 2017#285 July 2017#292 August 2017#306 September 2017#314 October 2017Spring#321 November 2017#336 December 2017#343 January 2018#357 February 2018#367 March 2018Max Sarin#374 April 2018Summer#382 May 2018Julia MadrigalMax SarinThirdAutumn#396 June 2018#404 July 2018Max Sarin#411 August 2018#425 September 2018#433 October 20182018 Holiday Special5 December 2018"Where Women Glow and Men Plunder"John AllisonChristmas#447 November 2018Max SarinWinter#4512 December 2018#462 January 2019#476 February 2019#486 March 2019John AllisonMax Sarin#493 April 2019Max SarinEaster#501 May 2019Spring#515 June 2019#523 July 2019#537 August 2019#544 September 2019SummerAs TimeGoes By30 October 2019Epilogue
Collected editions The series has so far been assembled into the collections listed below:
Trade paperbacks Title Material collected Publication date ISBNGiant Days – Volume One Giant Days #1–418 November 2015Giant Days – Volume Two Giant Days #5–830 March 2016Giant Days – Volume Three Giant Days #9–1228 September 2016Giant Days – Volume Four Giant Days #13–161 March 2017Giant Days – Volume Five Giant Days #17–207 June 2017Giant Days – Volume Six Giant Days #21–2411 October 2017Giant Days – Volume Seven Giant Days #25–2814 March 2018Giant Days:Extra Credit – Volume One Giant Days: 2016 Holiday Special Giant Days: 2017 Holiday Special "Fridge Raider" (BOOM! Box Mix Tape 2015 short story) "Music Is Important" (BOOM! Box Mix Tape 2016 short story) Destroy History (webcomic strips)13 June 2018Giant Days – Volume Eight Giant Days #29–3215 August 2018Giant Days:Early Registration Giant Days #1–3 (webcomic)December, 2018Giant Days – Volume Nine Giant Days #33–366 February 2019Giant Days – Volume Ten Giant Days #37–4012 June 2019Giant Days – Volume Eleven Giant Days #41–44 Giant Days: 2018 Holiday Special25 September 2019 Giant Days – Volume Twelve Giant Days #45–4829 January 2020 Giant Days – Volume ThirteenGiant Days #49–523 June 2020 Giant Days – Volume FourteenGiant Days #53–54 Giant Days: As Time Goes By14 October 2020
Hardcovers Title Material collected Publication date ISBNGiant Days: Library Edition - Volume 1 ("Fall Semester, First Year") Giant Days #1–8 Giant Days #1 (webcomic) "Fridge Raider" (BOOM! Box Mix Tape 2015 short story)5 September 2023Giant Days: Library Edition - Volume 2 ("Winter Semester, First Year") Giant Days #9–16 Giant Days #2 (webcomic) "Music Is Important" (BOOM! Box Mix Tape 2016 short story)19 September 2023Giant Days: Library Edition - Volume 3 ("Spring Semester, First Year") Giant Days #17–24 Giant Days #3 (webcomic)17 October 2023Giant Days: Library Edition - Volume 4 ("Fall Semester, Second Year") Giant Days #25–32 "What Would Have Happened If Esther, Daisy, and Susan Hadn't Become Friends (And It Was Christmas)?"