What We Mean by Yesterday: Vol. 1

The story of a man driven to the edge ― and beyond ― by the world around him. But if he’s the good guy, then who is the bad guy?

Bruce Barnes is a schoolteacher having yet another shit day. His students are a disrespectful nightmare, gleefully relishing the misery they put him through. But today is even worse than usual, and after a particularly grim run-in with a student, he heads to the break room to bum a smoke off another member of the faculty. After lighting up, he’s told the cigarette is laced with amphetamines. From there, Bruce rides his “rage snake” from the classroom to the ends of the cosmos and back ― fighting, fucking, shooting, racing, and tripping his way from one impulsive move to the next. Reminiscent of films like Falling Down and shows like Breaking Bad, What We Mean By Yesterday is a black comedy descent into madness, a revenge horror/fantasy that gives new meaning to the phrase “bad trip.”

What We Mean By Yesterday began as a daily comic strip, one page per day, posted on Marra’s Instagram (@benjamin_marra). Originally begun as an experiment in drawing faster and looser, it quickly became one of the more popular pandemic era webcomics, followed by over 20,000 readers daily.

Black-and-white illustrations throughout

Benjamin Marra is the author of several acclaimed graphic novels from Fantagraphics, including Terror Assaulter(O.M.W.O.T.), Night Business, and American Blood. He received a B.F.A. in Illustration from Syracuse University; studied in Florence, Italy; and earned his M.F.A. degree in Illustration from the School of Visual Arts. He lives in Montreal.