Review by Frank Plowright

Sometimes a graphic novel comes out of nowhere that’s utterly delightful and beyond criticism. That’s The Lost Sunday, the first English language translation of work from incredible Romanian cartoonist and illustrator Ileana Surducan. An immediate indication of quality is that it was nominated for an Eisner Award in 2022 despite only being available as a limited Kickstarter edition. Why this general reissue has taken three years is a mystery almost as large as the missing Sunday.

Nina works with a different person in a different job every day, all six days of the week. She’s relatively young, but it’s still exhausting, and she’s determined to find the witch who stole Sunday and have it restored. On the way she meets someone with a similar idea, but who lacks Nina’s work ethic, rests a lot when there’s work to be done, and waits for things to happen rather than making them happen. However, she looks very glamorous in her Sunday finery and is convinced that’s what will impress the witch.

The witch is met just after halfway through The Lost Sunday, but as she has at every stage, Surducan surprises with a creative dilemma.

After the story Surducan reveals The Lost Sunday is based on one of Grimm’s fairy tales (Frau Holle, or Mother Hulda in English if you’d like to look it up), contrasting two sisters who travel down a well. Like all the best fairy tales Surducan entertains children while also supplying a moral for adults, in this case about working too hard, prompted by her own creative burnout. The sample art shows the lack of a Sunday’s effect on other days of the week, while also showcasing Surducan’s imagination and technical ability. This is an utterly charming and beautifully drawn story for adults to enjoy as much as children.