Catboy by Benji Nate // Comic Review
Benji Nate's Catboy is a funny, sweet, silly book that highlights the love between a girl and her cat.
Olive is a human, and Henry is her pet cat—although he’s also a person, thanks to a magic shooting star. They do all the things best friends do, like share clothes, go to parties, and complain about their jobs. Who cares if Henry gets more compliments wearing Olive’s clothes, or the party snacks are dead rats? Friends love each other no matter what.
Catboy by Benji Nate, 2017 edition, published by Silver Sprocket, 142 pages
Note: This review covers Catboy as it was published in 2017. There is also a 2021 edition with additional content, which I didn’t get to read for this review.
Catboy is a 2017 comic published by Benji Nate, originally written for Vice (which is a fascinating way to start a comic). Olive is a human who is trying to figure out how to live as an artist in an inhospitable capitalist society. After a wish on a shooting star turns her beloved cat Henry into a real (cat)boy, her life gets even more complicated. But in some ways, it’s simpler, as Henry is also figuring out how to live as a cat(man) in the world. The two are in it together, for better and worse, for house parties and hairballs.
What I loved
Oh, Catboy! There is so much to love. The art is fun and fluid, and so is the dialogue. The conversations between Olive and Henry feel like nightly debriefs with your roomate, or like every chaotic groupchat I’ve ever been a part of.
Of course, the book is also hilarious. Much of the humor stems from Henry being a catboy. He has just been born into this world, and while he is part boy, he is still part cat. The conversations between Olive and Henry are not unlike the ones I have with my own cats, even though my boys can’t really respond. Henry is silly, fun, sweet, and just the right amount of ignorant.
In the moments where Catboy isn’t cracking jokes, it’s delivering sweet moments between a girl and her cat. When Olive gets sick, Henry tries to feed her “tea” (leaves in hot water) and “soup” (pizza in hot water). Of course, hilariously, he doesn’t know what human food is like. But then, Henry comforts Olive by napping on top of her. This anthropomorphism is so effective because it plays on Henry’s ignorance (he’s a cat, he doesn’t know anything) but also shows the sweetness that is familiar to anyone who has ever had a loving relationship with an animal.
I’m curious about…
how the idea came about. There is no lack of stories about catpeople that play off of the common stereotypes of animal behavior, but Catboy is special in the specific sweetness and friendship between Olive and Henry. It certainly feels informed by real world experiences between cat and companion.
I am also intrigued by the little fashion vignettes between stories in this book. They feel very manga inspired, and I love it. Who doesn’t want to see their beloved protagonists in cute clothes? It’s a delight.
Final takeaways
Catboy is a funny, sweet, silly book that highlights the love between a girl and her cat. It made me think about my two boy cats and what they would do if they were catboys like Henry. I’ll never know, but I’m grateful to Catboy for giving me a glimpse into the silly chaos of that reality.
Recommended for…
furries who work in the arts
anyone who ever had a crush on a manga catgirl
zillenial tattoo artists
Pairs well with…
black cats everywhere: r/blackcats
silly instrumentals: Strawberry+ by nobonoko, Pikuniku OST by Calum Bowen
girls with kitties and problems: Bee and PuppyCat, Kiki’s Delivery Service
More of Benji Nate’s work can be found at:
@benjinate on instagram and X // patreon.com/benji
If you’ve read this book, or if you have any thoughts about my review, leave a comment and let me know.