Julia Wertz Explores the Raw Realities of Motherhood in ‘Bury Me Already’
Cartoonist Julia Wertz has built a career on unfiltered honesty, often documenting the messy intersections of creativity, sobriety, and personal struggle. In her latest graphic memoir, Bury Me Already (It’s Nice Down Here): Comics on Pregnancy and Parenthood, Wertz turns her lens toward the chaotic journey of becoming a mother. Published by Black Dog & Leventhal and released on April 14, 2026, the book provides a raw and often hilarious account of the joys and horrors associated with child-rearing.
A Journey of Reconciliation and New Beginnings
The narrative follows Wertz as she returns to her home in Northern California, where she reunites with her family and rekindles a relationship with an ex-boyfriend named Oliver. This reunion serves as a poignant bookend to her previous operate; in 2009’s The Fart Party: Volume 2, Wertz documented the deterioration of her relationship with Oliver, believing the distance between them was irreparable. Seventeen years later, Bury Me Already chronicles their surprise pregnancy, marriage, and the subsequent transition into a quiet life in a compact town.
Documenting the “Body Horror” of Pregnancy
Wertz is renowned for her willingness to depict the physical realities of the human experience. While her earlier work in her 20s focused on the visceral nature of the creative process, her motherhood memoir focuses on the literal “puke, blood, and poop” of parenthood. The book does not shy away from the “body horror” of pregnancy and recovery, detailing experiences such as:
- A repeatedly reopening cesarean section wound.
- Numerous projectile baby puke and poop incidents.
- The unfiltered, stinky glory of daily child-rearing.
Resilience Amidst Global and Personal Chaos
The memoir is set against a backdrop of significant external and internal turmoil. Wertz utilizes a patchwork of comic vignettes, essays, and diary doodles to recount the events of 2020. The narrative weaves together the personal challenges of a miscarriage, family trauma, and a life-altering accident with the broader chaos of a global pandemic and local wildfires. This unconventional structure mirrors the blur of early parenthood, resulting in a story centered on adversity and resilience.
Connecting to Wertz’s Artistic Legacy
Bury Me Already serves as a thematic and stylistic successor to Wertz’s previous acclaimed works. The richly detailed imagery of Sonoma streetscapes and her plant-filled home echoes the artistic style of Tenements, Towers & Trash. The book carries the same emotional intensity found in Impossible People, her memoir regarding her journey toward sobriety and her life as a professional artist in New York City.
Key Book Details
For readers looking to add this title to their collection, here are the essential specifications:
- Full Title: Bury Me Already (It’s Nice Down Here): Comics on Pregnancy and Parenthood
- Author: Julia Wertz
- Publisher: Black Dog & Leventhal
- Release Date: April 14, 2026
- Length: 304 pages
- ISBN-13: 9780762468287
- Price: $32.00 (Hardcover)
By blending heart-wrenching vulnerability with her signature wit, Julia Wertz offers a candid depiction of motherhood that avoids sentimentality in favor of truth. Bury Me Already stands as a testament to the endurance required to navigate the unexpected turns of family life and global instability.