LDCOMICS ONLINE FAIR 2025! Iliadtea is a creator who has been on my radar for quite a while after I had the pleasure of meeting her at last year’s Pride Comics Fair, where I discovered her short zine, Punks, Not Ducks. Otherwise known as Holly Raidl, Iliadtea is an Oxfordshire-based artist, who enjoys roller skating, dancing, journaling or, of course, drinking tea.
Joining the realm of exceptional artists participating in the LDComics Online Fair this month, Iliadtea brings their staple witty, dry humour to their title Erin + Pig. Following a witch named Erin and her familiar named Pig (who is indeed, as you may expect, a pig). The story begins with the duo having a dull day, deciding to tackle their ‘potions to make when we have time’ list. As they attempt to create this brand new potion, they run into some obstacles with acquiring the ingredients. Will they be able to get it together and find the ingredients, or will their dull day just get duller? Spoiler: go for the former. It would be quite an anti-climax, otherwise.
Firstly, has there ever been a pig familiar in media before? This may be a first – one small step for pigs, one giant leap for pig-kind! And what a pig he is. I particularly enjoyed the use of facial expressions from Pig, who is an especially chaotic character, with a penchant for squeezing into small gaps and stealing things. Thank goodness he has Erin and her handy ‘broom taxi’ to quickly fly him away from sticky situations.
The zine is illustrated in delightful pastel, with vague slightly blurred backgrounds in contrast to the stark, finely drawn characters. In such a small comic, the sense of world-building was great, with ingredients such as ‘jellytulips’ and ‘open-sesame oil’ not seemingly outlandish in this magical land.
Interestingly, rather than more traditional modern picks, Iliadtea was inspired by P.G. Wodehouse’s Bertie Wooster and Jeeves when creating these characters. Much like Erin, Bertie is amiable but hapless, frequently finding himself in social predicaments that his brilliant valet, Jeeves, expertly resolves. Sound familiar?
If you’re looking for a big dose of fun and a strong friendship to boot, Erin + Pig is available for the duration of July exclusively at LDComics Online Fair. It will be available in print after.
Iliadtea • LDComics Online Fair, £5.00
Review by Lydia Turner
The LDComics Online Comics Fair runs across the month of July. Read all our coverage of the comics on offer here at BF.
